The crew tried to escape by jumping on to the rocks.
Only three succeeded in doing this, the captain, the cabin-boy and one
sailor, A tremendous wave washed over them, and when it had subsided the
sailor found himself alone. Fortunately he knew where he was, and by
clinging flat to the rocks, like a starfish, and watching his chances,
he succeeded after a time in reaching a point of safety. But no sooner
was he fairly out of the water than his clothes became a mass of ice.
There is a rude, unplastered house on Londoner's. The door was fastened,
but he broke through it with a blow of his foot, then wiping his hands
as well as he could on the rough boards, he felt along the first
transverse beam-joist until, to his great delight, he came upon some
matches. These saved his life, for there can be no doubt that otherwise
he would have been frozen to death before morning. There was a stove in
the house, and even a few sticks of wood. For kindling-wood he tore off
splinters from the edges of the boards. He could see nothing within the
house, and it is said that after his fire was lighted, he had only one
match left. Next morning people on Haley's Island saw the wreck and the
smoke from his fire, and went to his rescue.
Mrs. Rymes is authority for the statement that White Island was not
called so from its color, but from a family of Whites who lived on it
before the light-house was built, and that the miser White who was
murdered by Crowninshield in Salem was born on that island.
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