THE RESCUED PORTUGUESE CASTAWAYS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue XIII, 29 November 1878, Page 2

THE RESCUED PORTUGUESE CASTAWAYS.

Prom the Christchurch Press we take the following true copy of translation of statement made in writing in the Portuguese language of Antonio Duval and Jose de Silva Pinto : — " The Portuguese ahip Amerique sailed from Oporto on the 13th August, 1878, bound to Rio Janeiro. At about Sierra Leone on the 2nd September, and after twenty days' voyage, the A.B. Antonio du Val was making his service on the igrecastle •when a heavy sea shipped carried him away. Immediately alter, the captain Drought the ship close to the wind, lowered a boat, and Bent it with five men to rescue him. In this they succeeded, taking the man on board the boat. When the boat was coming back to the ship a heavy sea capsized her. By this time the ship had the royals and topgallant sails furled. She had the jib and main staysails set and a thick rain was falling. At the time the boat capsized we were six men on board of her, four of which succeeded in clinging to the boat, the other two men were seen for some three minutes, disappearing after that for ever. By this time the ship was to leeward, a little while after she tacked to the east, made a little distance, and tacked again towards the sea, coming to the windward of the boat in sight of us. She backed her sails in front of us, hailing us to go on board swimming, which was not possible for us on account of the great distance to the ship. During all this time the ship wa3 drifting, going far to leeward, while they were trying to lower another boat, in which they did not succeed. As she was to leeward she tacked towards the land again coming in this time so far to windward of us that it is probable they could not see us, and so she proceeded on her voyage. We were four remaining in the boat Antonio Duval, Antonio A. Fonco, Manuel da- Guinea, and Jose da Silva Pinto ; the following day, after so much straggling with the sea, Manuel da Guinia died; he was born in Conde. We kept him fast to the stern of the boat, and, a? we were awf qlly hungry, we commenced to eat one of his legs. The boat was full of water, and we conld see the sharks eating the roan. The day after, at six o'clock in the morning, Antonio A. Fonco died; he was born at Spisende. At last we remained only two in the boat, and all we could do was to weep and cry for help. At about seven o'clock in the morning of the sth we flighted a sail; we got greatly rejoiced for it — the ship getting more distinct every minute; but we feared that Bho would pass at a great distance, so it is only for God's help that they saw us. The ship backed her sails, and a boat came off with five men. They saved us and carried us on board, and we got quite certain that we were at last saved. We were taken to the cabin, where we stopped until we recovered; after that we went to work to the best of our abilities for the British ship that has saved us. " Jose da Silva Pinto, born at Spisende— Portuguese. « Antonio du Val, born at Fao—Portuguese. " It is the true meaning. "(Signed) " Guillbbmo Garcia y G^hcia, " Peruvian Merchant, of Lima."