A Daring Captain.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 221, 13 November 1888, Page 3

A Daring Captain.

A New York correspondent writes under date September 15 In a previous letter I mentioned the departure of Captain William A. Andrews in the little dory Dark Secret, for a voyage across * the Atlantic Ocean. He went alone, and his boat was smaller than any other that ever made the voyage. He nturned four days ago, having been picked np by the Norwegian barque Nor, when little more than half way across the ocean. He had been ont two months and a day, had apt ken 24 vessels, but for the last four weeks had only seen four sail. His boat, only 12 feet 9 inches long, had stood the buffeting of the sea in a wonderful manner, but her bottom was covered with grass and barnacles. His provisions were exhausted, bis outfit was need up, bis boots were in boles where the seawater had eaten them, and his clothing, drenched most of the time with water, barely hung upon him. He wss worn to a skeleton and so weak he was unable to climb the ladder to th« deck of the Nor, but for all that the Norwegian captain had considerable difficulty to persuade him to relinquish his attempt to cross the ocean in the dory. He declares he Sill try it again next year, and feels confident success. His boat was hoisted on to the deck of the Nor, and will probably be put on Exhibition to raise funds for next season’s experiment. Captain Andrews says that he was often followed by sharks, but they usually did not stick to him more than an hour

er two. One day a school of half a dozen man eaten came anpleasantly near, and seemed determined to upset him. He admits that be was soared at the situation, and in the hope of inducing them to go away he threw out a ean or two of bis provisions, which they eagerly swallowed. Of course this was the very thing to induce them to follow further, and he then thought of a better plan to rid himself of their society. He took one of the targe fire crackers which are used in these waters for yacht signals, and make a noise like a small cannon; he inclosed it in a piece of meat and then, after lighting the fuse, flung it at the school. One of them swallowed it at a (gulp; immediately there was an explosion that tore a hole through the side of the swallower, and rendered him of very little UM for the purpose for which the shark see ins to have been designed by nature. With that practical spirit which characterises the shark, hie companions turned to and ate up their unfortunate associate, and as the dory ■ailed away the captain saw no more of them.