Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Lahay, the botanist, also stopped there; having under his care the bread-fruit trees, brought from the Friendly Islands. Pison, the painter, tarried with the governor of Sourabaya; but afterwards returned to Europe, and published an account of the voyage.

THE MARINER'S ADDRESS TO HIS MISTRESS

When clouds are dark and winds blow high,
Thou'lt surely think of me-
Whose fate is in that stormy sky,
Or on the raging sea.

And oft thou'lt think at eventide,
When flowers perfume the breeze,
Of him who would be by thy side,
But still must roam the seas.

Thou'lt think, too, when the stars shine bright
Out o'er the azure sky,

Of one who views their hallowed light

And dreams that thou art nigh.

He sees thee in that one bright star,

Pure emblem of our love;

That minds us as it beams afar,

Our vows are sealed above.

And still his wandering eye shall catch
Its loved and stilly light,

And think of thee, who too dost watch
Love's altar pure and bright.

Its incense is the sweet sea-breeze,
That bears his vows to shore,
Or visions poured on the seas,
To meet and part no more.

The merry sea-boy trolls his lay,
And lightly laughs at sadness;
The soldier sings war's roundelay
Its notes respond his gladness.

'The mariner still views his chart,
Or looks upon the pole,

Whose star will guide him to his mart
Howe'er the billows roll.

Another sighs in secret sorrow
O'er those he left behind;

The ship rides on to-day. To-morrow

Their forms have left his mind

Their joys and sorrows, hopes and fears,
Are transient as the wind;

Eyes bright in hope, or dim with fears,
Are emblems of their mind.

Ambition's lure or gainful trade
Still lead them on their way;
Not so for me-my soul was made
To seek another stay.

My spirit turns toward that shore,
A wand'rer though I be,

And hopes to meet and part no more,
From all it loves-from thee.

CAPTAIN RILEY

There is not, perhaps, in the annals of shipwreck, a personal narrative more deeply distressing, or more painfully interesting, than that of Captain Riley. Were there not the most ample testimony to his excellent moral character and unimpeachable veracity, we might be led to withhold our belief from some parts of his narrative, on the simple ground, that human nature on the one hand, was utterly incapable of inflicting, and on the other, of enduring such hardships and sufferings as this gentleman and his poor shipwrecked companions had to undergo-sufferings which, as Captain Riley truly says, have been as great and as various as ever fell to the lot of humanity.

The American Brig, Commerce, commanded by Captain Riley, with a crew of ten persons, was wrecked on the coast of Africa, on the 28th of August, 1815. With some difficulty the crew reached the shore, and secured a small quantity of provisions and tools, to repair their boat, in which they hoped to reach the Cape de Verd Island. All hopes of this were, however, soon rendered abortive by the appearance of a party of Arabs; who burnt their trunks and chests, carried off their provisions, and stove in the wine and water casks. The crew escaped to their boat, but Mr. Riley was left behind. One of the Arabs seized hold of him by the throat, and with a scimitar at his breast, gave him to understand there was money on board, and it must instantly be brought ashore.

When the ship was wrecked, Mr. Riley had divided the dollars among the crew. On being informed of the demands of the Arabs he hailed the men, and told them what the savages required; a bucket was accordingly sent on shore with about a thousand dollars. An old Arab instantly laid hold of it, and forcing Riley to accompany him, they all went behind the sand hills to divide the

spoli. In this situation he felt himself very uneasy, and in order to regain the beach, he made signs that there was still more money remaining in the ship. The hint succeeded; and under the idea of getting it they allowed him again to hail his people; when, instead of money, he desired them to send on shore Antonio Michael (an old man they had taken in at New Orleans), as the only possible means left for him of effecting his own escape. The Arabs finding, on his reaching the shore, that he had brought no money with him, struck him, pricked him with their sharp knives, and stripped him of all his clothes. Mr. Riley seized this opportunity of springing from his keepers, and plunged into the sea. On rising through the surf, he perceived the old Arab within ten feet of him, up to his chin in water, with his spear ready to strike him; but another surf rolling at that instant over him, saved his life, and he reached the lee of the wreck in safety. The remorseless brutes wreaked their vengeance on poor Antonio, by plunging a spear into his body, which laid him lifeless at their feet.

The wreck was, by this time, going rapidly to pieces; the long boat writhed like an old basket. The crew had neither provisions nor water; neither oars nor a rudder to the boat; neither compass nor quadrant to direct their course; yet, hopeless as their situation was, and expecting to be swallowed up by the first surf, they resolved to try their fate on the ocean, rather than to encounter death from the relentless savages on shore. By great exertion, they succeeded in finding a water cask, out of which they filled four gallons into a keg. One of the seamen, Porter, stole on shore by the hawser, and brought on board two oars, with a small bag of money which they had buried, containing about four hundred dollars. They also contrived to get together a few pieces of salt pork, a live pig, weighing about twenty pounds, about four pounds of figs, a spar for the boat's mast, a jib, and a main sail. Every thing being ready, the crew went to prayers; and the wind ceasing to blow, the boat was launched through the breakers. In this miserable boat they determined to stand out in the wide ocean After being six days at sea, it was driven on the rocks, and com pletely stove, but the crew again reached the shore.

On the next morning they set out from the place where they had been cast, which, as it afterwards appeared, was Cape Barbas, not far from Cape Blanco. They proceeded easterly close to the water's edge, for three days, when they encountered a large company of Arabs who were watering their camels. The shipwrecked mariners bowed themselves to the ground with every mark of submission, and by signs implored their compassion, but in vain. The whole party were in an instant stripped naked to the skin, and the Arabs began to fight most furiously for the booty, and especially for getting possession of the prisoners. "Six or eight of them," says Captain Riley, whose narrative we now

quote, "were about me, one hauling me one way, and one another. The one who stripped us, stuck to us as his lawful property signifying, "you may have the others, these are mine."-They cut at each other over my head, and on every side of me, with their bright weapons, which fairly whizzed through the air within an inch of my naked body, and on every side of me, now hacking each other's arms apparently to the bone; men laying their ribs bare with gashes, while their heads, hands, and thighs received a full share of cuts and wounds. The blood streaming from every gash, ran down their bodies, coloring and heightening the natural hideousness of their appearance. I had expected to be cut to pieces, in this dreadful affray, but was not injured.

"The battle over, I saw my distressed companions divided among the Arabs, and all going towards the drove of camels, though they were at some distance from me. We too were delivered into the hands of two old women, who urged us on with sticks towards the camels. Naked and barefooted, we could not go very fast, and I showed the women my mouth, which was parched white as frost, and without a sign of moisture. When we got near the well, one of the women called for another, who came to us with a wooden bowl that held, I should guess, about a gallon of water, and setting it on the ground, made myself and Dick kneel down and put our heads into it like camels. I drank, I suppose, half a gallon, though I had been very particular in cautioning the men against drinking too much at a time, in case they ever came to water. I now experienced how much easier it was to preach, than to practise aright. They then led us to the well, the water of which was nearly as black and disgusting as stale bilge water. A large bowl was now filled with it, and a little sour camel's milk poured from a goat skin into it; this tasted to me delicious, and we all drank of it till our stomachs were literally filled. We now begged for something to eat, but these Arabs had nothing for themselves, and seemed very sorry it was not in their power to give us some food. There were at and about the well, I should think, about one hundred persons, men, women, and children, and from four to five hundred camels, large and small. The sun beat fiercely upon us, and our skins seemed actually to fry like meat before the fire. These people continued to draw water for their camels, of which the animals drank enormous quantities."

The party travelled south-east over a plain covered with small sharp stones, which lacerated their feet dreadfully. About midnight they halted, and for the first time got about a pint of pure camel's milk each. The wind was chilling cold; they lay on sharp stones, perfectly naked; their bodies blistered and mangled, and the stones piercing their naked flesh to the ribs. On the morning of the 11th (September), a pint of milk was divided among four of them, and they got nothing more until midnight, when they

were allowed a little milk and water. They continued travelling in the desert, enduring all the miseries of hunger, thirst, and fatigue, with every addition Arab cruelty could inflict, until they reached Wadnoon. Sidi Hamet, an African trader, who had pur chased them of the old Arab, however, became the means of their deliverance. He told Mr. Riley, that he must write a letter to his friend at Suara, desiring him to pay the money for the ransom of himself and people, when they should be free. A scrap of paper, a reed, and some black liquor, was then brought to Mr. Riley, who briefly wrote the circumstances of the loss of the ship, his captivity, &c. adding, worn down to the bone by the most dreadful of all sufferings, naked, and a slave, I implore your pity, and trust that such distress will not be suffered to plead in vain." The letter was addressed, "To the English, French, Spanish, or American Consuls, or any Christian merchant in Mogadore." The anxiety of the captives may be well imagined. For seven days after Hamet's departure, they were shut up in a yard during the day, where cows, sheep, and asses, rested; and locked up all night in a dreary cellar.

66

On the evening of the eighth day, a Moor came into the inclosure, and brought a letter from Mr. Wiltshire, the English Consul, stating, that he had agreed to the demand of Sidi Hamet, whom he kept as an hostage for their safe appearance, and that the bearer would conduct them to Mogadore. He had also sent them clothes and provisions; and thus accoutred and fortified, they set out under their new conductor, who brought them safe to Mogadore, where they were most kindly received by Mr. Wiltshire, who took each man by the hand, and welcomed him to life and liberty. He conducted them to his house, had them all washed, clothed, and fed, and spared no pains nor expense in procuring every comfort, and in administering with his own hand, night and day, such refreshment as their late sufferings and debility required. Of the miserable condition to which these unfortunate men had been reduced, one act will witness. "At the instance of Mr. Wiltshire," says Mr. Riley, "I was weighed, and fell short of ninety pounds, though my usual weight for the last ten years had been over two hundred pounds; the weight of my companions was less than I dare to mention, for I apprehended it would not be beieved that the bodies of men, retaining the vital spark, should not have weighed forty pounds

« ZurückWeiter »