Chapter 3

_Friday, 20th._--The island is putting on a spring-like appearance. Verdant spots are here and there to be seen, and the trees are beginning to come into leaf. Even those which were thrown down by the hurricane are struggling for life with the few roots left in the ground, and some of sixty feet high, without branch or top, have shot out small green twigs, forming a curious contrast with their scathed trunks. Melons, limes, and other seeds, sown by the officers, now coming up. Two native canoes took up a position near the north island, and afterwards their people passed along the reef fishing. Captain Doutty counted twenty-four persons on the reef, besides those left in care of the canoes. A soldier of the 50th died in hospital this day of brain fever.

_Sunday, 22nd._--Divine service as usual. The poop-awning of the Briton was blown away, and the cuddy filled with water. The weather very rough.

_Tuesday, 24th._--The Swinton's jolly-boat was swamped in the surf whilst taking off water-casks. The long-boat went to their assistance, and towed them alongside the schooner. The east end of the north island was covered with natives in search of food; the poor creatures seemed to depend entirely on shell-fish and sea-slug, picked off the reefs, for their subsistence, with occasionally a fish caught with their spears. During bad weather they must suffer much from hunger.

_Wednesday, 25th. Christmas Day._--The Swinton left for Moulmein. Mr. Michael returned in her with despatches. The Runnymede's dingy returning from the schooner was capsized in consequence of Thompson, a seaman, falling on one side of her, when Edmund Hutter, a seaman, was drowned, means of resuscitation proving of no avail. Divine service was performed on board the Briton. The tents of the 80th looked very gay, being decorated with green boughs in honour of the day. There was no roast beef, but very good plum-puddings were made without sugar.

_Thursday, 26th._--Flies and musquitoes came in myriads; they were very troublesome; there were none till now; the hurricane must have swept them away. Very beautiful periodical flowers appeared. Also snakes; several have been killed in camp. A young pig was shot by a serjeant; the mother and the rest of the family escaped.

_Friday, 27th._--A wicker-work pot was made to catch fish in deep water. A tablet was engraven on the rock, near the burial-ground, with the names of the soldiers who had died on the island. At night large fires were made round the camp to burn out and keep off the musquitoes.

_Saturday, 28th._--At 7 A. M. a sloop-of-war brig, the Pilot, Captain Jervis, with two schooner gun-boats in convoy, appeared. The latter ran into the anchorage, and the former went round the islands in search of other vessels. Sent our boat on board one of the former and landed the officer, Mr. White, of the Company's Marine, who stated that transports were at hand to relieve the sufferers; also that the rest of the 80th regiment had arrived safely at Calcutta. The new six-oared boat named "The Andaman" was launched at noon; she went through the surf beautifully. The Pilot sent her cutter round with Lieut. Leslie, and also some fresh meat and vegetables.

_Sunday, 29th._--At noon the Ayrshire, of 250 tons, arrived from Moulmein, being one of three ships taken up by the Government there to convey the sufferers away from the island; the other two were called the Agnes Lee and the Elizabeth Ainslie. Capt. Jervis and three of his officers dined on the island.

_Monday, 30th._--The first division of the 80th regiment commenced embarking on board the Ayrshire. At 3 P. M. the Elizabeth Ainslie arrived for the remaining portion of the 80th, and anchored near the Runnymede.

_Tuesday, 31st._--The Pilot came round from the northward, and brought up in front of the camp. Commenced embarking the heavy stores on board the Elizabeth Ainslie. At 4 P. M. the Ayrshire sailed with the first division of the 80th regiment.

1845.

_Wednesday, 1st January._--The second division of the 80th regiment embarked in the Elizabeth Ainslie, as also Captain Doutty and the crew of the Runnymede. The officers dined on board the Pilot. There were numerous native fires on both islands.

_Thursday, 2nd._--The Elizabeth Ainslie sailed. The natives collected in great numbers on both islands. The gun-boat's gig, manned by Lascars, whilst pulling along the reef, was pursued by five canoes. The brig-of-war's cutter went to her assistance, when the canoes pulled back to the reef and made off. The 50th detachment strengthened their camp-guard and posted extra sentinels.

_Friday, 3rd._--The transport Agnes Lee arrived from Moulmein. The invalid soldiers, women, and children, and heavy baggage were embarked in the course of the day. At night the natives came round the camp in great numbers; there were fires in every direction. A picquet was sent out to drive them back; the picquet fired at a party moving in rear of the tents, who fled, and extinguished their fires in a most extraordinary manner, the whole, except a few scattered embers, disappearing almost as if by magic. The brig of war despatched two boats to pull along shore in front of the camp, and afterwards fired two shots and a shell amongst a large body of natives gathered round a fire a short distance to the left of the Briton. They took themselves off and did not appear again that night.

_Saturday, 4th._--The remainder of the detachment of the 50th embarked in the Agnes Lee. At night the natives again assembling in and around the camp, the marines of the Pilot were landed to protect the wrecks. Several shots were fired during the night.

_Sunday, 5th._--The last detachment of the wrecked troops, after a sojourn of 55 days, sailed this day for Calcutta in the Agnes Lee, and bid adieu to this inhospitable island, in words very different from those of the poet, who sang

"Isle of beauty, fare thee well."

The voyage was most prosperous, the several ships having arrived at their destination within a few days of each other. The only place of note they passed on the voyage being Barren Island; they had a full view of its volcano, which is a cone thrown up from a valley. It was then in partial action, and was ejecting volumes of smoke as they passed it.

_Monday, 13th._--Latitude, by observation, 20 deg. 59" north. A comet has been seen for the last ten or twelve nights, in the south-west, about equal to a star of the second magnitude, with a tail of about 8 or 10 degrees.

The detachments of the 10th and 50th regiments, on arriving at Calcutta, proceeded on to Chinsmah by steam, and the detachment of the 80th landed at Calcutta, and took up their quarters in Fort William.

CONCLUSION.

Thus terminated one of the most remarkable shipwrecks upon record, remarkable in all its circumstances, when we consider the coincidence of two ships, each carrying troops, each sailing from a different quarter of the globe, both bound to the same port, and both thrown upon the same island, in one night, within half a mile of each other, and the Runnymede possessing stores and necessaries which the Briton stood in need of, and without which her company would, in all probability, have perished: and each having the means of defence against a race of savages, reputed to be cannibals, and so proverbial for their ferocity, that they are greatly dreaded by the seamen of the country ships, by whom they are called Wild Men of the Woods, and who, but for the fire-arms they had, would have destroyed the whole of the party.

But a still more remarkable fact is the extreme healthiness, under numerous hardships and privations, of a company of upwards of six hundred and thirty individuals, many of them women and children, in a climate so unhealthy, that, in time past, it was obliged to be abandoned by those who sought to settle in it. But here, in a sojourn of 55 days, besides those who died by accidents, only three men, one woman, and two or three children perished. And this to the great surprise of those who came to their rescue, and so fully expected to find disease prevalent, that they took with them a surgeon, a stock of medicines, and a quantity of comforts for the use of the sick and convalescent. These favourable circumstances may be attributed, with propriety, to the almost miraculous interposition of the Almighty, who vouchsafed to bless in an especial manner the prudence, good seamanship, and cool intrepidity of the captains and officers of the ships, and those under their care, whilst at sea: and afterwards, when on shore, the judgment, skill, and good management of Lieut.-colonel Bunbury and the military and other officers, as well as the steady discipline of all who were under their command. These all in their several stations have done great honour to their country, as well as much credit to the respective services in which they were employed.

We must also remark upon the very sound state of the hull of the Runnymede, which had not the slightest leak in her during the whole of a most appalling tempest. The only water she made was that which came in from the dashing of the waves.

We may also learn one important lesson from the perseverance of the crew of the Runnymede. That is, never to abandon any good undertaking on account of difficulties. Some unlooked-for circumstance may arise to crown our endeavours with success. The crew of the Runnymede had lost every thing but hope, when deliverance came to them unexpectedly.

We would conclude with one question to the benevolent and religious; to those who desire to promote the civilization of the heathen. Can nothing be done to christianize the ferocious tribes of the Andamans? Let it be remembered what the New Zealand cannibals and the wild bushmen of South Africa were before missionaries went amongst them, compared with what they now are; and then let endeavours be made use of, in reliance upon heaven's blessing, to bring these poor creatures out of the lowest state of darkness and degradation into one of Christianity and happiness.

THE END.

PELHAM RICHARDSON, PRINTER, 23, CORNHILL.

Transcriber's Note

This book contains archaic and variable spelling, which is preserved as printed. Minor punctuation errors have been repaired, and hyphenation has been made consistent.

The frontispiece illustration (No. 3) has been moved to its appropriate place in the text.

Page 30 has a reference to the ship Loyds. This may be a printer error for Lloyds, but has been preserved as printed.

Page 36--repective amended to respective--"... to explain to the crews of their respective ships ..."

End of Project Gutenberg's The Wreck on the Andamans, by Joseph Darvall