PAGE 14
My Debut as a Literary Person
by
Nothing is now left which by any flattery can be called food. But they must manage somehow for five days more, for at noon they have still eight hundred miles to go. It is a race for life now.
This is no time for comments or other interruptions from me–every moment is valuable. I will take up the boy brother’s diary at this point, and clear the seas before it and let it fly.
HENRY FERGUSON’S LOG:
Sunday, June 10. Our ham-bone has given us a taste of food to-day, and we have got left a little meat and the remainder of the bone for tomorrow. Certainly, never was there such a sweet knuckle-one, or one that was so thoroughly appreciated…. I do not know that I feel any worse than I did last Sunday, notwithstanding the reduction of diet; and I trust that we may all have strength given us to sustain the sufferings and hardships of the coming week. We estimate that we are within seven hundred miles of the Sandwich Islands, and that our average, daily, is somewhat over a hundred miles, so that our hopes have some foundation in reason. Heaven send we may all live to see land!
June 11. Ate the meat and rind of our ham-bone, and have the bone and the greasy cloth from around the ham left to eat to-morrow. God send us birds or fish, and let us not perish of hunger, or be brought to the dreadful alternative of feeding on human flesh! As I feel now, I do not think anything could persuade me; but you cannot tell what you will do when you are reduced by hunger and your mind wandering. I hope and pray we can make out to reach the islands before we get to this strait; but we have one or two desperate men aboard, though they are quiet enough now. IT IS MY FIRM TRUST AND BELIEF THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE SAVED.
All food gone.–Captain’s Log.[3]
[Ferguson’s log continues]
June 12. Stiff breeze, and we are fairly flying–dead ahead of it– and toward the islands. Good hope, but the prospects of hunger are awful. Ate ham-bone to-day. It is the captain’s birthday; he is fifty-four years old.
June 13. The ham-rags are not quite all gone yet, and the boot- legs, we find, are very palatable after we get the salt out of them. A little smoke, I think, does some little good; but I don’t know.
June 14. Hunger does not pain us much, but we are dreadfully weak. Our water is getting frightfully low. God grant we may see land soon! NOTHING TO EAT, but feel better than I did yesterday. Toward evening saw a magnificent rainbow–THE FIRST WE HAD SEEN. Captain said, ‘Cheer up, boys; it’s a prophecy–IT’S THE BOW OF PROMISE!’
June 15. God be for ever praised for His infinite mercy! LAND IN SIGHT! rapidly neared it and soon were SURE of it… Two noble Kanakas swam out and took the boat ashore. We were joyfully received by two white men–Mr. Jones and his steward Charley–and a crowd of native men, women, and children. They treated us splendidly–aided us, and carried us up the bank, and brought us water, poi, bananas, and green coconuts; but the white men took care of us and prevented those who would have eaten too much from doing so. Everybody overjoyed to see us, and all sympathy expressed in faces, deeds, and words. We were then helped up to the house; and help we needed. Mr. Jones and Charley are the only white men here. Treated us splendidly. Gave us first about a teaspoonful of spirits in water, and then to each a cup of warm tea, with a little bread. Takes EVERY care of us. Gave us later another cup of tea, and bread the same, and then let us go to rest. IT IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE… God in His mercy has heard our prayer…. Everybody is so kind. Words cannot tell.