Perils of the Sea.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 152, 5 June 1883, Page 3

Perils of the Sea.

CA!ST ASBLoKHi ON A ; i)ESOL '. .-' \ LAt\E ISLAND. "\ ■'■ \ 1 n . J / ; "B?!MS ' Telegtaph.] ' i I'eW mbre i extraordinary stories have, b&en .pttblished lately than the narrative of loss of an American Whaling iichtioner w called thie Pilot's Bridel This crafty it s e ems, so long .ago a^ Ottober, 18)81, was ,'wreoke dbtfDesoia-i usually charted undet' the name of EJerguelen, a desolate spot m °tiTe ;middle of the vast Sout&ern Ocean, Bomje degrees to the Bouthwsrd of St. Paul's the : ecene of the loss of the Megaera. Theie were 81 men on board bit her, and it would aeern .thaj; ' all \ managed to get aahorei ' Soin? provisions were washed on to the beach; but not by any means m sufficient abundance to render the look-out toktable for these 81 men, who would form a company large enough to tax very severely the' hospitality of a small island..* Fortunately rabbi.ts were plentiful, and there was also dscovered a great growth of wild cabbages; but, good as a dish of rabbit and wild cabbage may prove when occasionally served, say once a week, it must grow a very . tiresome diet when there is nothing else to be had for eleven months and for all that time those- eighty«on« unfortunate, men were forced to live upon this Singular island : fare. • The Bole variation* of; their tedious and apparently hopeless imprisonment was the departare of a crew of them m their boat to deposit a letter, stating that at Three Islands ■ Harbour, a place of call for whalersj pituated about 150 miles' distant frQmEerguelen Island; Having,* co to speafy posted their letter m this' extraordinary ocean boat, the men; returned m their boat and remained on their island until September m last! jearj on the 4th day of , which, they were! taken off by the schooner Francis . Alijni i a^d subsequently landed at Cape Town. I