In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Chapter 16 For a long time now I had gone without news from Europe. Given my already doubtful situation, this isolation exerted a thoroughly evil influence over me, since I could not easily leave Campeche once and for all before receiving new instructions for my journey. All my hopes now rested on the English postal steamer, which was to have landed in Veracruz in mid-February, and I passionately longed for the day when a new road for my labors would open, when suddenly the city was profoundly convulsed by news of the terrible shipwreck of that same vessel. Additional reports soon appeared, and among them was the following account of Mr. John Davis,which I reproduce in faithful translation. Shipwreck of the postal steamer Tweed. The following report concerns an investigation held in the market and harbor of Santa María de Sisal on February 14, 1847. Following a northern storm which raged on the twelfth of this month, the Spanish brig Emilio arrived here in port, bearing with it the post officer of the English vessel Tweed. He and nine other men from the said vessel had set out on the sea in a boat after they had suffered a shipwreck out on the Alacranes. Immediately the port captain asked the name, nationality , occupation, their port of embarkation, the ship, the name of its captain, the duration of the journey, the day and time of the shipwreck , and whether it had passengers; the location and the date when they came upon the brig Emilio; and in which direction and what distance from the port. He answered as follows. His name was John Davis, was born in England, and was supercargo of the ship that came from Havana, set sail bound for Veracruz and Tampico, and bore the name Tweed. Its captain was Mr. Parsons , and three days had passed since they left port until reaching the Alacranes. It was at approximately 3 a.m. on the twelfth of this month when they ran aground because of a furious storms.They had on 172 / Part 2: Yucatán,Tabasco, and Chiapas board fifty-five passengers and seventy-five crewmen, as he believes, and approximately sixty from the shipwreck made it to land.The remaining people found themselves on said sandbar, and as was his duty he determined to set out in order to see who could help them. He suffered a great deal while he sailed out with the boat of said steamer in terrible weather, since this boat turned out to be in such a horrible condition that they had to bind it together with ropes in order to be able to go on.The remaining five boats which had set out were entirely dashed to pieces. It was approximately half past six today when the Spanish brig Emilio found them twelve nautical miles from this port.Their cargo consisted of 1,170 casks of mercury and other wares. He declared this to be the truth, which he verified and signed. At this point the account ends, which he undersigns with me for the sake of truth on the above mentioned date. José María Covian, John Davis, Mérida, February 15, 1847. Thus all my hopes for a speedy reassignment were once again dashed, and my position was hardly less tragic than that of the people rescued from the shipwreck. Some of these poor souls were now found in Sisal, others in Mérida. On the last day of February a few of the castaways arrived in Campeche ,among them a German as well,Herr F.Probst,who had at least made it alive but, like the other survivors, racked with injuries.To the degree that my scant resources permitted, I tried to provide accommodations in Campeche for this amiable countryman, who, it goes without saying, was in no comfortable position.We soon got to know each other, all the more since he had been in Mexico earlier, and knew many of my friends there. He gave me a description of the shipwreck, which captivated me not so much because of its horrors as for its vivid portrayal. I felt it deep in my heart, and it fascinated as though I had participated in his tragic fate. I pictured that moment during the dark night of howling storm and fiercely churning sea, when the ship was thrown with full violence on the reefs. Colossal volumes of water began to surge in violently, and the...

Share