A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 33: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

on A QUEER RACE. tangled mass of floating wreckage that darkened the sur- face of the sea, were struggling a few human forms, sole survivors of the catastrophe. «* Ags humane as he was brave, Captain Barnaby ordered boats to be lowered. His commands were promptly obeyed, and the men succeeded in rescuing about a score of Spaniards, some of whom were dreadfully hurt. They were taken into the cockpit, and our surgeon had his hands full indeed; but the tale of wounded was now complete, for the captain of the Santa Anna, appalled by the disaster which had overtaken his consort, struck his flag at the first summons. As ali had anticipated, she proved to be a rich treasure-ship, being—so ran the re- port on board the Hecate—laden with little else than gold and silver; and officers and men were soon engaged in computing how much prize-money they were likely to receive. In anticipation they are already rich, but the amount is a matter of conjecture; for a guard has been put over the treasure, and Captain Barnaby declares that he will not have it overhauled until we reach port. “The Santa Anna’s damages have been made good, and a prize crew put on board; and as we have two hun- dred Spanish prisoners (who might, were they left on the galleon, attempt to retake her), a hnndred of them are to be transferred to the Hecate. The captain, who had at first some idea of calling at one of the West India Islands, or at Nassau, has finally decided to make straight for England, and our course has been shaped ac- cordingly. ‘‘ Another terrible day, the events of which I ean only briefly set. down. “Shortly after six this morning j was rovsed from a sound sleep by the wardroom steward. ‘ You had bet- ter get up, Mr. Hare,’ he said. ‘ The ship is on fire.’ ‘‘ Alas! it was only too true. ‘‘ After a fight, discipline is always more or less re- laxed; the spirit-room had been inadvertently left open, ani some unauthorized person, going in with a naked light, accidentally set fire to a can of rum, which, run- ning over the floor, set everything in a blaze. “The woodwork, desiccated by the heat of the trop- Eomicbooks.com