SOLON ROBINSON, 1841 171 



sloop was becalmed for a whole day. In the evening 

 a breeze sprung up, and after running a few miles, and 

 when near the "old hen and chickens," while all hands, 

 except one at the helm, were at supper, a sudden alarm 

 was felt, by the sudden upsetting of the supper; and 

 amid the roar of the sudden squall which had struck 

 the vessel, and the screams of those in danger, the cap- 

 tain seized an axe and sprung up the companion way with 

 the intention of cutting away the mainsail halyards, but 

 he found them already loosened, and the helmsman over- 

 board with them in his hands, struggling for life. And 

 before he could be got in and the sail secured, the sloop 

 drifted upon the extensive flats along that shore on beam 

 ends. Here, within sight of the lights of numerous farm 

 houses, and scarcely a mile from some of their comfort- 

 able firesides, commenced one of those horrible nights 

 only known to those who have experienced the awful 

 horrors of such an awful situation. I say the night com- 

 menced, for with the exception of the writer of this 

 article, one sailor, and the infant of Mrs. Atwater, that 

 night has never found an end to its dreadful darkness 

 to the crew of that vessel. One by one the stoutest hearts 

 failed. When succor came with the morning sun, the in- 

 fant was found securely lashed upon the dead bosom of 

 its mother, and ready to smile upon its deliverers. Per- 

 haps some of my readers may think before they find 

 the end of this narrative, that it would have been better 

 the child had died with his mother. But so it was not 

 deemed. — The child, with the corpse of its mother, was 

 conveyed to the house of a fond father, and now bereaved 

 and almost distracted widower. Grief seized him for 

 her own. And to avoid scenes rendered painful to his 

 sight, he brought his business to a close, and departed for 

 the "Far West," then supposed to be on the banks of the 

 Ohio river. His son was taken into the family of his 

 wife's parents, and an ample estate settled upon him as 

 the only heir. And he is not the only child that has been 

 spoiled under similar circumstances. 



