The Wreck of the "Pacific" on East Linga, Shetland.

n one of the last days of January, 1871, the splendid screw steamer "Pacific," of Liverpool, of about a 1000 tons register, on leaving Norway with a cargo of wood, encountered a strong head wind and a tremendous sea; when, horrible to relate, her propeller suddenly broke with a fearful jerk, and the good ship became disabled and almost helpless. The weather, however, afterwards moderated, and the wind becoming easterly, the vessel was enabled to proceed slowly on her course, with the aid of the few small sails she could set. Even on the 8th of February, hopes wore entertained of reaching some port on the east coast of Scotland or England in safety. On that night, however, a fearful gale set in from the southeast. It continued with unmitigated fury all day on Tuesday the 9th, and was accompanied by blinding showers of dense sleet. In the forenoon the captain, deserving land on the lee, made an inefficient effort to wear the ship. About half-past two the breakers came in sight. As the vessel was drifting directly broadside on them, one or two head-sails were set, in order to turn her head towards the rocks, and thus give the crew a better chance of saving their lives. But the sails were "torn to ribbons," and the ship went broadside on to a reef, off East Linga. Two lifeboats were now lowered, but immediately smashed to pieces against the vessel's side. The officers and all the crow went aft, save two men, who took refuge in the fore-rigging. The ship had not lain many minutes on the reef till she broke in two; the after part gradually sunk, and one or two tremendous waves, in the course of two or three minutes, swept the captain and twenty-five of the crew into eternity. Meantime, the fore part of the steamer was carried over the reef, and driven right against the side of the island; whereupon Daniel Coleman and Edward Johnson lowered themselves down with ropes, and got on the dry land. Cold, wet, hungry, bareheaded, barefooted, and clad only in a ragged shirt and trousers were these poor men when they came on shore. To add to their other miseries, they soon discovered they were on a small uninhabited island, without any kind of provisions. They would probably have been blown off their place of banishment by the violence of the hurricane, but for a hut used by the fishermen in summer. In this cold, damp, dilapidated erection they got some shelter from the pitiless storm, and enjoyed occasional snatches of sleep. On Wednesday Johnson hoisted a pair of trousers on an oar placed on the highest point of the island; this signal was observed by the fishermen at Ska, in Whalsay, three miles off, but with such weather they could render no assistance. On Tuesday and Wednesday the only sustenance the survivors obtained was quantities of water they forced themselves to drink from a spring. On Thursday and Friday some grass was added, and on Saturday forenoon the sea, which had been running mountains high round their insular prison, having somewhat abated, they were enabled to approach the shore and pick a few limpets, which they greedily devoured. There were two sheep on the islet, but every effort to catch them failed. Twelve of the brave men of Whalsay manned one of their powerful boats, on Thursday, and attempted to reach East Linga; but the sea drove them back. Another attempt made on Friday also proved futile. On Saturday at noon they effected a landing with great difficulty, and carried the poor starving sufferers in triumph to Whalsay, where the utmost kindness was showered on them.—From "Shetland and its Inhabitants."