ALONE ON THE OCEAN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 398, 23 August 1869, Page 2

ALONE ON THE OCEAN.

(Front CassclVs Magazine.)

We had been out from Genoa about three days on our way to Malta when the event I here narrate happened. " A man overboardl" I heard cried distinctly as I was whirled under the ship's stern; and then were cries of « Who ?" « Where ? » and "Let go the lifebuoy ! " The weather had been very squally, with thick, driving rain, and at the time I fell the ship was under double-reefed topsails and courses ; the top-gallant sails had just been taken in to a fresh squall. I was standing on the weather netting, holding by a top-gallant backstay, when it parted, and the next moment I was plunged into the water. At first I went down like a lump of lead, but in a few seconds began to ascend. When I reached the surface, however, it was to find myself whirling from the vessel's side, with a confused noise of the howling wind and the bubbling water in mr ears. I was so blinded by the water that I could not immediately see. I spun round and round as in a whirlpool, for I was caught in the eddies under the stern. As I rose on the top of a billow I saw that the ship was hove-to, her quarter-boats were down, and her rigging full of men anxiously endeavouring to get sight of me; but the darkness of the approaching night was increased by that of the squall, and another driving cloud of rain coming down, effectually hid me from their sight. How my heart sank within me 1 Was I to perish, and within hearing too of my shipmates ! " Ahojr J Aho — y I Aho — o— oyl" I shouted, straining my voice to its utmost— the last call painfully prolonged, and I watched its effect for a full minute with the most intense anxiety. Alas 1 no answering hail was heard; the ship was fast drifting to leewar.l, and her boats pulling from instead of towards me.

After giving way for some moments to despondeucy, I rallied myself, and began to consider my situation more calmly. I knew that that part of the Mediterranean was crowded with vessels, that the squall would soon clear off, and that even if night came before I was picked up, the glorious moonlight would enable me to see any vessel that might happen to be near me ; so I turned over on my back, to husband my strength as much as I could. As a swimmer,: I had seldom met my equal; besides, I calculated that the life-buoy, and anything else that might have been thrown overboard, would have floated in the same direction, and nearly as fast as myself. Nor was I mistaken, for I shortly perceived an oar not far from me. Swimming to it, I got it under my arms, and then felt that by God's providence I might still be saved. My first object, in this new frame of mind, was to get rid of my boots, which were by this time full of water, and dragging me down. This I did without much difficulty, having often practised doing so in sport, little dreaming how useful such practice would eventually turn out. I remembered that just before I fell overboard there were three or four vessels in sight, one of which, a French brig, was not far from us; and that my drift had been in her direction, and »3 the squall cleared away I endeavoured to make her out. Of course my vision of distant objects was cut off every moment by my being carried down into the trough of the sea. No one who has not been in a similar situation can appreciate the awf ulness with which I gazed on the dark, glistening sides of the waves as I saw myself sinking away from them, as if to the very bottom of the ocean. With what horrid mockery the glassy waters seemed to rise high all around me. Suddenly, when I was at the lowest, I woud begin to ascend, as if by magic, from the gloomy gulf, my velocity increasing every instant, until at last I would shoot upward to the crest of the wave, like an arrow from the bow. A toss of the head, to shake off the water, a Idng-drawn breath, a hasty glance all round, and then I was whirled down again, half -smothered in the wild abyss.

I had been overboard, I fancy, nearly an hour before I caught sight of the French brig. When at last I beheld her, I could not restrain a shout of joy. How beautiful she looked. Now she would pitch head foremost into the sea; now slowly rise, dripping from the deluge, every moment nearing me. On, on she came, but no token was shown that I was seen. What if there was no look-out 1 The thought was horror. Raising myself as high as I could upon my frail support, I hailed, with all my strength, " Brig a-hoy J Brig a— ho— oy ! " No answering hail came back, no sign was made, no signal wared. On, on she came. Again I hailed, but all in rain; at a distance of one hundred yards she passed me. " Hillo, hillo, Ml— lo — o I" I frantically cried; but no friendly voice sent back my cry. Hearen grant that none who read theae words may ever experience feelings similar to mine at that moment.

Slovrly the brig faded from my sight, and with her went nearly all my hope. Alone on the ocean ! Alone, with the fading day, and night drawing on. Alone, with no earthly hope of escape remaining. Far/ far to leeward, just visible occasionally, over the distant waves, I saw one vessel; but except this, the horizon, as far as I could see, was without a speck. I burst into tears. The tension of my nerves had been unnatural, they now gave way; and as I saw nothing before me but a long, lingering, cruel death, I wept like a child. Thoughts of my distant home, my aged parents, my sisters, chased themselves madly through my brain. My whole past life rushed in review before my mind. Again I was a boy in my happy boyhood's home. But, alas 1 I was never to see that home again. Then my train of thoughts changed, and I wondered who would get my vacancy; if the admiral would give it to either of the mates in my own ship, or if a stranger would get it; and if so, if he would purchase my uniform. These, and a hundred such thoughts, chased each other rapidly through my brain, The night began

to close in. Darker and darker fell the ■hades of evening, but now the wind and sea began sensibly to decrease. I was cold, weary, and half stupifled. My senses began to desert me, and I felt, gradually stealing over me an inclination to thrust my frail support from me, in order that the end might come sooner than it otherwise would. Presently, the moon rose in an unclouded sky, and shaking off the morbid thoughts which oppressed me, I again anxiously scanned the horizon. But all was black; not a sail broke the line of my vision. Still I clung to the hope of being picked up. I could recall to mind numbers of instances of people in as bad a plight, and yet mercifully j preserved. Hour after hour passed, and I had almost given up looking round for sails, •when suddenly I fancied I saw a light. Long and anxiously did I gaze in the direction in which I fancied I saw it, and presently I clearly distinguished the red and green lights of a fast-approaching steamer. My heart flew to my mouth. But no pen can tell, no words express what my feeling 9 were, and had not tears come to my relief I believe I should have gone mad. She was fast nearing me, and shortly I could plainly hear the thump, thump of her paddles. She was steering direct for me, and my only fear was that I should not be able to make myself heard by those on board her. Presently she was but a short hundred yards from me, and I exerted all my power and hailed her. Again, j and again, but still no answer, but on she came, seemingly as if bent on my destruction. Excitement now overpowered me. Confused noises rang in my ear3 — my eyes lost their sight, and thenfollowed utter forgetf ulness — the stupor of the dead, or rather, that trance between life and death, when the body is exhausted but the vital spark not yet fled— that one dread pause between this world and the next. My next recollection is one of excessive pain. On coming to myself before a rousing fire, kind but strange hands were chafing my limbs. Some, one held a glass of something to my lips, and then I sank back while all things seemed to whirl around me. In this state I remained some hours. On recovering my senses, I found myself in a berth on board the French merchant steamer Eugenic, bound for Genoa. They told me that they did. not, see me until I was close under Her bows, and that on picking me np they thought I was dead, but by chafing my lips and employing stringent restoratives they recovered me. Years have passed since then, and I have ofttimes had to rehearse my escape, yet I always shudder to recall those terrible hours when I was overboard.