We give below the report of Guiseppe Santon, the only survivor of the Italian barque Bianca Pertica, of Genoa (and who is now in Shanghai), which vessel was wrecked off Quelpart on the 20th September last On the 18th September we left Nagasaki with a very light breeze, which lasted all day till about half-past eight of the same evening, when it gradually grew stronger. The Captain gave orders to take in sail, and the fore top-gallant sail was taken in." At 9.30 the mainsail was partly blown away, and the watch was called on deck to secure the rest of the mainsail. While we were doing this, the main top-sail carried away and the fore top-sail yard broke. Then we took in all the sails with the exception of the foresail and the lower main top-sail. The wind was freshening from the east and a very heavy swell was rising from the same direction. "We could not keep to the wind any longer, and putting the ship about, ran before the wind, steering west.
At midnight the Captain gave orders to the watch not to go below, but to turn to the pumps. We pumped' all night till daylight, by which time we had succeeded in discharging all the water, when four men were left to keep the pump going, while the rest of the crew were taking in the broken yards, The water in the hold decreased and the crew were ordered to take in all the remaining square sails, leaving the trysails, We have-to again, the wind veered to south, and, blowing away the trysails, we were left without any sails ae all.
During that interval the water in the hold had increased very much, as the pumps had not been attended to for six hours.
Towards 10 p.m. all hands manned the pumps, but we saw that they were choked with small coal and could not work.
We went below and found that there were six feet of water in the hold.
On the 20th the sea broke the railings on both sides of the ship, and carried them away, and we were unable to work on accottnt of the heavy sea, which would have carried us away. The water was increasing in the hold, and the ship was Sinking fast. The Captain gave orde raise the pump forward, to try to clear it At mid-day the boatswain came forward, and told us we were all lost, as it was impossible to steer the shi We all went amid-ship, and seeing there was no other way to save ourselves, we asked the Captain to run before the wind, We set the foresail, and the ship went round, heading north, for the island of Quelpart. The Captain told us to start the Hand pump from the cabin, but it was useless from the quantity of water.
The ship was sinking gradually, part of the crew were erying, some praying, and some, seeing no hope, got drunk in despair, The Captain tried to keep up their courage, g them they would be on shore before About 4.30 p.m. the ship bogan settling by the head; then we cut the lashings from the livs-boats, "When the ship sank, all the crew were aft, and some remained in the water, some on pieces of planks, while some took to the boats. The Captain went down with the ship, and was never seen any more.
One of the life-boats was floating with very little water in her. Three of us got in her, and saw the boatswain and picked him up. Then we saw the chief mate in the water, and worked for an hour before we were able to rescue him, as we had only two bits of wood to manage the boat with, We were five in all, Cesare Pooh, chief mate, Chelini Pasquali, boatswain,'Piladi Taddei, Bacchione Leoni, and Guiseppe Santon. The sea filled the boat, and we had enough to do to keep her afloat. We were exhausted, having had no rest for two days, and went to sleep, the boat half full of water. At about 8 'p.m. a heavy sea struck the boat and capsized her. The chief mate was lost, and four of us were lefts the boatswain more dead than alive.
We succeeding in righting the boat, as the sea was decreasing. We baled out all the water with our hands, and before daylight the boat was dry; hut the boatswain died during the night.
On the 2ist we were carried in the direction of Quelpart, which the mate had told us was about 50 miles distant.
and delirious. On the 23rd we sighted On the 22nd Taddet Pied was very ill land at about 25 miles distance. The wind changed and we were drifted away from the island. As we had no oars, no sails, and no provisions of any sort, we did not know what to do. On the sume day Taddei Piladi died, and only two of us were left, On the 24th, the wind changed from west to east, and was again carrying us along the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.