Year: 1875

A correspondent who has interviewed
Captain Boynton, sends o report of the
Captains statements to the Gentlen,an's
Magazine: aG car


Soon afterward I worked down into
the Gulf of Mexico. The first coral
raised was at Catoche. Knockingroun
about there I heard Of the loss of the
schooner Foam. The first mate and
three men got saved, but the captain,
his daughter and three men got lost.
/ slung around to see if she could be
raised. After we'd spent the best part
of week, we sailed over and dropped
anchor. 1t was lovely Sunday morn
ing when we struck her. She lay in
sixty feet of water, on a bottom as
white as the moon. Looking down I
could see her leaning over on one side
upon the coral reef When I got down
to her saw she had torn O great gap
in the reef when she ran against it.
The main-mast was gone and hung by
the fore. I climbed up; I saw whole
shoals of fish playing in and out of the
matches. First / went too look for the
bodies, for never like to work when
there's any of them about. Finding
the fo'castle empty, went to the two
little state cabins. 1t was rather dark,
and I had to feel in tho lower hunks.
There was nothing in the first, and in
the other the door was locked. I pried
it open and shot back the lock with my
adze. 1t few open, and out something
fell right against me. I felt at once it
was woman's body. I was not exactly
frightened, but it shook me rather. I
slung it from me, and went out into
the light a bit until got hold of my
self. Then I turned back and brought
her out--poor thing she'd been very
pretty, and as carried her in my arms
with her white face nesting against my
shoulder, she seemed as if she was
sleeping. I made her fast to the line, as
carefully as could, to send her up,
and the fish played about her as if they
were sorry she was going. At last I
gave the signal and she went slowly up,
her fair hair floating round her head
like pillow of golden sea-weed. That
was the only one found there, and I
managed afterwards to raise pretty con-
siderable Of the cargo. IA aA


Only one of my expeditions was made
among the silver banks of the Antilles
the loveliest place I ever saw, where
the white coral grows in curious tree
like shape. AS I stepped along the
bottom it seemed as if l was on frost
ed forest Here and there trailed long
fronds of green and crimson sea-weed.
Silver-bellied fish flash about among the
brown and purple sea-ferns, which rose
as high as my head. Far as could
see around in the transparent waters
were different colored leaves, and on the
floor piles OF shells so bright in color
that it seemed as if I had stumbled on
q place where they kept q stock of
broken rainbows. Icould not work for
bit, and had quarter determination
to sit down for while and wait for the
mermaid. / guess if those sea-girls
live anywhere, they select this spot.
After walking the inside out of half an
hour, I thought I'd better get to work
and blast for treasure, A little bit on
from where I sat were the remains of
treasure-ship. 1t was Britisher, /
think, and corals had formed all about
her. The coral on the bottom and
round her showed black spots. That
meant deposit of either iron or silver.
I made fairly good hauls every time /
went down, and sold one piece that l
had to Mr.. Barnum of New York.


After left there I had a curious ad-
venture with shark. I was down on
nasty rock bottom. A man never
feels comfortable on them; he can't
tell what big creature may be hiding
under the huge quarterback sea leaves
which grow there. The first part of
the time l was visited by porcupine
fish, which kept sticking its quilts and
bobbing in front of my helmet. Soon
after saw big shadow fall across me,
and looking up there was an internal
shark playing about my tubing. 1t
makes you feel chilly in the back when
they're about. He came to me slick as
I looked up. 1 made at him and he
sheered off. For near an hour he
worked at it, till 1 could stand it no
longer. If you can keep your head
level it's all right, and you are pretty
safe if they're not on you sharp. This
ugly brute was twenty feet long l
should think, for when I lay down my
length on the bottom he stretched a
considerable way ahead OF me, and I
could see him beyond my feet. Then
/ waited. They must turn over to bite,
and my lying down bothered him. He
swan over me three or four times, and
then skulked off to big thicket of sea-
weed to consider. / knew he'd come
back when he'd settled his mind. 1t
seemed long time waiting for linn.
At last he came viciously over me, but
like the time before, too far for my
arms. The next time / had my chance,
and ripped him with my knife as neatly
as I could. A shark always remem-
bers he's got business somewhere else
when he's cut, so off this fellow goes.