Che following graphic account of the Jona-of French mall steamer Afeskong,.on Sunday jht, the 17th June, off Ras [affoon,. 30 to rive South of Cape Guardafui-on the ican Const i \tained ina: private letter eon 12 andi am, on the coast of-Alrica, Wo went, ashore on Monday toraing be of the Singapore paaseugers
niles saith of Cape Guardafui, which mistakii ly const for had doubled, smooth water to be met' - parsing "ho Weitatraight asliore—going about Knots, I was asleep in the stern of, the loon atid was wakened by the noise, of the noel being put hard up, and the engines ater, Bast as I got on deck able abrack thud and lurched over came firmly ground g seem gly, on an even keel. 'The land appeared close, and though the monsoon was tty fresh the soa was not' very high. It as clear she would not break up for a long me, and being aground on evel shoal, could not sink. I went down to the loon, from which jed wild cries from women, everybody rashing wildly about, in a short time all was quiet, as we mop proceeded to explain, that, as could be en, there was no inimediate danger, and om that time all' through our troubles the yaduot of our lady passengers was splendid ome of the men, J am ashamed to say, were wild with terror, and rushed about crying and praying aloud, put fortunately they kept on deck and were not seen by the ladies. We got every one rigged out in life belts and then did our best to comfort the women. About an hour after we struck, a boat was ore and communication with land tablished by means of a hawser. The ca hill to us and showed us the way back, assisting the ladies end children; and 18 miles of such travel was exposing their lives for aurald,. They gave up their ca and gave us food and clothing. We never can forget all their goodness "The Soumalis natives of the cost on which we were wrecked, were on the beach tain came down and assured the ladies that there was no danger to life; that, if needful, by daylight all armed. They gave no assiet~ ance, and, before the whole of the crew had they could all be taken on shore then, but he thought it wiser to wait quietly till daylight. There we sat with seas breaking right over the vessel every now and then, the water pouring in at the batches and through some of the chinks of the skylights, and I must say the women bore the trying suspense for four hours with great fortitude.
"We were hopeful of bei seen by a steamer which we had passed on Sunday, and, to our tense relief, about 4 o'clock, -her and in answer to' Gur signal ud telegraphed that she would list us. You can fancy our feelings when we heard the news, It was impossible for her to send boats to us s they would not s0.it was arranged she should go round to the lee of Cape Gardafui and lie there while we should Taid on the and find our way by Henartney was lying. The disembarkation began, and, as we fully expected to save our luggage, and could not carry anything through the surf, we got our franks packed. Some of us, however, secured money, and as the sequel showed, forely for us, The landing was all effected by little after noon, and we found our-so on' desert shore with " blazing cun our clothes, wi Some jies_as comfortable sand between us and the Glenartiey was our next problem, and although we were assured should get donkeys, & ie Indies, yet when the Ian fected we found Wo had to make our own way across, and now is der to all how we did for nine miles, and when we got to side, we found only one lady bad on a chair, while the children were carried on the sailors' backs, As a sample of how we got on T give my own case. I had to care for Sne lady and a little boy of about 2 years old, got a chair with oars Inshed, and started from the ship with four Seedy boys told aff by the captain, Not fifty yards from camp fan oar broke and the laly and child were thrown out on the sand: The Seedy boys and three of them walked o Tu this I entirely failed, stem after a fow yards, and my bearers coolly walked off leaving me with my charges in the fand. Mrs, M. got up determined to walk. Tpicked up the child and off we started for the first resting place, which I reached dead beat with carrying the haire, Happily there Tgot a good-natured sailor to carry the child, anise, Mrs, M. helped by my arm, and the tailor carrying the boy, we made our weary Journey, occasionally sitting dows on the hot and without any shelter from the suv, to rest. We took rather-over three hours cross ig; and by eight o'clock at night-every on ey on board the Glenartney, with a levs of two sailors drowned, one passenger (a Mr. "Arratoon from Madras), and the steamer's purser, who were overcome by the-heat and died: on the journey across.
"When the whole of the passengers and wore landed, the captain informed us flint no baggage could be saved, and we awoke to the pleasant fact that all our belongings were under our hats! In this state we Tanded in Aden, where we Lave been most Kindly treated, everyone doing what they could with contributions of clothes, &. The hotels are all full and beds cannot be got for many of us.
"OF Captain Gullanid and' the officers and men of the Glenartxey, we can never say sufficient in praise of their kindness. To them, under God, we owe it that we ever got away. The captain, hisichief officer, and two Of his men found their way. over the sand Left the steamer, were already on board looting the forepart of the ship, and in their hands the ship's cargo, baggage, and mails, we being glad to escape with our
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.