To my mind, as a participant in the related events, there is material in the story to rival the fictions of Fenimore Cooper or Marryat, and I think that the heroes who gave up their lives in the effort to save their shipmates should stand as high on the roll of fame as do those lost amid battle smoke and carnage. G.H.R. August 16, 1911. CONTENTS I. THE BEGINNING OF THE CRUISE 1 II. THE WRECK 12 III. ON THE ISLAND 31 IV. THE SAILING OF THE GIG 58 V. WAITING 72 VI. RESCUED 85 VII. THE FATE OF THE GIG 96 APPENDIX 121 ILLUSTRATIONS LIEUT.-COMMANDER MONTGOMERY SICARD _Frontispiece_ U.S. STEAMER SAGINAW, FOURTH-RATE 2 THE LANDING AT MIDWAY ISLANDS, SHOWING SEALS AND ALBATROSS 8 _From a sketch by Captain Sicard_ THE MIDWAY ISLANDS AS WE LEFT THEM 8 OCEAN ISLAND AND REEF 14 VIEW OF OCEAN ISLAND, REEF AND LAGOON AS SEEN FROM THE SOUTH 16 (The island is at the lower edge of the circle) OCEAN ISLAND AS VIEWED FROM THE NORTH 16 (The arrow shows where the Saginaw struck) THE SAGINAW IN THE GRIP OF THE BREAKERS 24 THE CONDENSER MADE FROM A SMALL BOILER AND SPEAKING-TUBES 36 _From a sketch by Captain Sicard_ GATHERING TIMBERS FROM THE WRECK 36 _From a sketch by Captain Sicard_ THE CAPTAIN'S TENT 42 _From a sketch by Captain Sicard_ THE STOREHOUSE--ELEVATED TO AVOID THE RATS 42 _From a sketch by Captain Sicard_ LIEUTENANT JOHN G. TALBOT 46 (Who volunteered and navigated the Saginaw's gig a distance of fourteen hundred miles to the Sandwich Islands and was drowned when the boat was in sight of land) THE GIG BEFORE LAUNCHING, WITH SAILS MADE ON THE ISLAND 54 PASSED ASSISTANT ENGINEER JAMES BUTTERWORTH 62 (Who, standing waist deep in the water, put the finishing touches to the gig) RIPPING TIMBERS FOR THE SCHOONER 74 _From a sketch by Captain Sicard_ THE FRAME OF THE SCHOONER AS WE LEFT IT 74 _From a sketch by Captain Sicard_ THE FLAGSTAFF FROM WHICH THE KILAUEA WAS SIGHTED 86 CAMP SAGINAW ON THE DAY OF RESCUE 86 _Taken from the masthead of the Kilauea_