Year: 1870

Do you think we shall be drowned
Mr.. Darrell ." she asked.


"No," l answered. cat least have
strong hopes that we may be Eaved. ]
think the worst of the gale is over, and il
we only don't happen to ship an unfortu
nate sea like that which,"


my dear fatherl He was all that had y
she moaned and once more her miracu
Ions fortitude gave way, and she broke
down again. h
4The gale abatedat midnight, and though
Che ship labored terribly in the tumbline
swell, for want of canvas to steady her,
we shipped no more heavy seas, l stayed
near my young charge all through the
night; for, of course, neither of US could
sleep. promised her that would ever
be as father to her, and that, come what
would, she should share my fortunes and
be to me as sacred legacy.


OF course, no such idea as marriage
with-her had anything to do with what l
said or felt at that time. / was twenty
five years old, and Jessie child. Besides,
L was under promise of marriage to a
young lady OF suitable age. She Tilted
me for another, during my absence-but
that has nothing to do with my story.


With the morning light came the neces-
bAby AOl ChOlt, ohO q oChSC Va lCoDOhblOlllby
new and strange to me. sounded the
well and found only two feet of water in
the ship, this having worked down from
above did not attempt, alone, to pump
her out; but rejoiced in the assurance
that still had tight vessel under me
for, had she sunk, should have had no
dependence beyond such a raft as / could
have extemporized. Every boat had been
swept away. b


l loosed and let fall the foresail, and sue
ceeded in setting it, with the child 8 assist.
ance and the power of the windlass. The
spanker could easily manage with the
brails; and these, with the lower staysails
were all the canvas / intended to make
use Of could do nothing with the loftier
sails without more help. s
Z The sun had. come up brightly after the
storm, and the aspect OF the skies indicated
a continuance of fine weather. took OBJ
servations and shaped my course toward
the Hervey Islands, hoping to make
Mangea or Raratonga. had good
general knowledge of navigation, though
had little practice, and was unused to
anything like responsible control of that
department.


3 OF course, was obliged to be at the
helm most of the time. But l soon taught
Jessie, 80 that she could steer well enough
in fair weather, which gave me time to
attend to many other matters. But as we
could not steer all day and all night, the
ship was necessarily left to her own
guidance some part of the time.


l soon discovered that my knowledge of
navigation, though it might tell me where
/ was, would not enable me to go where l
wished. The winds and currents headed
me on, SO that we were making drift to
the westward; and it was impossible to
remedy this, unless the ship were manned
so as to be well steered and enabled to
carry all sail. Spite of all that the child
and could do, she must go nearly where
the elements might carry her. We should
be more likely TO make land somewhere
among the rongas or Fejees than in the
dire ction I had hoped at first.


There was no fear of our running short
of provisions or water, as we had more
on board than we could consume for
years. The weather continued fine, and
we were daily drifting into milder lati-
tudes bat no sail could be seen. A dozen
times every day 1 climbed to the mast.
head, in the vain hope of deserving a
ship, and as often descended to cheer up
my little shipmate with the hope of see
ing one to morrow. Thus week after
week wore away monotonously, while
Jessie and were all the world to each
other, and every hour served to fasten
the tendrils more firmly about my heart
as she leaned in her childish dependence
upon me. thought how miserable
might have been if entirely alone in such
a situation, and in return clung to her,
and gave thanks as for blessing, heav-
en-sent, to become a part of my whole
future lite and being. do not think
could have entertained the thought oi
ever parting with her.


My observations satisfied me that we
had passed beyond the latitude of the
Tonga and Feejee groups without having
seen them. This knowledge was rather &
relief to me, for we should most likely
have fallen into the power of savage can
mercy. We could hardly fare worse by
there was still the possibility of meetin g
q ship with civilized men on board.


At length, on going aloft, as usual, one
beautiful morning, the horizon line along
under our lee presented the irregular
broken appearance which l had often seen
before, and knew so well. The punches





very low land were the first objects that
came into view, 80 that, as we neared
them, the slender stems seemed to be
rooted into the ocean, and to shoot direct
ly up from its watery bed.


We were setting, by the force Of cur
rent, directly toward the island, and there
was no possibility of propelling the ship
away from it, But there was chance
that it might be uninhabited. If so, we
could not land upon it, for we had ne
boat, and it was out of the question tC
think of managing a raft in the intricate
channels OF q coral reef.


But we had been seen, as it appeared
even before we had discovered the land
For within an, hour the triangular sails o
half a dozen large canoes rose into view
coming rapidly up toward us. To escape
with the ship was simply impossible. Blu
1t occurred to me that the savages coulC
know nothing of our defenseless condi
tion, though the appearance of the ship
under 80 little canvas in fine weather
must be strange and suspicious to them
They would not attempt any foul play
with us, if they believed the vessel to b.
fully manned and armed. They had conn
off TO drive barter trade with the whit
AeANA1 NeNo eAASAA hod1h 10 OiAs


at once set to work, with the help o
the child, who showed a ready compre
hension of the situation, to manufacture
crew for the vessel. Seamen's clothe
were abundant, and in short time ever,
handspike was rigged up in motley suit
These were all stuffed out into shape, an,
topped with hats OF caps. / dispose,
them in the most natural positions abou


the decks, in the various parts of the shil
so as to give the whole the most lifelik
appearance


1 loaded all the firearms we had o.


board, which amounted to only thre


muskets; and then went aloft to loose tn


mainsail, which had never been set sine


the gale in which the crew were swel


overheard. had felt unable, alone, I


control such an immense sheet of canVa


But l must have it ready for use now, i


case should want to give the vessel NOR
headway.


While on the mainyard engaged in loo


ening it, sail appeared in sight over tn


point of the island. Not a canoe-oI
could not be seen at that distance in rang


of the trees, but ship My heart leape


at the thought that help and deliVeranC
| /, fox.r - slaa - no