© 2004-2016

Patagonia Bookshelf

1862

A PERILOUS VOYAGE

The schooner Ann Eliza, Capt. Freeman, cleared from this port, a few days ago, for Manzanillo. This vessel, which sailed from Boston to Honolulu, via Straits of Magellan, had a series of mishaps and casualties as serious as uncommon. From the log of the Captain we have been able to extract some facts of startling interest, more specific and satisfactory than the bare announcement of disaster. It appears that on the 20th of April, whilst getting under weigh to run out of the Straits Magellan, the craft was boarded by hostile Indians from Terra del Fuego. The mate first called for help, whereupon Capt. Freeman rushed for the deck with his revolver. He was instantly pelted with stones, one striking him on the shoulder, and another over the left eye, which glancing almost cut his nose off. From this blow he was stunned. He was also beaten with clubs and sticks. On regaining consciousness he saw the second mate in the cabin with him. The Captain then tried to ascend the companion-way to got a shot at the savages, when he was hit with two spears. We have had exhibited to us a large piece of one of the spears, which passed entirely through the Captain's arm. The other blow was inflicted in the hand. He, in the mêlée, managed to kill one Indian and wounded two others. The Captain armed the second mate with a bowie-knife to guard the companion-way, when, on opening the cabin window, he discovered that a fire had been kindled on deck. The fiends were engaged in hurling firebrands into the rigging and cabin. Several good shots were aimed at them from the cabin window, so effective as to clear the deck. They carried off the schooner's boat, windlass, breaks and other useful articles. In the fight the first mate, Barnabas Cook, of Chicopee (Mass.), aged 58, was killed. The natives carried off his body with them. Frank Joseph, a Portuguese seaman, was found dead in the forecastle. The cook was badly wounded. It was now about 8 A. M., and the second mate, with a little aid from the Captain, got the schooner under weigh, and put back to a Chilean settlement known as Sandy Point. Here the vessel remained fifteen days, the Governor and doctor showing them great kindness — the former supplying the schooner with three seamen, boat, chain, anchor, and twelve muskets. On their return, they again anchored near where the attack was first made, but nothing more was seen of the pirates. Subsequently, the Ann Eliza met with other misfortunes. On the 17th May, whilst the sea was running high, the helmsman caught the schooner aback; the tackle parting, the boom swung over and knocked him overboard. He was not recovered. A few days thereafter, she met with a terrific gale, in which her jib was blown to pieces, and the schooner hove to under a three-reefed foresail. Her catalogue of disasters wound up with a scrape on Honolulu Bar, but she managed to get off without injury.

Source: "Daily Alta California" (San Francisco), 20 September 1862
Clipped: 29-VI-2013
Copyright © 2004-2016 Duncan S. Campbell + Gladys Grace P.
— for personal and educational use only — please cite this URL —