394 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



WRECKED ON A CORAL REEF. 



EXPERIENCES OP FRED BEVERLY. 



r E clip the following from the Bermuda Moyal Gazette 

 of January 9th. It sufficiently explains what fol- 

 lows:— 



4 'We have just received late numbers of the Forest and 

 Stream, a paper published in New York, in the interests — 

 as its name implies— of all lovers of Nature. Its pages, 

 twenty in number, are replete with fresh and entertaining 

 letters of travel and adventure by flood and field, notes on 

 the haunts and seasons of game, sporting events of the 

 week and other matter, making it a complete record of life 

 out of doors for the time being. It has eatered upon its 

 fourth year of publication and is now a recognized and 

 leading authority in the United States, upon all matters 

 pertaining to the gun and rod, fish culture and the preser- 

 vation of game. 



"This success, we presume, is due to the ability of the 

 editor-in-chief, Mr. Chas. Hallock, who visited and describ- 

 ed the Bermu ..las some years since, and whose acquaint- 

 ance we had the pleasure of making. 



"The papers were handed us by Mr. Frederick A. Ober. 

 a passenger on board the schooner F. A. Magee, which 

 struck upon the western reef some two weeks ago. 



"Mr. Ober was en route for the West Indies, under a 

 special commission from the Smithsonian Institution at 

 Washington, to study the Natural history— especially the 

 Ornithology and Archaeology— of those islands. As a writer 

 upon natural history, bunting and fishing, Mr. Ober is well 

 and widely known; his letters upon Florida, over the nom 

 deplume of 'Fred. Beverly,' having been gathered into 

 book form and published under the title of 'Camp Life in 

 Florida.' 



"He is under contract to write an account of his adven- 

 tures for the Forest and Stream in the shape of monthly 

 letters, and his letter from Bermuda will appear shortly. 



"The schooner in which he and a friend were passengers, 

 is being repaired at St. Georges, and proceeds on her way 

 as soon as her injuries are made good." 



Mr. Ober herein details the account of his perilous 

 voyage: — 



"After three days of hurried preparation, we had finally 

 concentrated our widely scattered luggage aboard the 

 schooner. At sunset, Dec. 10tb. we had left the shore 

 astern and were rapidly running before a strong northwest 

 wind. The Highlands showed only as a purple cloud, and 

 a bright star twinkled from the summit, as we left the 

 deck and went below at the call to supper. We ate, that 

 night, as prisoners might the night before excution, for 

 we knew that meal would be our last for many hours. 



"I cordially hate the ocean. The great, heaving, billowy 

 monster; rapacious as a wolf, merciless as a cannibal, ever 

 devouring men's lives, wreckiug their hopes, engulfing 

 fair ships. It is the receptacle of all the filth of the world; 

 the great reservoir of corruption, retaining the offscourings 

 of the earth's surface, and continually evaporating from 

 its filthy bosom the water that falls again to the earth in 

 showers, accumulating to itself all that is bad and corrupt 

 and eliminating the good and pure. Thus do I vent my 

 spleen upon j^ou, old Neptune!— and upon your empire— 

 for you are continually goading me, eternally tossing upon 

 your trident the ships in which I sail, thumping 

 your back against our keels and deluging our decks with 

 your nasty spray. I never ventured a dozen mile3 from 

 land, that you didn't pick up a dirty sea, causing me misery 

 and pain, and making me generally wretched. Give a 

 fellow a chance; don't drive him to land (as you did us) 

 before he has accomplished two- thirds his voyage. 



"I know it is unwise to fling at old Nep., with a thousand 

 miles yet remaining between me and my destination, and 

 expect he will retaliate the very first day I proceed on my 

 voyage again; but I will vent my disgust, if he sinks us. 

 And so the Doctor, (the Doctor is my compagnon du voyage) 

 and myself, crept into our bunk (a bunk two feet six inches 

 wide had to serve us both) with a very clear idea of what 

 we were to expect— for I had told him just how old Nep. 

 always treated me and cautioned him not to feel at all 

 afraid. Couscious that 1 knew the worst to come, I fell 

 asleep and awoke at mid night with the worst case of seasick- 

 ness that I ever wrestled with. As for the Doctor, he 

 knew he should die, as" it was his first attack. Having had 

 the disease twenty times or more, I knew he would not, and 

 told him so, whereat he waxed exceeding wroth. The 

 wind drew ahead and the waves ran high, and to say that 

 we enjoyed life would be a variation from the truth. I 

 will not detail the weary days and nights in which we 

 fought with winds and calms. On the third day we were 

 in the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, and in its stormy 

 winds, as well. 



"Our course was S. S. E., diagonally across the tide of 

 the stream. Storms and rain attended us and the captain 

 and mate sought faithfully, but vainly, an opportunity for 

 "taking the sun." But once or twice during six days did 

 he show his face, and then did not linger long enough to 

 do us good. 



"The sixth day out had been a day of tedious rolling on a 

 billowy sea, with no wind, the sails shaking and flapping 

 with a violence threatening to tear them away. At night, 

 the breeze freshened and we ran more smoothly, though 

 the waves were very rough. 



£;For some reason, the Doctor was watchful, continually 

 springing up and going on deck, fearing something, he 

 could not explain what, nor why. From an uneasy sleep, 

 I awoke, about 2 o'clock, and became conscious that some- 

 thing was wrong. The mate and captain were in anxious 

 consultation— had been so all night, the Doctor said. The 

 man at the wheel called, the mate went on deck, and I heard 

 Mm say something about the light ahead being the light of 

 a schooner, that all the preceding day, had been seen to 

 leeward. Then I fell asleep, to be awakened, an hour later, 



by a loud cry "Hard up!" from the captain, and a rumb- 

 ling, grating noise, like the letting out of chain, and then 

 a shock. They all occurred in the same moment, one after 

 the other, but before tne shock came, I was out of my berth, 

 desperately groping for my stockings. Never before had 

 those articles of apparel so successfully eluded my search. 

 Finding that no immediate danger threatened, or seemed 

 to threaten, I calmed myself and leisurely dressed, finishing 

 my toilet, even to buttoning the last button of my boot. 

 During this time the vessel was pounding on the rocks 

 with increased violence; at every thump sending a disa- 

 greeable thrill throngh us, knocking our heads against the 

 ceiling, jarring loose articles from their places and grind- 

 ing her keel to atoms. 



The Doctor had burst in with a wild cry of "She's lost!" 

 had hastily donned his overcoat and disappeared. Where 

 he went, I will soon relate, and show how my turn came to 

 laugh at him, in a most unexepected way. I went on deck, 

 but little could be seen. It was very dark. The captain, 

 clinging to the wheel, was flung, first to port and then to 

 starboard, as the rudder was dashed against the rock. The 

 figures of the men, as they silently walked about, were 

 dimly visible; the white breakers surrounded us, and the 

 wind whistled dismally and threateningly through the 

 shrouds. Far in the distance, burned a light, anon disap- 

 pearing, a revolving light in a light-house tower, bearing, 

 in its fitful gleams, a strong resemblance to the light dis- 

 played from a vessel — for which it had been mistaken. 



There was but one place that we could have brought up 

 upon so soon, and that place, Bermuda. We were 80 miles 

 out of our longitude, through the evil working of a defected 

 compass. Instead of quietly pursuing our way to the 

 Tropics, we were hard and fast on one of Bermuda's outly- 

 ing coral reefs. 



Daylight came slowly, the wind increased, and, when day 

 dawned, the waves were crested with foam and the whis- 

 tle of the wind in the rigging was loud and fierce. Looking 

 landward, we could see the outlines of a beautiful island, 

 green hills, dark valleys and rocky shores. The flag was 

 hoisted, Union down, a signal of distress, and we waited 

 anxiously for some indication of life on shore. Soon a 

 black speck appeared— another and another — until the 

 water seemed fairly alive with boats. Meanwhile, the ves- 

 sel was pounding heavily; looking over, we could see the 

 white reef, with coral points like iron; to the windward 

 roared the breakers, to teeward, also, breakers; but close 

 under the lee of the vessel the water was smooth, chalky 

 white, floating a fragment of gulf weed, and, at times, a 

 sad sight, — long pieces of the shoe — the timber protecting 

 the vessel's keel. The captain stuck to his poBt at the 

 wheel, and, just as the more advanced of the boats reached 

 us, the rising tide floated our little craft so that she shot 

 into a basin, over another reef and into a safer resting 

 place. She went ahead perhaps a mile and then the rud- 

 der suddenly broke away, her bow came about and she 

 drifted at the mercy of the waves. To let go the anchor 

 and furl the foresail wati short work, with our increased 

 force, and we lay, at last, breasting the wind, which was 

 now increasing to a gale. 



We were now surrounded by boats, and every boat was 

 full of negroes— not a white man among them. Had we 

 been on the Spanish Main, instead of only 600 miles from 

 New York, I should have thought oftener of my revolver 

 and rifle in the cabin, instead of so carelessly viewing them 

 as they eagerly clambered over the rail. Their faces were 

 not unkindly, and yet there was a look of grasping eager- 

 ness in them that indicated the nature of their calling. For 

 they were wreckers, and the motto of a wrecker is, pro- 

 perty first, life afterwards. When one of them, in appar- 

 ent endeavors to aid in disentangling the fore sheets, drew 

 a knife and would have severed them, thus effectually pre- 

 venting the hoisting of the foresail, and our escape from 

 the reef, I only wondered— my gratitude to them prevent- 

 ing me from realizing the enormity of the offense. And 

 when the mate bellowed out to him to stand back, or he 

 would break his head, I thought him unnecessarily harsh. 

 Subsequent events proved the mate was right, I was wrong, 

 and that, if the threat had been canied into execution, the 

 fellow would have but got his deserts. Giving them all 

 due credit for humane intentions when they are ashore, 

 nevertheless, I cannot but confess that their actions when 

 on board a wrecked vessel are unaccountable save on the 

 ground above set forth. They have been known to board 

 a vessel in distress. and cut her rigging to prevent her get- 

 ting off the reefs, thus making her a prey to them and their 

 agents, increasing their gains in a measure corresponding 

 with the vessel's distress. As we were safely afloat again 

 without assistance, as there was very little water in the 

 hold and nothing to do, our captain engaged but six men 

 (a boat's crew) to remain aboard, while he went ashore to 

 engage the assistance of a tug. Though but six were en- 

 gaged, over twenty men claimed salvage when the vessel's 

 claims were about to be adjusted. 



At breakfast, the steward, who had unconcernedly gone 

 on with his cooking, mentioned a loss of all his cookies, a 

 large plateful of which he had cooked the clay before. At 

 mention of this, a gentle blush mantled the Doctor's whis- 

 kered cheek, and he confessed that he was the culprit, and 

 had filled his overcoat pockets, with a prudent foresight 

 most commendable, when the vessel struck. Spite of our 

 forlorn situation we had to shout with laughter. 



When the noise subsided, the Doctor explained to me: 

 "Just as soon as the vessel struck, I thought of that dread- 

 ful experince your brother had, and I resolved that we, if 

 we had to take to the boats, shouldn't go without food. 

 All I could find was tliose cookies, and I took thern." This 



explanation sobered me, for a younger brother of mine 

 had, last June, 'an ad vesture, the mere thought of which 

 made me shudder. With a mate, he was lost, in an open 

 boat, on the Newfoundland Banks, for eight days. Eight 

 days and nights they wandered without food, surrouaded 

 by midnight darkness of impenetrable fog. When discov- 

 ered, they were so exhausted as to be unable to move, and 

 my brother's companion was delerious, striving to throw 

 himself into the sea. The thought of that dear fellow's 

 peril, made our situation seem as nothing, from contrast. 



In the afternoon ar opportunity prevented for going 

 ashore. The wind blew a gale, the seas dashed over the 

 deck; but the confinement on board was so irksome, the 

 promise of rest on shore seemed so greatful, that we decid- 

 ed — the Doctor and I— to risk a trip. Eight miles inter- 

 vened, though the distance looked less than six. The boat, 

 in which were six stout negroes, was brought alongside. 

 Again and again it was dashed against the vessel's side, 

 kept from being shattered only by the extended oars of the 

 crew. Watching our chances we leaped aboard, settled 

 ourselves in the stern sheets and away we went. The 

 dashing, overwhelming waves came over us so often that 

 to enumerate would seem monotonous. As the manage- 

 ment of the rudder deprived the crew of one good man, I 

 took the tiller-ropes myself, and, under their guidance, we 

 safely reached shore. 



My duty was to avoid the reefs and keep the boat to, 

 when a dangerously big wave approached. Two miles 

 from the vessel they hoisted sail, under which we sped, 

 driving through huge breakers, grating over coral reefs, and 

 taking aboard water almost as fast as it could be bailed 

 out. At last we ran on a reef, the boat careened, and 

 things looked ugly. The sail was furled, the oars resumed, 

 and I again took the helm, as we glided through and over the 

 dangerous reefs. Had the water been calm, we should 

 have admired those beds of coral and sea weed, presenting 

 every hue, from dark green to pearly blue; but we did not 

 care for a close examination, under the circumstances, and 

 my anxious thought was to avoid them. 



To the very beach, the waves and wind pursued us, be- 

 stowing upon us a parting baptism just before I turned our 

 prow sharp on to the rollers, preparatory to beaching. 

 Notwithstanding our danger, I could not but remark upon 

 the beauty of the shores; we passed secluded bays, sheltered 

 by rocks of fantastic shape; rocks hollowed out into caves, 

 arches and wave worn pillars. From out the dark green 

 trees peered many a white-roofed cottage. Beautiful, to 

 our eyes, were these little dwellings, hidden in valleys, 

 perched upon rounded hilltops and gleaming over the 

 dark rock, or white sand beach. Tom Moore, who once en- 

 joyed the beauties of this island, aply pictures them:— 



" 'Along the margin, many a brilliant dome, 

 White «s the palace of a Lapland gnome, 

 Brightened the wave. 1 " 

 "Running upon the sand, our'.boat stuck fast; then did 

 the Ethiopians cairy us to the shore upon their backs. And 

 thus, just a week from New York, at the close of a stormy 

 Sabbath day, did we land at Somerset, Bermuda Isles, 

 shipwrecked mariners, with all the worldly possessions we 

 expected to save, in our hands. How green the mangroves 

 appeared! I welcomed the prickly peer and Spanish bayo- 

 net as old friends; and when our guide conducted us to a 

 little cottage, white, as they all are; low roofed and tiled 

 with stone, as they all are; where oleanders grew in wild 

 luxuriance, pigeon berries hung in orange clusters from 

 waxen leaves, and huge lilies filled the air with their 

 fragrance, the Doctor and I were content— even with the 

 vicissitudes of our ill luck. And the two days we were in 

 Somerset we feasted sumptuously every day, though our 

 hearts smote us, when we remembered our poor shipmates 

 on that leaking wreck, and at night, when the wind roared 

 around the northwest corner of the cottage and dashed the 

 oleanders fitfully against the blinds we would arise and 

 peer anxiously into the darkness; and the earliest dawn 

 would find us climbing the hill, only to see our little 

 schooner safely riding the gale, eight miles off shore. 



"The queerest incident of my trip occurred at Somerset. 

 When in Florida, last summer, I had promised a friend, a 

 native of Bermuda, who had not visited the island for 

 fifteen years, that, if 1 ever saw Bermuda 1 would call upon 

 his mother. As I never expected to visit these islands I 

 considered myself safe in the promise; but here I was, 

 within three months of that time, wrecked within sight o. 

 his mother's house. The day after my arrival, 1 sought 

 out mv friend's house, gladdened the dear old lady's heart 

 with news of her son, and passed a very enjoyable day; 

 visiting the beach on which the famous shells are cast after 

 storms— a beach of creamy sand, strewn with gulf weed, 

 and hemmed in by high cliffs of wave-hollowed rock. 

 "Were this an account of our stay in Bermuda, I might 

 prolong it many a page, but I shall confine myself to the 

 incidents growing out of our trip, and leave these "leafy 

 isles" for some other letter. We went to Hamilton by 

 boat, and thence to St. George's, where we met the vessel, 

 which had been towed around by a steam tug to that place, 

 as the only one where she could be drawn out of water for 

 repairs. The morning of our last day on the reef a schooner 

 hove in sight, heading directly for our vessel. With a 

 strong breeze, she drove straightffor the reefs; a weak hand 

 seemed to guide her helm, her sails were slack. She 

 struck, raised her bow a minute, then settled into the hol- 

 low of 'a reel No one appeared above her rail; no boat 

 was launched; her sails tugged vainly at their fastened 

 sheets. A boat put out and boarded her. A dreadful 

 sight met their gaze, stretched upon the deck were men so 

 emaciated that they could hardly walk-they were starving 



