58 BEACH COMBERS. 



very island, — no beach-comber either, — and 

 thereby hangs a tale. He was the only survivor 

 of two boats' crews of twelve men from the 

 full-rigged ship William Penn, of Falmouth. 

 The Penn s boats were captured and their crews 

 murdered, all but this one man. He was on 

 the island several months eking out a horrible 

 existence, and expecting his life might be taken 

 at any time. It was on a previous voyage in 

 these waters that our captain found the fellow 

 on the island, and helped him to make his escape. 

 He had shipped again with the old man after 

 that voyage was ended, and was still with us. 



This is how the captain took him off. The 

 ship was cruising near Upolu, and the old man 

 sent in boats to trade, going ashore in one of 

 them himself. On the beach he met this sailor, 

 who told his story and begged the old man to 

 help him get away. The thing had to be 

 accomplished by stealth, for the islanders would 

 have butchered the whole crew if they had got 

 wind of the plan. There was a point about a 

 mile from the village which made out some 

 distance into the sea. This man was to go 

 there in the night, and a boat was to be sent 

 from the ship to take him off. It was a life 

 and death venture, for the reef stretched away 



