The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 375, June 13, 1829Various
General
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 375, June 13, 1829
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
The Prussian said he had himself never made a trip to Manicolo with the
Tucopians, but the Lascar had gone once or twice. He positively affirmed,
that he had seen and conversed at Paiow, a native town, with the Europeans
who spoke the language of the islanders. They were old men, he said, who
told him that they had been wrecked several years ago in one of the ships,
the remnants of which they pointed out to him. They informed him also that
no vessel had touched at the islands since they had been there; that most
of their comrades were dead, but they had been so scattered among the
various islands, that they could not tell precisely how many of them were
still living.
On hearing so many circumstances all tending to confirm his suspicions,
from the moment he saw the silver sword-guard with the cipher, captain
Dillon determined to proceed as quickly as possible to the Manicolo
Islands, examine the wrecks himself, and, if practicable, bring off the
two men with whom the Lascar had spoken, and whom, he said, were Frenchmen.
For this purpose he begged the latter to accompany him, but as he was
married and comfortably settled on the island, neither promises nor
threats were of any avail, although captain Dillon offered to bring him
back to Tucopia. Martin Buchart, on the contrary, was tired of the savage
life he had led for the last fourteen years, and gladly acceded to the
wishes of captain Dillon, who after prevailing with a Tucopian also to
come on board, sailed for the island. Unfortunately, as the ship neared
the land, it fell a perfect calm, and continued so for seven days. At this
time the stock of dry provisions was nearly exhausted, and there was no
animal food to be procured on Tucopia. The crew lived principally on New
Zealand potatoes and bananas. The vessel became every day more leaky from
a long continuance at sea; and a person on board, who was interested in
the cargo, had, during captain Dillon's stay in the islands, shown himself
particularly discontented, and had frequently and warmly remonstrated at
what he considered an unnecessary and useless delay; for these reasons,
therefore, captain Dillon determined, though with the greatest reluctance,
to take advantage of a breeze which sprang up, continued his voyage, and
arrived at Bengal with much difficulty, his ship being in a very leaky
condition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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