A PERILOUS ADVENTURE.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2105, 3 February 1870, Page 2

A PERILOUS ADVENTURE.

(From the S. A. Advertiser.) Captain Hoell, of the Hvideorn, was some months ago the hero of the fo.lowing perilous adventure ;—When last here he was in company with another Norwegian, named Valiiere, of the ship Doore, and both the vessels met again shortly after at the Chincha Islands, whether they had voyaged for a return cargo of guano. It was customary there for the masters to make up parties to hunt the sea lions, which were very numerous on some rocky islands within a few miles of the roadstead, and shortly after arrival the two gentlemen alluded to and another master belonging to the Evening Star, and a lad, fitted out for a day’s sport. They had weapons and provisions, and proceeded to the haunts of those gigantic creatures with the intention of a single day’s sport, but on heading into a semicircular bay the tidal eddies conflicting with an ocean swell capsized the boat, and on recovering consciousness, the c.aptain found he had been washed into a cave at the base of an overhanging precipice, where another sur : vivor of the catastrophe also found footing. The entrance was filled by heavy rollers, ■which broke in in such a maimer as to abolish all hope of getting out without some extraordinary aid, while an examination of the interior rendered the position more hopeless; and to add to their grief and dismay, the bodies of Captain Valiiere and the lad, with some fragments of the boat, were washed up on a small shingle beach, which occupied the extremity of the cavern. The time wore away wretchedly, for as the tide rose it was a matter of conjecture whether they would not he drowned by the cave tilling; but at high water there was a bare space of three feet, into -which they crouched, embracr ing each other to sustain the animal warmth. As night approached a new peril was apparent, for it wasevident they

were In the resort of the sea lions, mirabera of which flocked into it, making the echoes resound with their dcfeamng noise, which mingled with the roar of the surf on the shingle beach. The presence of mind never deserted cither, and by great exertions the fragments of the boat were gathered into a kind of barricade, which was improved by boulders of rock, while Captain Hoell cut the only remaining leg of his pants off, and secured it in a stone after the mannei of a sling shot, and with this defended the barricade, only aided occasionally by a stone thrown by his companions in distress. Wearily the hours fled past, without food, water, or clothing. Had the men not possessed iron frames, they must have sunk under the perils of the night, for witn the morning theie was no hope from without. The fact of their not returning to tho ships the same evening being sufficient to indicate accident, there was a general muster next morning, and three well-manned ships’ lifeboats were despatched in search, with a native who knew well the locality. For several hours their efforts were nob » vestee or Irament could bo seen, but finally one boot J the mouth of the cave, where the roar of the surf entirely drowned any human voice, but bv Providence the inmates were perceived, and an immediate attempt at rescue resulted in the boat’s capsize, but, being buoyant, the crew were enabled to recover her and make a second charge, aided by another boat s crew This proved successful, and the prisoners were released, but the dreadful excitement of the night had such an effect on Captain Hoell that the greater part of his hair fell off; and to tho present day ho suffers an occasional attack of faintness, sue as he experienced when first thrown ashore. The native divers were subsidised hand somelv for the recovery of the bodies of Captain Valliere and the lad, but even this was not accomplished without much difficulty. __