FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK, 193 



Monday night. Tuesday morning a fishing schooner was descried in the 

 distance, but she passed out of sight. Tuesday afternoon a blanket was 

 fastened to the jib and the boat was under sail for a time, but at night it 

 breezed up, and fearing in their benumbed and exhausted state to attempt 

 to unship the mast and take in sail, the mast was sawn through just above 

 the thwarts. The icy spray dashed constantly over the boat, freezing as it 

 fell, and everything was covered with a coat of icy mail. The drogue kept 

 the boat's head to the sea, but the waves constantly deluged her, and the 

 exhausted men were employed all night in bailing. The uncooked oatmeal 

 was uneatable, the hard bread was at first so dry as to be swallowed with 

 difficulty without water, and afterwards so wet with the spray as to be unfit 

 to eat, and the sufferings of the men from cold, hunger and thirst were ex- 

 cruciating. Two of the number, Chaples and Hogan, though warned of the 

 consequences, endeavored to slake their thirst by eating salt-water ice, and 

 the presence of two maniacs was soon added to the other horrors of the sit- 

 uation. The quart of rum was carefully husbanded, by administering a tea- 

 spoonful at a time, and was made to last until the early part of Wednesday 

 evening. 



On Wednesday morning a new step was made to the mast, and the boat 

 sailed westward all day and all night. In the afternoon another schooner 

 was sighted, but she did not see the boat. During the night a hermaph- 

 rodite brig passed close by and was hailed with weakened voices. The 

 cries were doubtless heard, as the brig showed a flash light two or three 

 times in the darkness, but kept on her course and was soon out of sight. 

 About ten o'clock in the evening, the sixteen-year old boy, who had suffered 

 greatly from his broken wrist and insufficient clothing, died in his brother's 

 arms. He was conscious within an hour of his death, when he said he was 

 not afraid to die, and left a loving message for his mother. He had left 

 home unbeknown to his parents, who did not know his whereabouts until 

 they received the telegraphic dispatch announcing his death. The young 

 Irishman, Patrick Hogan, died about an hour after the boy. He had been 

 delirious about six hours, talking constantly about something to eat. The 

 second mate, Chaples, was delirious about twelve hours, babbling incohe- 

 rently all the time. In his delirium he seized the saw, and before he could 

 be prevented, sawed his hands terribly with it, the blood spurting over the 

 boat. He died about three o'clock, Thursday morning, and his body was 

 committed to the deep. 



At daylight on Thursday morning, three fishing vessels were descried at 

 no great distance. One of these proved to be the sch. Cora Lee^ Capt. 

 George A. Saunders, of Pigeon Cove. Her crew consisted of John Hickey, 

 Scott Geyer, John Newman, Joseph Sears, Joseph Silva, William Grant, 

 Edward Saunders, Joseph Bushy, Joseph White, Joseph Muise, Charles R. 



