A SAD TALE OF THE SEA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 196, 29 December 1876, Page 13

A SAD TALE OF THE SEA.

TnE San Francisco papers print a statement made by Captain Nelson of the British barque Abbey Cowper, who says that, on the 3rd of July, when in lat. 37 deg. 10 mm. N., long. 167 teg. 33 mm. E., sighted a vessel bearing S.S.E., apparently dismasted, and with signals flying Bore down upon her, and seat the chief officer with the second lifeboat, who returned with two men and their effects, iound it to be the Japanese junk Caki Cutnan, of Tatsnrna, Sawgura, late master, oound from Hakodadi to Yokohama. The iunk lett the former port on the 9th of November, 1875, and had been dismasted, after which it drifted helplessly about. The master and mne of the crew had died from four to six months ago of scuiZt^l f Q JT sur 7ivors had salted the-u down in the hold, the stench of which was horrible. They had thrown the cargo of salt vth!? •?*?' ? he W ° s Y vi ™ rs > K^urva (mate), and Tom Fitche (sailor), where in a desperate condition from scurvy, the former being perfectly black, and entirely helpless ; the latter not being so bad, but both very much emaciated, having had nothux* fT h f fish J bey , can °° ht > aud no water but when it rained, a.nd latterly no fire, having used everything available for burning. The junk was a wreck, her bottom being covered with seaweed and barnacles. The survivors' statement £as follows :- Onthe 9th November we sailed from Hakodadi to go to Comichi, and left the latter on the 12th for Yokohama, with a strong south wind. Hove the junk to for four days. On the 16th the wind

changed to the northward, blowing very hard. Wore ship to attempt to get back to Hakodadi, As night came on the vind in creased, and in a very heavy squall carried away the mast, cut the end of the yard, and fished the mast, but upon making sail the mast again broke and the yard was washed overboard. A sea striking the rudder carried it away also, the wind still blowing in a succession of gales. We were entirely helpless. On the 2.lst November, the junk making much water, and likely to founder, we came to the determination to throw the cargo (salt fish) overboard, which was accordingly done; and from that date to the 20th of December we drifted about, not knowing whither, when our fresh water and firewood were entirely gone, and then our misery commenced in reality. At the beginning of January, to increase our horrors sickness made its appearance among us in the shape of scurvy. On the 11th January the first death took place— namely, that of Chogers, a sailor. On the 14th the captain, Sawgura, worn out and dispirited, and whose body had swollen to double its size expired. On the 23rd another sailor, Otto Kitchi, died ravinemad, and his body was perfectly black. On the 28th, Bung KitchF, the cook, Kidorza, Skidgre, and Taski, three sailors, died ravin°T^.' ™ r bodies swolbn from drinking salt water. On March 49th, riiero Kitchi and A. Itchi, two sailors, died raving mad. On tne May, Matoz Tara died, completing the list of deaths, aud leaving us two survivors anticipating a similar death; but, fortunately, on the 24th heavy rain came on, which enabled us to save a small quantity of water as a standby, any previous showers having been so light as never to supply immediate wants. This recruited our strength, and enabled us to move about, and on the 4th ot June we had the good fortune to catch fifteen fish, which supplied us with food. On the 2nd of July we replenished our stock of miter, and on the 3rd we had the joyful sight of seeing a vessel (the nrsfc since sailing), which bore down upon us and took us off our floating- tomb, and which proved to be the English barque Abbey Cowper, and we were most kindly treated by Captain Nelson and the crew, by whose care and attention we were both restored to health.