Year: 1873

coast, but there is all tho u1HerenCc De-
tween wave breaking en- the shore, and
wave in the open sea, that there is be-
tween a Gagged lion and lion in the
desert. II is great thing in these NIL dd-
mir4vt days to be able to feel awe, and /
experienced that sensation. Nature SEEM
ed to vast, SO irresistible; man, SO puny
and weak. had read many descrip-
tions, both in prose and verse, OF storms
at sea, but had never caught an idea OF
the truth from them, so that despair of
being able to express what felt. 1t was
so absurd that I had ever reckoned the
little lives and histories of my kind so
highly. caught glimpse OF the fadt
that we men, who give ourselves such
airs, are but as mites in cheese. Doubt
less, there may be good mites and bad,
wise mites and foolish, but when they are
mashed UP together with lump of but
ter, at the point of knife, they are
merged in equal insignificance.


As an individual mite, however, be-
gan to feel cold, wet, and uncomfortable,
and commenced series of acrobatic per-
formances having for their object the at
tainment, first of the cabin stairs, and
then of mo berth. In time all this was
accomplished, though not without some
bruises; then, perched on my shelf, sue
ceeded in getting rid of my wet outer
garments, and, rolling myself up in a
blanket, was soon rocked to sleep.


was awakened by a violent concus.
sion. Have you ever, when going up.
stairs in the dark, expected another step
when you were on the level, and got a
Jerk which tried every nerve in your
bodyP Well, that was the effect Wheth-
er was thrown out of my berth, or
jumped down in panic, don't know. l
remember trampling on something, which
must have been the diamond merchant
stumbling into the saloon, catching q
glimpse of three wild eyed passengers,
PROSTATE hitherto with sea-sickness, but
now cured by fear; struggling up the
cabin stairs against torrent of water
which came pouring down them: and at
last reaching the deck.


The day was breaking. The wind had
gone down somewhat. A low line OF
coast was visible in the distance. The
steamer was aground, heeling over on her
port side, and the waves were butfeting
her to pieces I managed to climb to the
starboard side of the funnel, the base of
which prevented me from slipping along
the steep deck, while the bulwark and
paddle box behind formed barrier





But this latter advantage did not last
long; plank by plank, paddle box and
bulwarks were torn to pieces, and the
loose splinters were fresh source of
danger A sailor, clinging to the sky
light over the engines, not far from my
station, had his arms broken by a mass
of wood and iron which was hurled
against him and then the waves, which
now washed the deck without opposi-
ton, had him at their mercy. They
rolled him back, away from me, then
threw him back, almost to my feet, so
that / could see his pitiful, appealing
eyes but before could clutch him, they
snatched him away again. So they wor-
ried him to death, and then sported with
his corpse.


There were two boats; the captain and
crew attempted to get one afioat, but the
gear was out of order, or they were
clumsy, or the situation was unfavorable.
Any way, the boat was capsized, and
some of those who were trying to launch
it were, l think, crushed, judging by the
CRY heard. The other boat, which was
near me, had side stove in, but among
the ruins of it I saw the yellow rim of
life.buoy, which determined to have.
It was a task of peril and difficulty to reach
the place, but effected it, and there, in.
side the boat, cinging to the thwarts,
found my old man, the diamond mer'
chant.


"Minel mine!' he cried, when l had
disentangled the life-buoy, and passed
one of my arms through it. Hecould moi
have meant that 1t was his private prop
erty, because the name of the steamer
was painted upon it; | suppose he had
formed the intention to appropriate it be
fore l came, and his strength had failed
him. The boat proved better protection
than it had looked. When the large
waves struck the stranded vessel, they
rose up and enveloped her, flooding the
decks with water, which poured off them
again in cataracts. / found on each oc-
casion that the boat was lifted at the same
time that it was flooded, and this of course
brought relief when the ref1ux came.
had not, as before, to cling hard to pre-
vent being dragged away, the giUe of the
boat as it floated and subsidized casing the
strain.


The vessel was settling down in the
sands, burying herself as she swayed
burrowing like a mudfish; it was plair
that no living thing subject TO drowning
could remain with her long. 1t had beer
broad daylight now for hours; we were
| in the mouth of some river, for land could
be seen on both sides. But no vessel com
ing to our assistance was visible. 1t wa
mere question of time, however; thu
wind had gone down, and the sea was no
too rough for good boat; we were surf
to be seen. With the aid of the life-buoy
a man might well float till he was pickeC
up, and its value was evidently immense


"Minew reiterated the old man, clutch
ing at it as the boat v as fioated for long
er time than it had been yet. And whel
the water receded, and we were once NOR
stranded on the deck, he felt In his breast
drew out a leather case, and cried: ~
fortune for i'll fortune for It'll"


looked at the nearest bank; but
seemed quite possible for strong swim
mer to reach It, and | was very stron
swimmer. Not probable, perhaps, bu
possible. Money was not worth stead
industry, self-denial, butitwas well wort
striking one blow for.


"On your word as dying man." IsaiC
"do you believe that If survive, | sha
get ten thousand for the seventy-fy
Jewels p


Double, on my oath-doublel"


took my arm out of the life-buoy, an
pat it over his shoulder, at the same tim
receiving the leather case.


had run up on deck in my shirt an
drawers, and was pocketless; so l too
off handkerchief had round my heaC
tied the jewels up in that, and then 81
cured it about my waist.


had hardly done this before the boa
in which we were was washed clear c
the deck, and as, though broken and flu
of water she proved too shallow and buoy
ant to go down, | still chung to her for


minute or so; but the waves washed g
high over her gunwale, that had to il
go, and swim to loose oar which wa
floating near. The old man was kept we
out of the water by the buoy; saw hiI
a couple of waves off with his shoulder
we'll above it. There was no spray mo-
to drown him, for the wind had sunk
whisper, and, IL his strength lasted, b
seemed safe. He had made good pu
chase. AS for my own prospects, IN
short trip from the boat to the support
which now clung was sufficient to sho'
me that had not enough left in me
| swim ashore. no nor half the WaV nor