REMINISCENCES OF MY UNCLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 829, 23 January 1871, Page 3

REMINISCENCES OF MY UNCLE.

[Conclusion.] This was the first interruption which the harmony of our little party had sustained; it damped and mortified us all, and not a little displeased her brother, who, in the irritation of the moment, allowed some slight expressions of that feeling to escape him. To these, however, Miss F made no reply, but remained firm to her resolution of not form ing one of our party. We all by turns endeavoured to induce her to step into the boat, but in vain. She continued to resist our solicitations, mildly indeed, but determinedly. The conduct of Mis 3 F. surprised us as much as it disconcerted us; for until the moment of her being about to embark, she expressed the utmost delight at the prospect of our excursion, and evinced an eagerness to depart,whicheontrastedstrangely with the resolution she seemed now to have adopted, and for which, together with the other singularities with which it was attended, she would assign no reason, though repeatedly pressed to do so. Whether Miss F. entertained a presentiment of the dreadful catastrophe which was soon to happen, and was yet ashamed to own it, for she did not even attempt to dissuade us from proceeding on our voyage ; or whether, as is, perhaps, after all, more likely, she became alarmed &t the appearance of the sea, which was now certainly assuming rather a surly look— the breeze was freshening; the shades of evening, too, were gathering fast, and the clouds hung low and dark over Dunoon — whether it was the first or the last of these considerations, or * hether it was any of them that weighed with Miss F., I know not, for, as I said before, she positively refused to give any reason for her conduct. Finding all our efforts to induce her to change her determination unavailing, we at length pushed off, again set our sails, and again the little Savage went careering through the waters, but now with increased velocity, as the wind, as I have already said, had risen considerably, and was, besides, very perceptibly gaining strength every moment, but not by any means so much as to excite the slightest feeling of alarm. On the contrary, the sense of the rapidity of our motion had increased the exhilaration of our spirits,

which were now again pretty much elevated. We had dined — we had forgotten for the time Misa F.s refusal to join us, and the wine cup was going merrily round; in short, we were more than happy. The song and joke were again making the circuit of our little party, and with additional enthusiasm and point. "We had now run about eight miles, when Freeland, having just concluded one of Ms favourite songs, started to his feet, marked for a moment, with a look of extreme delight, the rapidity with which his little Savage was was going through the water, exultiugly pulled out his watch, exclaiming, as he noted the time, "In fifteen minutes, gentlemen, if this breeze holds on, we shall be safely mcored at the quay of Greenock." Alas ! in less time than the short space he had named, he and all those around me were in the presence of their Creator. The words were scarcely out of poor Freeland's mouth when one of those sudden, and violent squalls of wind so frequent in the neighbourhood of Dumbarton Castle, laid the lee gunwale of the boat under water; in an instant she filled, and in the next instant she sank from beneath U3, leaving her miserable crew floundering and weltering in the waves, and struggling for life. The whole was the work of a moment— not a word had passed— not an exclamation had been uttered, but, great God ! the feeling is yet strong upon me of the rushing waters — the unresisting yet suffocating element gurgling and boiling around me, and overwhelming me in what seemed to my horror-stricken imagination its fathomleas and boundless abyss. Breathless and exhausted I endeavoured to grasp the yielding fluid. I flung out my arms convulsively, and struck my feet from me with all the energy of despair ; in short, I was drowning fast. In the midst of these fearful struggles for existence, one of ray hands came suddenly in contact with a firm body beneath the surface of the water -it was one of the masts of the boat. I instantly seized it with a death's gripe. It was about a foot and a half or two feet beneath the surface, but by stretching down my arm to its full extent, and grasping the top of the mast, I contrived to keep my head, or rather my face only, clear of the water. I saw the top of the other mast, which was the taller of the two, considerably above the surface, thu3 offering a much more secure hold than that which I had. It was only about a yard distant from me. I eyed it trisf ully, but as I could not swim, I durst not venture to attempt to gain it. Having so far secured myself from instant death, I was enabled to contemplate the dreadful scene around me, and to comprehend, to its full extent, the horrors which 1 beheld. My miserable companions were still struggling, though faintly, with the waves; and it struck me as increasing the horror of the scene, that each wrestled with his fate in silence, but the violent and convulsive energies which they exerted themselves sufficiently showed me how reluctant they were to yield to the fell destroyer. Freeland, who was an excellent swimmer, obeying the first impulse of nature, had, on the instant of the boat's sinking, struck off for the shore, which he could have easily gained in a very short time; but he had not proceeded far when the fearful shrieks of Miss caught his ear. He instantly turned round, and with double the exertion which he employed in saving himself, made for the spot whence the cries had proceeded. Previously to my getting hold of the mast, the unfortunate young lady had come in contact with me during our" struggle in the water, aud had caught by me. " Miss C, Miss C," I exclaimed, on feeling her grasp me, " I cannot swim." Even in these dreadful circumstances the unhappy girl understood the appeal, and instantly released me. In the next instant her lover's arm was round her waist, and I saw him bearing her along with superhuman exertion towards the shore; but the distance, which, unencumbered, he could easily have accomplished, was too great for his strength, burdened, as he was, and long ere they approached the land, the unfortunate lovers sank in each other's arms. In fire minutes all was as still as death around me. My miserable companions had disappeared in rapid succession one after another, and I now remained the only survivor of the whole ; and what is not a little remarkable, I was the only one of them, with the exception of Miss C., who could not swim. During the scene of horror which I have attempted to describe, I was particularly struck, even at the time it occurred, perilous as my own situation was, with an extraordinary instance of the muscular energy which nature sometimes exhibits in the last mortal struggle. One of my illfated friends, but I could not discern which of them it was, suddenly sprang completely out of the water like a salmon ; it was the last effort; he tumbled round in the air, and went down head foremost ; he never rose again. The cries of Miss C. having been heard on shore, a boat was immediately despatched to our assistance, but it came too late for all but me.