A Tale of the Sea.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1575, 7 December 1885, Page 4

A Tale of the Sea.

The Ceylon Observer of the -13th of June' gives the following narrative of theonly survivor of the steamer Speke Hall, recently foundered : «'« When I came to the surface iif jter being washed off the ? bridge, I and Quartermaster Usher were cling : \ ing to the same life-buoy, and I saw the funnel of the Speke Hall just going tinder water. Boats and everyiliiny " had been smashed to pieces and washed away ;, and indeed, if the boats had been available, they could not have lived m such water. Catching a spar, I abandoned the lite-buoy * to Usher. It was dark at the time, and I covild not see him or any one else. At daylight 1 managed to secure another spar. ,1 lashed the ; two spara .together with my belt, . crosswise, so that I was able to sit on the centre. I could not have held on -much longer to- the single spar, because every now arid then the spar would fall above me, and 'my head ""-would" go Under water. When daylight set m the sea and^ the wind 'had gone down, .and it^came onto ;rain. I had a sou' wester on, luckily, and I held it until I caught about a cupful of water. I believe that saved my life, for I had swallowed ', a good deal of salt water, and my mouth was parched. 'I saw nothing that day except pieces of wreck floating about. Oh the morning of the second day T saw the smoke of a steamer a long distance. ofif. She passed on without seeing me. T saw one or two others during the day, but they were still \tpo far off. About the middle of the 'second day a shark came rushing along at a great speed. It was not a very large one— about nine feet long I was sitjing on the cross-n'ece with my feet underneath; The shark rushed over one pieqe of wood, and T fancy he got the other arm of the r^ft m his teeth, because he stopped suddenly. I had a/piece of stick, about three feet long which I picked up thinking, it might be useful for •hoisting my cap, on as a signal. 1 : poked him with this stick, and, he Reared off at once, and 1 never saw anything more of him. That night aj steamer ! passed , -quite close to me. I cquM see all her lierhts, but, the night being dark, she did not observe me. I hailed her, but she was too far, off; to hear me; I dozed off once or twice, but whenever I dozed T fell into the water. I didn't feet much inconvenience ftom the sun, My hat saved me!. On the morning of ;the third day I saw a steamer and a sail, I took my coat oft and hoisted it on the stick, and tiied to attiact her attention. She altered her course and : came straight toward me; ajid I fancied she had seen me ; but presently she altered her course and steered away from me. J> had almost given up hope then. V Later ;in the? same day another nnd winch larger shark • visited me, but did hot ; come within the circle- of the raft. He was a tremedous fellow, twenty feet long at least, and 1 gave myself up 'for lost whdn T saw hint: Nothing more occurred until the. evening. The sun began to get low, aud I could not see anything all vounld the horizon, and I made up ray* mind- for :' another night, I - must haye gone off into *a longer doze than usunl, for I fell off the raft on ray face, and when I got up again the French sfceeMer Peiho seemed close to;, mo, as if she had sprung out 6f 'the water. I had nothing to single with but my / hat. I;helil it iipas hijrh ha I could, and one of the sofj'iors on' bojinl saw me. AiDwat' Was Towered and an officer mid four men came over to me and took me on board, vrhere they treated oie Very Icintlly." '. i