Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy: A weird series of tales of shipwreck and disaster, from the earliest part of the century to the present time, with accounts of providential escapes and heart-rending fatalities.Anonymous
History
Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy: A weird series of tales of shipwreck and disaster, from the earliest part of the century to the present time, with accounts of providential escapes and heart-rending fatalities.
Anonymous
Mutiny; Pirates; Seafaring life; Shipwrecks
On the 29th at day-break, land came in view, which was supposed to be
Balabac; the people were now nearly exhausted by rowing under a
burning sun, and while a perfect calm prevailed; and they were besides
reduced to such extremity as to drink their own urine. It blew so hard
in the night that they were obliged to bear up for Bangay, the
north-west point of which they discovered next morning at day-break.
Going ashore they instantly made a search for fresh water, which they
soon found, and considering what they had suffered from thirst, it is
no wonder that they drank to excess. While rambling into the woods in
quest of fruit, two Malays met them, to whom they made signs that they
wanted food, and these being understood, the Malays went away, and in
the afternoon returned with two cocoa-nuts and a few sweet potatoes,
which they gave in exchange for a silver spoon.
Night approaching, the people returned to their boat.--Next morning
five Malays made their appearance, bringing some Indian corn and
potatoes, which were exchanged for spoons as before. These people
pointed to Balambangan, and endeavored to make the party comprehend
that sometime ago the English had abandoned the settlement. A new
supply of provision was promised next morning; therefore the party
retired with their little stock, and attended at the appointed time to
receive more. Eleven Malays then appeared on the beach; but after a
little conversation on landing, one of them threw a spear at Captain
Brooks, which penetrated his belly, another made a cut at Mr.
Luttrell, who parried it off with a cutlass, and ran to the boat.
Captain Brooks withdrew the spear from his body, and also ran a short
distance, but the inhuman assassins followed him and cut off both his
legs. The gunner also was severely wounded, and reached the boat
covered with blood, while the party at the same time, saw the Malays
stripping the dead body of Captain Brooks; and in about fifteen
minutes afterwards the gunner expired.
The survivors immediately made sail, and then examined into the state
of their provisions, which they found consisted of ten cobs of Indian
corn, three pumpkins, and two bottles of water. Trusting to the mercy
of Providence, they with this, determined on shaping their course for
the straits of Malacca.
No particular occurrence happened in the course of the voyage from the
fourth to the fourteenth of December; frequent showers had fortunately
supplied them with fresh water, but they were nearly exhausted by
constant watching and hunger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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