H.B.M.S. _Tempest_, which arrived yesterday at this port, brings
Captain Trent and four men of the British brig _Flying Scud_, cast
away February 12th on Midway Island, and most providentially rescued
the next day. The _Flying Scud_ was of 200 tons burthen, owned in
London, and has been out nearly two years tramping. Captain Trent
left Hong Kong December 8th, bound for this port in rice and a small
mixed cargo of silks, teas, and China notions, the whole valued at
$10,000, fully covered by insurance. The log shows plenty of fine
weather, with light airs, calms, and squalls. In lat. 28 N., long.
177 W., his water going rotten, and misled by Hoyt's "North Pacific
Directory," which informed him there was a coaling station on the
island, Captain Trent put in to Midway Island. He found it a literal
sandbank, surrounded by a coral reef, mostly submerged. Birds were
very plenty, there was good fish in the lagoon, but no firewood; and
the water, which could be obtained by digging, brackish. He found
good holding-ground off the north end of the larger bank in fifteen
fathoms water; bottom sandy, with coral patches. Here he was detained
seven days by a calm, the crew suffering severely from the water,
which was gone quite bad; and it was only on the evening of the 12th
that a little wind sprang up, coming puffy out of N.N.E. Late as it
was, Captain Trent immediately weighed anchor and attempted to get
out. While the vessel was beating up to the passage, the wind took a
sudden lull, and then veered squally into N., and even N.N.W.,
driving the brig ashore on the sand at about twenty minutes before
six o'clock. John Wallen, a native of Finland, and Charles Holdorsen,
a native of Sweden, were drowned alongside, in attempting to lower a
boat, neither being able to swim, the squall very dark, and the noise
of the breakers drowning everything. At the same time John Brown,
another of the crew, had his arm broken by the falls. Captain Trent
further informed the _Occidental_ reporter that the brig struck
heavily at first bows on, he supposes upon coral; that she then drove
over the obstacle, and now lies in sand, much down by the head, and
with a list to starboard. In the first collision she must have
sustained some damage, as she was making water forward. The rice will
probably be all destroyed: but the more valuable part of the cargo is
fortunately in the afterhold. Captain Trent was preparing his
long-boat for sea, when the providential arrival of the _Tempest_,
pursuant to Admiralty orders to call at islands in her course for
castaways, saved the gallant captain from all further danger. It is
scarcely necessary to add that both the officers and men of the
unfortunate vessel speak in high terms of the kindness they received
on board the man-of-war. We print a list of the survivors: Jacob
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account