Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy
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Title: Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy
Author: Anonymous
Release date: July 6, 2008 [eBook #25982]
Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THRILLING NARRATIVES OF MUTINY, MURDER AND PIRACY ***
Produced by David Wilson, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
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THRILLING NARRATIVES
OF
MUTINY, MURDER AND PIRACY,
A WEIRD SERIES OF
Tales of Shipwreck and Disaster,
FROM THE EARLIEST PART OF THE CENTURY TO THE PRESENT TIME,
WITH ACCOUNTS OF
Providential Escapes
AND
HEART-RENDING FATALITIES.
NEW YORK:
HURST & CO., PUBLISHERS,
122 NASSAU ST.
[Illustration]
PREFACE.
Shipwreck may be ranked among the greatest evils which man can
experience. It is never void of danger, frequently of fatal issue, and
invariably productive of regret. It is one against which there is the
least resource, where patience, fortitude and ingenuity are in most
cases, unavailing, except to protract a struggle with destiny, which,
at length, proves irresistible.
But amidst the myriads unceasingly swallowed up by the deep, it is not
by the numbers that we are to judge of the miseries endured. Hundreds
may at once meet an instantaneous fate, hardly conscious of its
approach, while a few individuals may linger out existence, daily in
hope of succor, and at length be compelled to the horrible alternative
of preying on each other for the support of life. Neither is it by the
Narratives about to be given that we are to calculate on the frequency
of shipwreck. It is an event that has been of constant occurrence
since a period long anterior to what the earliest records can reach.
In England it is calculated that about 5000 natives of the British
Isles yearly perish at sea.
This perpetual exposure to peril, however, materially contributes to
the formation of character, and hence are sailors preeminently
distinguished by courage, endurance, and ready invention. Habituated
to the instability of the ocean, they make little account of danger,
and are invariably the first in matters of the most daring
enterprise. Incessantly subjected to toil, they labor long and
patiently without murmur, and the prompt and vigorous measures which
are indispensable to their security, teach them the immediate
application of whatever means are within their power.
A natural desire to know the fate of their fellow creatures seems
implanted in the breast of mankind, and the most powerful sympathies
are excited by listening to the misfortunes of the innocent. To record
some impressive examples of calamity, or unlooked for deliverance, is
the object of these pages; and it will be seen of what astonishing
advantage are the virtues of decision, temperance, perseverance and
unwavering hope in moments of extreme peril and despair.
CONTENTS.
Page
Adventures of Capt. Woodward and Five Seamen in the
island of Celebes, 7
An Occurrence at sea, 14
Loss of H. B. M ship Phoenix, off Cuba, 16
An account of the Whale Fishery, with anecdotes of the
dangers attending it, 30
Loss of the Brig Tyrrel, 49
Loss of the Peggy, 58
Loss of H. B. M. ship Litchfield, 64
Wreck of the Rothsay Castle Steamer, 74
Loss of the French ship Droits de L'Homme, 78
Loss of H. B. M. ship Queen Charlotte, 82
A Scene on the Atlantic Ocean, 84
Wreck of the French Frigate Medusa, on the Arguin Bank, 87
Loss of the Royal George, 146
Loss of the AEneas, transport, 148
The Absent Ship, 152
Loss of the Halsewell, East Indiaman, 155
An account of Four Russians, abandoned on the Island
of East Spitzbergen, 166
Loss of the Amphitrite, Female Convict Ship, 173
The Mutineers, a Tale of the Sea, 176
Fate of Seven Sailors, left on the island of St.
Maurice, 182
Seamen wintering in Spitzbergen, 185
A Man Overboard, 190
An Escape through the Cabin-Windows, 192
Tom Cringle's Log, 197
Loss of the Nautilus, Sloop of War, 201
Wreck of a Slave Ship, 212
The Wrecked Seamen, 213
Adventures of Philip Ashton, 219
Explosion of H. B. M. ship Amphion, 220
Loss of H. B. M. ship La Tribune, 245
Burning of the Prince, a French East Indiaman, 250
Wreck of the Schooner Betsey, 259
Early American Heroism, 262
Fingal's Cave, 264
Loss of H. B. M. ship Ramillies, 267
Preservation of Nine Seamen, 276
Capt. Ross's Expedition, 281
Loss of the Catharine, Venus, and Piedmont, transports,
and three Merchant Ships, 288
Wreck of the Ship Sidney, 298
Loss of the Duke William, transport, 303
Commodore Barney, 320
Naval Battles of the United States, 324
Address to the Ocean, 336
THE
BOOK OF THE OCEAN.
ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN WOODWARD AND FIVE SEAMEN IN THE ISLAND OF
CELEBES.
In the year 1791, Woodward sailed from Boston in the ship Robert
Morris, Captain Hay, for the East Indies. On his arrival there he was
employed in making country voyages until the 20th of January, when he
sailed as chief-mate in an American ship from Batavia bound to
Manilla.
In passing through the straits of Macassar, they found the wind and
current both against them, and after beating up for six weeks they
fell short of provision. Captain Woodward and five seamen were sent to
purchase some from a vessel about four leagues distant. They were
without water, provisions, or compass,--having on board only an axe, a
boat hook, two penknives, a useless gun and forty dollars in cash.
They reached the ship at sunset, and were told by the captain that he
had no provision to spare as he was bound to China and was victualled
for only one month. He advised them to stay until morning, which they
did. But when morning dawned, their own ship was out of sight even
from the mast head, and with a fair wind for her to go through the
straits of Macassar. Being treated coolly by the captain, they agreed
with one voice to leave the ship in search of their own. On leaving
the vessel, the captain gave them twelve musket cartridges and a round
bottle of brandy, but neither water nor provision of any sort.
They rowed till twelve o'clock at night, in hopes of seeing their own
vessel, and then drawing near an island they thought it prudent to go
there to get some fresh water.--They landed and made a large fire in
hopes their ship might see it. But not being able to see any thing of
her in the morning and finding no water or provisions on the island,
they continued their course in the middle of the straits six days
longer, without going on shore or tasting of any thing but brandy.
They soon had the shore of Celebes in sight, where they determined to
go in search of provisions and then to proceed to Macassar.
As they approached the shore they saw two proas full of natives, who
immediately put themselves in a posture of defence. The sailors made
signs to them that they wanted provisions, but instead of giving it
the Malays began to brandish their cresses or steel daggers. Three of
the men jumped on board a proa to beg some Indian corn, and got three
or four small ears. The chief seemed quite friendly and agreed to sell
captain Woodward two cocoa nuts for a dollar, but as soon as he had
received the money, he immediately began to strip him in search of
more. Captain Woodward defended himself with a hatchet and ordered the
boat to be shoved off, the chief levelled a musket at him, but
fortunately it missed him.
They then stood off, went round a point of land and landed out of
sight of the proas, when they found a plenty of cocoa nut trees.
Captain Woodward while engaged in cutting them down, heard the man
whom he had left to take care of the boat, scream out in a most bitter
manner. He ran immediately to the beach where he saw his own boat off
at some distance full of Malays and the poor fellow who guarded it
lying on his back with his throat cut, and his body stabbed in several
places.
They now fled immediately to the mountains, and finding that they had
lost their boat, money, and most of their clothes, they concluded that
their only chance of escape was to get to Macassar by land. Being
afraid to travel in the day time they set out in the evening, taking a
star for their guide bearing south. But they soon lost sight of the
star and at daylight found themselves within a few rods of the place,
where they had set out. They had travelled on the side of a mountain,
and had gone quite round it instead of going straight over it. They
started again and travelled by the sea shore six nights successively,
living on berries and water found in the hollows of trees.
On the sixth they arrived at a bay where they saw a party of the Malays
fishing. Here Captain Woodward found some yellowish berries which were
to him quite palatable, but his men not liking them eat some of the
leaves. On the next day they concluded to make a raft and go to the
small island on which they first landed, thinking that they might be
taken off from it by some ship passing that way. But they were obliged
to abandon this project, for in the evening the men who had eaten the
leaves, were attacked with violent pains and were crying out in torture
during the whole night.--Although they got better towards evening yet
they were so weak and dejected that Captain Woodward was convinced that
they could not reach the island and asked them if they were willing to
surrender themselves to the Malays. On reflection they all thought this
the best course which they could take; and forthwith proceeded to the
bay where they had seen the Malays in the morning, in order at once
either to find friends or to meet their fate. At first they saw no one,
but Captain Woodward soon saw three of the natives approaching him; and
ordering his men to keep quiet, he advanced alone until he had come
within a short distance of them, where they stopped and drew out their
cresses or knives.--Captain Woodward fell on his knees and begged for
mercy. The Malays looked at him for about ten minutes with their knives
drawn, when one of them came towards him, knelt in the same manner and
offered both his hands. More natives now came up and stripped them of
their hats and handkerchiefs and even the buttons on their jackets,
which they took for money.
They were now taken to Travalla and carried to the court-house or
judgment hall, accompanied by a great concourse of people, including
women and children who made a circle at some distance from them. The
chief soon entered, looking as wild as a madman, carrying in his hand
a large drawn cress or knife, the blade of which was two feet and half
long and very bright. Captain Woodward approached so near to him as to
place the foot of the chief on his own head, as a token that he was
completely under his power and direction. The chief after holding a
short consultation, returned to his house and brought out five pieces
of betel nut, which he gave to the sailors as a token of friendship.
They were now permitted to rest until about eight o'clock when they
were carried to the Rajah's house, where they found a supper provided
for them of sago-bread and peas, but in all hardly enough for one man.
Their allowance afterwards was for each man a cocoa nut and an ear of
Indian corn at noon, and the same at night. In this manner they lived
about twenty days, but were not allowed to go out except to the water
to bathe. The natives soon began to relax their vigilance over them,
and in about four months, they were conveyed to the head Rajah of
Parlow. They had not been there long when the head Rajah sent to a
Dutch port called Priggia, which is at the head of a deep bay on the
east side of the island and which is under the care of a commandant
who was a Frenchman, and had been thirty years in the Dutch service.
He arrived at Parlow and sent for Capt. Woodward. He wished him to go
with him to Priggia where he resided, but Captain Woodward refused,
being apprehensive that he should be forced into the Dutch service.
The commandant then enquired where he intended to go. He answered to
Batavia or Macassar and thence to Bengal. He did not offer Captain
Woodward or his people either money, assistance, or clothes, but
seemed quite affronted.
The Rajah now gave him the liberty of returning to Travalla, taking
care, however, to send him in the night for fear that he should get
sight of Dungally, where there lived a Mahomedan priest called Juan
Hadgee. This priest had been at Travalla, and offered a ransom for
Captain Woodward and his men, but the natives were unwilling to take
it, and were fearful that their captives would try to escape to the
town where the priest lived. It happened however, that they were
becalmed off Dungally, so that Captain Woodward could observe its
situation. On arriving at Travalla, he attempted to escape alone by
water, but the canoe being leaky, he came very near losing his life.
But not discouraged, he started immediately for Dungally by land, and
reached it just as the day dawned.
Juan Hadgee received him kindly and provided him with food and
clothing. In the course of three days the chief of Travalla learning
that he had gone to Dungally, sent after him, but the old priest and
the Rajah of Dungally refused to let him go. They told him that in the
course of three months they would convey him to Batavia or Macassar,
and also desired him to send for the four men he had left at
Travalla.--This he did by means of a letter which he wrote with a pen
of bamboo, and sent by the captain of a proa, who delivered it
secretly. The men made their escape from Parlow at the time of a
feast, early in the evening, and arrived at Dungally at twelve o'clock
the next day. They were received with great rejoicing by the natives,
who immediately brought them plenty of victuals. And this fortunate
circumstance revived their hopes of reaching some European settlement,
after many narrow escapes and difficulties.
Juan Hadgee now informed Capt. Woodward that he should set off in
about two months, but that he must first make a short voyage for
provisions, which he did, leaving Captain Woodward in his house with
his wife and two servants.
They soon began to suffer exceedingly for the want of provisions, so
that the natives were obliged to convey them up the country, there to
be supplied by some of the same tribe, who regularly went from the
village into the country at a certain season to cultivate rice and
Indian corn. But the Rajah of Parlow making war on the Rajah of
Dungally, because the latter would not deliver them up, they were soon
brought back to Dungally. There was but one engagement, and then the
men of Parlow were beaten and driven back to their own town.
Provisions again growing scarce, Juan Hadgee was bound for another
port called Sawyah, situated about two degrees north of the line. He
gave Captain Woodward permission to accompany him, provided the Rajah
was willing, but the latter refused, saying that he must stay there
and keep guard. Captain Woodward now mustered his men, and taking
their guns they went to the house of the Rajah and told him they would
stand guard no longer for they wished to go to Macassar. He
immediately replied that they should not. Being determined not to live
longer in this manner, and finding no other means of escaping, Captain
Woodward came to the resolution of stealing a canoe, to which all the
men agreed. They were lucky enough to obtain one and seemed in a fair
way to make their escape, but just as they were getting into it they
were surrounded by about twenty natives and carried before the Rajah,
who ordered them to account for their conduct. They told him that they
could get nothing to eat, and were determined to quit the place on the
first opportunity that offered. Nothing of consequence resulted from
this.--Knowing the language and people they had now become fearless of
danger.
The Rajah refusing to let them go with Juan Hadgee they determined to
run away with him, which they were enabled to do, as the old man set
out at twelve o'clock at night, and there happened luckily to be a
canoe on the beach near his own.--This they took and followed him as
well as they could, but they soon parted from him, and in the morning
discovered a proa close by them filled with Malays. They told them
that they were bound with the old man to Sawyah. The Malays took them
at their word and carried them there instead of to Dungally, which was
a lucky escape to them for that time.--Whilst residing at Sawyah the
old priest carried Captain Woodward to an island in the bay of Sawyah,
which he granted to him, and in compliment called it Steersman's
Island, steersman being the appellation by which Captain Woodward was
distinguished by the natives. After staying some time in Sawyah and
making sago, which they bartered for fish and cocoa-nuts, they left
the place and proceeded to Dumpolis, a little to the southward of
Sawyah. Juan Hadgee soon left the place for Tomboo about a day's sail
south, where he had business. Here Captain Woodward and his men also
followed him. The old priest was willing to assist them to escape from
here, but was evidently unable to do it. Tomboo being under the
direction of the Rajah of Dungally.
Fortunately they succeeded in stealing a canoe in the night, and once
more shoving off, they directed their course to a small island in the
bay, where they landed at daybreak. Not being able to find water here
as they expected, they landed at another point of land, which they
knew to be uninhabited.--Having obtained water and repaired their
canoe, they directed their course to Macassar, which was then about
five degrees to the southward. After coasting along the island for the
space of eight days, during which time they were twice very nearly
taken by the Malays, they arrived at a part of the island of Celebes,
which was very thickly inhabited.
They passed many towns and saw many proas within the harbors. Having
observed a retired place, they landed to procure some fresh water, but
they had hardly got a draught each, when two canoes were seen coming
to the very place where they were. They immediately shoved off and
kept on their course all day. Just as the sun went down they
discovered two canoes not far from them fishing. As soon as the
natives saw them they made the best of their way to the shore. Captain
Woodward wished to inquire the distance to Macassar, but not being
able to stop them he made for one of two canoes which he saw at a
distance lying at anchor. Being told that the captain was below and
asleep he went down and awakened him. He came on deck with three or
four men all armed with spears, and inquired where they were going.
Captain Woodward told him to Macassar and inquired of him the distance
to that place. He answered that it would take a month and a day to
reach it. Captain Woodward told him it was not true and made the best
of his way off. The Malays however made chase, but Captain Woodward
and his men by putting out to sea and making great exertion, soon lost
sight of them and were able again to stand in towards the land.
At daylight they discovered a number of fishing canoes, two of which
made towards them. They let them come alongside as there was only one
man in each. One of them came on board and Captain Woodward put the
same question to him respecting Macassar. He first said it would take
thirty days to reach there and asked them to go on shore and see the
Rajah. But they declined doing this, and he afterwards acknowledged
that a proa could go there in two days.
They then left the canoe and sailed along the coast. At evening they
perceived a proa full of Malay men set off from the shore. It was soon
along side, and four of them jumping into the boat nearly upset her,
and thus Captain Woodward and his men were again prisoners of the
Malays. They were carried to a town called Pamboon and then conducted
to the Rajah's house. The Rajah demanded of them whence they came and
whither they were going. Captain Woodward answered the same as before;
he also told him that they must go immediately, and must not be
stopped. They had now become so familiar with dangers and with
captures, and were also so much nearer Macassar, than they could have
expected after so many narrow escapes, that they became more and more
desperate and confident, from the persuasion that they should at last
reach their destined port.
In the morning Captain Woodward again waited on the Rajah, and begged
to be sent to Macassar; telling him that the Governor had sent for
them, who would stop all his proas at Macassar if he detained them.
After thinking on it a short time, he called the captain of a proa,
and delivered the prisoners to him, telling him to carry them to
Macassar, and if he could get anything for them to take it, but if not
to let them go. The proa not being ready they stayed in the canoe
three days, quite overcome by their many hardships and fatigues.
Captain Woodward having had no shirt, the sun had burnt his shoulder
so as to lay it quite bare and produce a bad sore. Here he caught
cold, and was attacked with a violent fever, so that by the time the
proa was ready to sail he was unable to stand. He was carried and laid
on the deck without a mat or any kind of clothing. The cold nights and
frequent showers of rain would without doubt have killed him, had he
not been kept alive by the hopes of reaching Macassar, the thoughts of
which kept up all their spirits.
They landed at Macassar on the 15th of June 1795, after a voyage of
about nineteen days from Tomboo, and after having been two years and
five months in captivity; the reckoning which Captain Woodward kept
during that time, being wrong only one day.
AN OCCURRENCE AT SEA.
In June, 1824, I embarked at Liverpool on board the Vibelia transport
with the head-quarters of my regiment, which was proceeding to
Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our passage across the Atlantic was smooth,
though long and tedious. After passing over the great bank of
Newfoundland, catching large quantities of codfish and halibut, and
encountering the usual fogs, we were one morning, about the end of
July, completely becalmed. All who have performed a voyage, know the
feeling of listlessness to which a landsman abandons himself during a
calm. The morning was slowly passed in looking for appearances of a
breeze--whistling for a wind, and the other idle pursuits usual on
such occasions. Towards noon, a sailor from aloft pointed out to our
observation a vessel at a distance, also, of course, becalmed. All
eyes and glasses were immediately directed towards her, but she was
too far off for the most experienced to determine whether she was
English or foreign, man-of-war or merchantman. After a time it
occurred to me, that it was a favorable opportunity for breaking in
upon the monotony of the day. My influence with our captain obtained
permission for the small cutter to be lowered, but he would not allow
a single seaman to leave the ship. I therefore became coxswain of the
boat, and, accompanied by four of my brother officers as rowers, we
pushed off, determined to pay a visit to the strange sail. To our
landsmen's eyes and judgment, she had appeared to be about four miles
from us, but we found ourselves very much out in our calculation--it
was more than double that distance. The rowers, however, pulled on
bravely--we neared the stranger, making her out to be a large American
merchantman, and as he was approached, we observed a number of persons
on deck reconnoitring us through glasses. At length we were alongside,
and I passed on board, followed by three of my companions, one
remaining in charge of the boat. On reaching the deck, we found it
crowded with men, who seemed to regard us with wondering looks. I
stepped forward and was received by the Captain, who acquainted me
that his vessel was the American ship Cadmus, on her passage from
Havre-de-grace to New York, with General the Marquis de Lafayette and
suite as passengers. A noble, venerable looking veteran advanced from
the poop towards us, and offered his greetings with the courtesy of
the old French school. He was Lafayette. My explanation of who we
were, and the motive of our visit, appeared to excite his surprise.
That five officers of the land service, unaccompanied by a single
sailor, should leave their vessel on the open ocean, and from mere
curiosity, visit a strange sail at such a distance, was, he declared,
most extraordinary. He said they had observed our ship early in the
morning--had been occupied (like ourselves) in vain endeavors to make
us out--had remarked an object, a mere speck upon the sea, leave the
vessel and move towards them, and when at length it was made out to be
a boat, the probable cause of such a circumstance had given rise to
many surmises. I told him in mitigation of what he deemed our
rashness, that we were, as a nation, so essentially maritime, that
every man in England was more or less a sailor. At all events, I
ventured to add if we had encountered some little risk, we had been
amply repaid in seeing a man so celebrated, and of whom we had all
heard and read. Our comrade being relieved by an American sailor in
the care of the boat, we accepted the General's offer of refreshment,
proceeded to the cabin, and passed a most agreeable hour. The fast
approach of evening and appearances of a breeze springing up induced
us to take leave. We separated from the old chief, not as the
acquaintance of an hour, but with all the warmth--the grasp and
pressure of hand--of old friends. As I parted from him at the gangway,
he mentioned having caused a case of claret to be lowered into our
boat, which he begged us to present to our Colonel and the other
officers of our mess. We pulled cheerily back, but it was not until
long after dark that we reached the 'Vibelia,' and which we perhaps
could not have accomplished, but for their having exhibited blue
lights every few minutes to point out her position. We found our
comrades had been in great alarm for our safety. Various had been the
surmises. That we had boarded a pirate, and been sacrificed, or made
prisoners, was most prevalent, and a breeze was anxiously prayed for,
that they might bear down, and release or revenge us. Half an hour
after we returned to our ship, a light wind sprang up, which very
shortly freshened into a gale, so that in the morning we had
completely lost sight of the 'Cadmus.'
ACCOUNT OF THE LOSS OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP PHOENIX.
The Phoenix of 44 guns, Capt. Sir Hyde Parker was lost in a hurricane,
off Cuba, in the West Indies, in the year 1780. The same hurricane
destroyed the Thunderer, 74; Stirling Castle, 64; La Blanche, 42;
Laurel, 28; Andromeda, 28; Deas Castle, 24; Scarborough, 20; Beaver's
Prize, 16; Barbadoes, 14; Cameleon, 14; Endeavour, 14; and Victor, 10
guns. Lieut. Archer was first-lieutenant of the Phoenix at the time
she was lost. His narrative in a letter to his mother, contains a most
correct and animated account of one of the most awful events in the
service. It is so simple and natural as to make the reader feel
himself as on board the Phoenix. Every circumstance is detailed with
feeling, and powerful appeals are continually made to the heart. It
must likewise afford considerable pleasure to observe the devout
spirit of a seaman frequently bursting forth, and imparting sublimity
to the relation.
At Sea, June 30, 1781.
MY DEAR MOTHER,
I am now going to give you an account of our last cruise in the
Phoenix; and must premise, that should any one see it besides
yourself, they must put this construction on it--that it was
originally intended for the eyes of a mother, and a mother only--as,
upon that supposition, my feelings may be tolerated. You will also
meet with a number of sea-terms, which, if you don't understand, why,
I cannot help you, as I am unable to give a sea description in any
other words.
To begin then:--On the 2d of August, 1780, we weighed and sailed for
Port Royal, bound for Pensacola, having two store-ships under convoy,
and to see safe in; then cruise off the Havana, and in the gulf of
Mexico, for six weeks. In a few days we made the two sandy islands,
that look as if they had just risen out of the sea, or fallen from the
sky; inhabited, nevertheless, by upwards of three hundred English, who
get their bread by catching turtle and parrots, and raising
vegetables, which they exchange with ships that pass, for clothing and
a few of the luxuries of life, as rum, &c.
About the 12th we arrived at Pensacola, without any thing remarkable
happening except our catching a vast quantity of fish, sharks,
dolphins, and bonettos. On the 13th sailed singly, and on the 14th had
a very heavy gale of wind at north, right off the land, so that we
soon left the sweet place, Pensacola, at a distance astern. We then
looked into the Havana, saw a number of ships there, and knowing that
some of them were bound round the bay, we cruised in the track: a
fortnight, however, passed, and not a single ship hove in sight to
cheer our spirits. We then took a turn or two round the gulf, but not
near enough to be seen from the shore. Vera Cruz we expected would
have made us happy, but the same luck still continued; day followed
day, and no sail. The dollar bag began to grow a little bulky, for
every one had lost two or three times, and no one had won: this was a
small gambling party entered into by Sir Hyde and ourselves; every one
put a dollar into a bag, and fixed on a day when we should see a
sail, but no two persons were to name the same day, and whoever
guessed right first was to have the bag.
Being now tired of our situation, and glad the cruise was almost out,
for we found the navigation very dangerous, owing to unaccountable
currents; we shaped our course for Cape Antonio. The next day the man
at the mast head, at about one o'clock in the afternoon, called out:
"A sail upon the weather bow! Ha! Ha! Mr. Spaniard, I think we have
you at last. Turn out all hands! make sail! All hands give chase!"
There was scarcely any occasion for this order, for the sound of a
sail being in sight flew like wild fire through the ship and every
sail was set in an instant almost before the orders were given. A
lieutenant at the mast head, with a spy glass, "What is she?" "A large
ship studding athwart right before the wind. P-o-r-t! Keep her away!
set the studding sails ready!" Up comes the little doctor, rubbing his
hands; "Ha! ha! I have won the bag." "The devil take you and the bag;
look, what 's ahead will fill all our bags." Mast head again: "Two
more sail on the larboard beam!" "Archer, go up, and see what you can
make of them." "Upon deck there; I see a whole fleet of twenty sail
coming right before the wind." "Confound the luck of it, this is some
convoy or other, but we must try if we can pick some of them out."
"Haul down the studding-sails! Luff! bring her to the wind! Let us see
what we can make of them."
About five we got pretty near them, and found them to be twenty-six
sail of Spanish merchantmen, under convoy of three line of battle
ships, one of which chased us; but when she found we were playing with
her (for the old Phoenix had heels) she left chase, and joined the
convoy; which they drew up into a lump, and placed themselves at the
outside; but we still kept smelling about till after dark. O, for the
Hector, the Albion, and a frigate, and we should take the whole fleet
and convoy, worth some millions! About eight o'clock perceived three
sail at some distance from the fleet; dashed in between them, and gave
chase, and were happy to find they steered from the fleet. About
twelve came up with a large ship of twenty-six guns. "Archer, every
man to his quarters! run the lower deck guns out, and light the ship
up; show this fellow our force; it may prevent his firing into us and
killing a man or two." No sooner said than done. "Hoa, the ship ahoy,
lower all your sails down, and bring to instantly, or I'll sink you."
Clatter, clatter, went the blocks, and away flew all their sails in
proper confusion. "What ship is that?" "The Polly." "Whence came
you?" "From Jamaica." "Where are you bound?" "To New York." "What ship
is that?" "The Phoenix." Huzza, three times by the whole ship's
company. An old grum fellow of a sailor standing close by me: "O, d--m
your three cheers, we took you to be something else." Upon examination
we found it to be as he reported, and that they had fallen in with the
Spanish fleet that morning, and were chased the whole day, and that
nothing saved them but our stepping in between; for the Spaniards took
us for three consorts, and the Polly took the Phoenix for a Spanish
frigate, till we hailed them. The other vessel in company was likewise
bound to New York. Thus was I, from being worth thousands in idea,
reduced to the old 4s. 6d. a day again: for the little doctor made the
most prize money of us all that day, by winning the bag, which
contained between thirty and forty dollars; but this is nothing to
what we sailors sometimes undergo.
After parting company, we steered south-south-east, to go round
Antonio, and so to Jamaica, (our cruise being out) with our fingers
in our mouths, and all of us as green as you please. It happened to
be my middle watch, and about three o'clock, when a man upon the
forecastle bawls out: "Breakers ahead, and land upon the lee-bow;" I
looked out, and it was so sure enough. "Ready about! put the helm
down! Helm a lee!" Sir Hyde hearing me put the ship about, jumped
upon deck. "Archer, what 's the matter? you are putting the ship
about without my orders!" "Sir, 'tis time to go about! the ship is
almost ashore, there 's the land." "Good God so it is! Will the ship
stay?" "Yes, Sir, I believe she will, if we don't make any confusion;
she's all aback--forward now?"--"Well," says he, "work the ship, I
will not speak a single word." The ship stayed very well. "Then,
heave the lead! see what water we have!" "Three fathom." "Keep the
ship away, west-north-west."--"By the mark three." "This won't do,
Archer." "No, Sir, we had better haul more to the northward; we came
south-south-east, and had better steer north-north-west." "Steady,
and a quarter three." "This may do, as we deepen a little." "By the
deep four." "Very well, my lad, heave quick." "Five Fathom." "That 's
a fine fellow! another cast nimbly." "Quarter less eight." "That will
do, come, we shall get clear by and by."--"Mark under water five."
"What 's that?" "Only five fathom, Sir." "Turn all hands up, bring
the ship to an anchor, boy!" "Are the anchors clear!" "In a moment,
Sir." "All clear!" "What water have you in the chains now!" "Eight,
half nine." "Keep fast the anchors till I call you." "Ay, ay, Sir,
all fast!" "I have no ground with this line." "How many fathoms have
you out? pass along the deep-sea line!" "Ay, ay, Sir." "Come are you
all ready?" "All ready, Sir." "Heave away, watch! watch! bear away,
veer away, no ground Sir, with a hundred fathom." "That 's clever,
come, Madam Phoenix, there is another squeak in you yet--all down but
the watch; secure the anchors again; heave the main-top-sail to the
mast; luff, and bring her to the wind!"
I told you, Madam, you should have a little sea-jargon: if you can
understand half of what is already said, I wonder at it, though it is
nothing to what is to come yet, when the old hurricane begins. As soon
as the ship was a little to rights, and all quiet again, Sir Hyde came
to me in the most friendly manner, the tears almost starting from his
eyes--"Archer, we ought all, to be much obliged to you for the safety
of the ship, and perhaps of ourselves. I am particularly so; nothing
but that instantaneous presence of mind and calmness saved her;
another ship's length and we should have been fast on shore; had you
been the least diffident, or made the least confusion, so as to make
the ship baulk in her stays, she must have been inevitably lost."
"Sir, you are very good, but I have done nothing that I suppose any
body else would not have done, in the same situation. I did not turn
all the hands up, knowing the watch able to work the ship; besides,
had it spread immediately about the ship, that she was almost ashore,
it might have created a confusion that was better avoided." "Well,"
says he, "'t is well indeed."
At daylight we found that the current had set us between the Collarado
rocks and Cape Antonio, and that we could not have got out any other
way than we did; there was a chance, but Providence is the best pilot.
We had sunset that day twenty leagues to the south-east of our
reckoning by the current.
After getting clear of this scrape, we thought ourselves fortunate,
and made sail for Jamaica, but misfortune seemed to follow misfortune.
The next night, my watch upon deck too, we were overtaken by a squall,
like a hurricane while it lasted; for though I saw it coming, and
prepared for it, yet, when it took the ship, it roared, and laid her
down so, that I thought she would never get up again. However, by
keeping her away, and clewing up every thing, she righted. The
remainder of the night we had very heavy squalls, and in the morning
found the mainmast sprung half the way through: one hundred and
twenty-three leagues to the leeward of Jamaica, the hurricane months
coming on, the head of the mainmast almost off, and at short
allowance; well, we must make the best of it. The mainmast was well
fished, but we were obliged to be very tender of carrying sail.
Nothing remarkable happened for ten days afterwards, when we chased a
Yankee man of war for six hours, but could not get near enough to her
before it was dark, to keep sight of her; so that we lost her because
unable to carry any sail on the mainmast. In about twelve days more
made the island of Jamaica, having weathered all the squalls, and put
into Montego Bay for water; so that we had a strong party for kicking
up a dust on shore, having found three men of war lying there.
Dancing, &c. &c. till two o'clock every morning; little thinking what
was to happen in four days' time: for out of the four men of war that
were there, not one was in being at the end of that time, and not a
soul alive but those left of our crew. Many of the houses, where we
had been so merry, were so completely destroyed, that scarcely a
vestige remained to mark where they stood. Thy works are wonderful, O
God! praised be thy holy Name!
September the 30th weighed; bound for Port Royal, round the eastward
of the island; the Bardadoes and Victor had sailed the day before, and
the Scarborough was to sail the next. Moderate weather until October
the 2d. Spoke to the Barbadoes off Port Antonio in the evening. At
eleven at night it began to snuffle, with a monstrous heavy appearance
from the eastward. Close reefed the top-sails. Sir Hyde sent for me:
"What sort of weather have we, Archer!" "It blows a little, and has a
very ugly look: if in any other quarter but this, I should say we were
going to have a gale of wind." "Ay, it looks so very often here when
there is no wind at all; however, don't hoist the top-sails till it
clears a little, there is no trusting any country." At twelve I was
relieved; the weather had the same rough look: however, they made sail
upon her, but had a very dirty night. At eight in the morning I came
up again, found it blowing hard from the east-north-east, with
close-reefed top-sails upon the ship, and heavy squalls at times. Sir
Hyde came upon deck: "Well, Archer, what do you think of it?" "O, Sir,
't is only a touch of the times, we shall have an observation at
twelve o'clock; the clouds are beginning to break; it will clear up at
noon, or else--blow very hard afterwards." "I wish it would clear up,
but I doubt it much. I was once in a hurricane in the East Indies, and
the beginning of it had much the same appearance as this. So take in
the top-sails, we have plenty of sea-room."
At twelve, the gale still increasing, wore ship, to keep as near
mid-channel between Jamaica and Cuba, as possible; at one the gale
increasing still; at two, harder yet, it still blows harder! Reefed
the courses, and furled them; brought to under a foul mizen stay-sail,
head to the northward. In the evening no sign of the weather taking
off, but every appearance of the storm increasing, prepared for a
proper gale of wind; secured all the sails with spare gaskets; good
rolling tackles upon the yards; squared the booms; saw the boats all
made fast; new lashed the guns; double breeched the lower deckers; saw
that the carpenters had the tarpawlings and battens all ready for
hatchways; got the top-gallant-mast down upon the deck; jib-boom and
sprit-sail-yard fore and aft; in fact every thing we could think of to
make a snug ship.
The poor devils of birds now began to find the uproar in the elements,
for numbers, both of sea and land kinds, came on board of us. I took
notice of some, which happening to be to leeward, turned to windward,
like a ship, tack and tack; for they could not fly against it. When
they came over the ship they dashed themselves down upon the deck,
without attempting to stir till picked up, and when let go again, they
would not leave the ship, but endeavoured to hide themselves from the
wind.
At eight o'clock a hurricane; the sea roaring, but the wind still
steady to a point; did not ship a spoonful of water. However, got the
hatchways all secured, expecting what would be the consequence, should
the wind shift; placed the carpenters by the mainmast, with broad
axes, knowing, from experience, that at the moment you may want to cut
it away to save the ship, an axe may not be found. Went to supper:
bread, cheese, and porter. The purser frightened out of his wits about
his bread bags; the two marine officers as white as sheets, not
understanding the ship's working so much, and the noise of the lower
deck guns; which, by this time, made a pretty screeching to people not
used to it; it seemed as if the whole ship's side was going at each
roll. Wooden, our carpenter, was all this time smoking his pipe and
laughing at the doctor; the second lieutenant upon deck, and the third
in his hammock.
At ten o'clock I thought to get a little sleep; came to look into my
cot; it was full of water; for every seam, by the straining of the
ship, had began to leak. Stretched myself, therefore, upon deck
between two chests, and left orders to be called, should the least
thing happen. At twelve a midshipman came to me: "Mr. Archer, we are
just going to wear ship, Sir!" "O, very well, I'll be up directly,
what sort of weather have you got?" "It blows a hurricane." Went upon
deck, found Sir Hyde there. "It blows damned hard Archer." "It does
indeed, Sir." "I don't know that I ever remember its blowing so hard
before, but the ship makes a good weather of it upon this tack as she
bows the sea; but we must wear her, as the wind has shifted to the
south-east, and we were drawing right upon Cuba; so do you go forward,
and have some hands stand by; loose the lee yard-arm of the fore-sail,
and when she is right before the wind, whip the clue-garnet close up,
and roll up the sail." "Sir! there is no canvass can stand against
this a moment; if we attempt to loose him he will fly into ribands in
an instant, and we may lose three or four of our people; she'll wear
by manning the fore shrouds." "No, I don't think she will." "I'll
answer for it, Sir; I have seen it tried several times on the coast of
America with success." "Well, try it; if she does not wear, we can
only loose the fore-sail afterwards." This was a great condescension
from such a man as Sir Hyde. However, by sending about two hundred
people into the fore-rigging, after a hard struggle, she wore; found
she did not make so good weather on this tack as on the other; for as
the sea began to run across, she had not time to rise from one sea
before another lashed against her. Began to think we should lose our
masts, as the ship lay very much along, by the pressure of the wind
constantly upon the yards and masts alone: for the poor
mizen-stay-sail had gone in shreds long before, and the sails began to
fly from the yards through the gaskets into coach whips. My God! to
think that the wind could have such force!
Sir Hyde now sent me to see what was the matter between decks, as
there was a good deal of noise. As soon as I was below, one of the
Marine officers calls out: "Good God Mr. Archer, we are sinking, the
water is up to the bottom of my cot." "Pooh, pooh! as long as it is
not over your mouth, you are well off; what the devil do you make this
noise for?" I found there was some water between decks, but nothing to
be alarmed at; scuttled the deck, and let it run into the well--found
she made a good deal of water through the sides and decks; turned the
watch below to the pumps, though only two feet of water in the well;
but expected to be kept constantly at work now, as the ship labored
much, with scarcely a part of her above water but the quarter-deck,
and that but seldom "Come, pump away, my boys. Carpenters, get the
weather chain-pump rigged." "All ready, Sir." "Then man it and keep
both pumps going."
At two o'clock the chain-pump was choked; set the carpenters at work
to clear it; the two head pumps at work upon deck; the ship gained on
us while our chain-pumps were idle; in a quarter of an hour they were
at work again, and we began to gain upon her. While I was standing at
the pumps, cheering the people, the carpenter's mate came running to
me with a face as long as my arm: "O, Sir! the ship has sprang a leak
in the gunner's room." "Go, then, and tell the carpenter to come to
me, but don't speak a word to any one else." "Mr. Goodinoh, I am told
there is a leak in the gunner's room; go and see what is the matter,
but don't alarm any body, and come and make your report privately to
me." In a short time he returned: "Sir, there 's nothing there, 'tis
only the water washing up between the timbers that this booby has
taken for a leak." "O, very well; go upon deck and see if you can keep
any of the water from washing down below." "Sir, I have had four
people constantly keeping the hatchways secure, but there is such a
weight of water upon the deck that nobody can stand it when the ship
rolls." The gunner soon afterwards came to me: "Mr. Archer, I should
be glad if you would step this way into the magazine for a moment:" I
thought some damned thing was the matter, and ran directly: "Well,
what is the matter here?" "The ground-tier of powder is spoiled, and I
want to show you that it is not out of carelessness in stowing it, for
no powder in the world could be better stowed. Now, Sir, what am I to
do? if you don't speak to Sir Hyde, he will be angry with me." I could
not forbear smiling to see how easy he took the danger of the ship,
and said to him: "Let us shake off this gale of wind first, and talk
of the damaged powder afterwards."
At four we had gained upon the ship a little, and I went upon deck, it
being my watch. The second lieutenant relieved me at the pumps. Who
can attempt to describe the appearance of things upon deck? If I was
to write for ever I could not give you an idea of it--a total darkness
all above, the sea on fire, running as it were in Alps, or Peaks of
Teneriffe; (mountains are too common an idea); the wind roaring louder
than thunder, (absolutely no flight of imagination), the whole made
more terrible, if possible, by a very uncommon kind of blue lightning;
the poor ship very much pressed, yet doing what she could, shaking her
sides, and groaning at every stroke. Sir Hyde upon deck lashed to
windward! I soon lashed myself alongside of him, and told him the
situation of things below, saying the ship did not make more water
than might be expected in such weather, and that I was only afraid of
a gun breaking loose. "I am not in the least afraid of that; I have
commanded her six years, and have had many a gale of wind in her; so
that her iron work, which always gives way first, is pretty well
tried. Hold fast! that was an ugly sea; we must lower the yards, I
believe, Archer; the ship is much pressed." "If we attempt it, Sir, we
shall lose them, for a man aloft can do nothing; besides their being
down would ease the ship very little; the mainmast is a sprung mast; I
wish it was overboard without carrying any thing else along with it;
but that can soon be done, the gale cannot last for ever; 'twill soon
be daylight now." Found by the master's watch that it was five
o'clock, though but a little after four by ours; glad it was so near
daylight, and looked for it with much anxiety. Cuba, thou art much in
our way! Another ugly sea: sent a midshipman to bring news from the
pumps: the ship was gaining on them very much, for they had broken one
of their chains, but it was almost mended again. News from the pump
again. "She still gains! a heavy lee!" Back-water from leeward,
half-way up the quarter-deck; filled one of the cutters upon the
booms, and tore her all to pieces; the ship lying almost on her beam
ends, and not attempting to right again. Word from below that the ship
still gained on them, as they could not stand to the pumps, she lay so
much along. I said to Sir Hyde: "This is no time, Sir, to think of
saving the masts, shall we cut the mainmast away?" "Ay! as fast as you
can." I accordingly went into the weather chains with a pole-axe, to
cut away the lanyards; the boatswain went to leeward, and the
carpenters stood by the mast. We were all ready, when a very violent
sea broke right on board of us, carried every thing upon deck away,
filled the ship with water, the main and mizen masts went, the ship
righted, but was in the last struggle of sinking under us.
As soon as we could shake our heads above water, Sir Hyde exclaimed:
"We are gone, at last, Archer! foundered at sea!" "Yes, Sir,
farewell, and the Lord have mercy upon us!" I then turned about to
look forward at the ship; and thought she was struggling to get rid of
some of the water; but all in vain, she was almost full below
"Almighty God! I thank thee, that now I am leaving this world, which I
have always considered as only a passage to a better, I die with a
full hope of the mercies, through the merits of Jesus Christ, thy son,
our Saviour!"
I then felt sorry that I could swim, as by that means I might be a
quarter of an hour longer dying than a man who could not, and it is
impossible to divest ourselves of a wish to preserve life. At the end
of these reflections I thought I heard the ship thump and grinding
under our feet; it was so. "Sir, the ship is ashore!" "What do you
say?" "The ship is ashore, and we may save ourselves yet!" By this
time the quarter-deck was full of men who had come up from below; and
'the Lord have mercy upon us,' flying about from all quarters. The
ship now made every body sensible that she was ashore, for every
stroke threatened a total dissolution of her whole frame; found she
was stern ashore, and the bow broke the sea a good deal, though it was
washing clean over at every stroke. Sir Hyde cried out: "Keep to the
quarter-deck, my lads, when she goes to pieces, 't is your best
chance!" Providentially got the foremast cut away, that she might not
pay round broad-side. Lost five men cutting away the foremast, by the
breaking of a sea on board just as the mast went. That was nothing;
every one expected it would be his own fate next; looked for daybreak
with the greatest impatience. At last it came; but what a scene did it
show us! The ship upon a bed of rocks, mountains of them on one side,
and Cordilleras of water on the other; our poor ship grinding and
crying out at every stroke between them; going away by piecemeal.
However, to show the unaccountable workings of Providence, that which
often appears to be the greatest evil, proved to be the greatest good!
That unmerciful sea lifted and beat us up so high among the rocks,
that at last the ship scarcely moved. She was very strong, and did not
go to pieces at the first thumping, though her decks tumbled in. We
found afterwards that she had beat over a ledge of rocks, almost a
quarter of a mile in extent beyond us, where, if she had struck, every
soul of us must have perished.
I now began to think of getting on shore, so stripped off my coat and
shoes for a swim, and looked for a line to carry the end with me.
Luckily could not find one, which gave me time for recollection.
"This won't do for me, to be the first man out of the ship, and first
lieutenant; we may get to England again, and people may think I paid a
great deal of attention to myself and did not care for any body else.
No, that won't do; instead of being the first, I'll see every man,
sick and well, out of her before me."
I now thought there was no probability of the ship's soon going to
pieces, therefore had not a thought of instant death: took a look
round with a kind of philosophic eye, to see how the same situation
affected my companions, and was surprised to find the most swaggering,
swearing bullies in fine weather, now the most pitiful wretches on
earth, when death appeared before them. However, two got safe; by
which means, with a line, we got a hawser on shore, and made fast to
the rocks, upon which many ventured and arrived safe. There were some
sick and wounded on board, who could not avail themselves of this
method; we, therefore, got a spare top-sail-yard from the chains and
placed one end ashore and the other on the cabin-window, so that most
of the sick got ashore this way.
As I had determined, so I was the last man out of the ship; this was
about ten o'clock. The gale now began to break. Sir Hyde came to me,
and taking me by the hand was so affected that he was scarcely able to
speak "Archer, I am happy beyond expression, to see you on shore, but
look at our poor Phoenix!" I turned about, but could not say a single
word, being too full: my mind had been too intensely occupied before;
but every thing now rushed upon me at once, so that I could not
contain myself, and I indulged for a full quarter of an hour in tears.
By twelve it was pretty moderate; got some nails on shore and made
tents; found great quantities of fish driven up by the sea into the
holes of the rocks; knocked up a fire, and had a most comfortable
dinner. In the afternoon made a stage from the cabin-windows to the
rocks, and got out some provisions and water, lest the ship should go
to pieces, in which case we must all have perished of hunger and
thirst; for we were upon a desolate part of the coast, and under a
rocky mountain, that could not supply us with a single drop of water.
Slept comfortably this night and the next day, the idea of death
vanishing by degrees, the prospect of being prisoners, during the war,
at the Havana, and walking three hundred miles to it through the
woods, was rather unpleasant. However, to save life for the present,
we employed this day in getting more provisions and water on shore,
which was not an easy matter, on account of decks, guns and rubbish,
and ten feet water that lay over them. In the evening I proposed to
Sir Hyde to repair the remains of the only boat left, and to venture
in her to Jamaica myself; and in case I arrived safe, to bring vessels
to take them all off; a proposal worthy of consideration. It was, next
day, agreed to; therefore got the cutter on shore, and set the
carpenters to work on her; in two days she was ready, and at four
o'clock in the afternoon I embarked with four volunteers and a
fortnight's provision, hoisted English colors as we put off from the
shore, and received three cheers from the lads left behind, which we
returned, and set sail with a light heart; having not the least doubt,
that, with God's assistance, we should come and bring them all off.
Had a very squally night, and a very leaky boat, so as to keep two
buckets constantly bailing. Steered her myself the whole night by the
stars, and in the morning saw the coast of Jamaica distant twelve
leagues. At eight in the evening arrived at Montego Bay.
I must now begin to leave off, particularly as I have but half an hour
to conclude; else my pretty little short letter will lose its passage,
which I should not like, after being ten days, at different times,
writing it, beating up with the convoy to the northward, which is a
reason that this epistle will never read well; as I never set down
with a proper disposition to go on with it; but as I knew something of
the kind would please you, I was resolved to finish it; yet it will
not bear an overhaul; so don't expose your son's nonsense.
But to proceed--I instantly sent off an express to the admiral,
another to the Porcupine man of war, and went myself to Martha Bray to
get vessels; for all their vessels here, as well as many of their
houses, were gone to Moco. Got three small vessels, and set out back
again to Cuba, where I arrived the fourth day after leaving my
companions. I thought the ship's crew would have devoured me on my
landing; they presently whisked me up on their shoulders and carried
me to the tent where Sir Hyde was.
I must omit many little occurrences that happened on shore, for want
of time; but I shall have a number of stories to tell when I get
alongside of you; and the next time I visit you I shall not be in such
a hurry to quit you as I was the last, for then I hoped my nest would
have been pretty well feathered:--But my tale is forgotten.
I found the Porcupine had arrived that day, and the lads had built a
boat almost ready for launching, that would hold fifty of them, which
was intended for another trial, in case I had foundered. Next day
embarked all our people that were left, amounting to two hundred and
fifty; for some had died of their wounds they received in getting on
shore; others of drinking rum, and others had straggled into the
country.--All our vessels were so full of people, that we could not
take away the few clothes that were saved from the wreck; but that was
a trifle since we had preserved our lives and liberty. To make short
of my story, we all arrived safe at Montego Bay, and shortly after at
Port Royal, in the Janus, which was sent on purpose for us, and were
all honorably acquitted for the loss of the ship. I was made admiral's
aid-de-camp, and a little time afterwards sent down to St. Juan's as
captain of the Resource, to bring what were left of the poor devils to
Blue Fields, on the Musquito shore, and then to Jamaica, where they
arrived after three month's absence, and without a prize, though I
looked out hard off Porto Bello and Carthagena. Found in my absence
that I had been appointed captain of the Tobago, where I remain his
majesty's most true and faithful servant, and my dear mother's most
dutiful son,
----ARCHER
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
AN ACCOUNT OF THE WHALE FISHERY
WITH ANECDOTES OF THE DANGERS ATTENDING IT.
Historians, in general, have given to the Biscayans the credit of
having first practiced the fishery for the Whale; the English, and
afterwards the Dutch are supposed to have followed in the pursuit. It
was prosecuted by the Norwegians so early as the ninth century, and by
the Icelanders about the eleventh. It was not till the seventeenth
century however, that the whale fishery was engaged in by the maritime
nations of Europe as an important branch of commerce.
The crew of a whale ship usually consists of forty to fifty men,
comprising several classes of officers, such as harpooners,
boat-steerers, line-managers, &c. together with fore-mastmen, landmen
and apprentices. As a stimulus to the crew in the fishery, every
individual, from the master down to the boys, besides his monthly pay,
receives either a gratuity for every size fish caught during the
voyage, or a certain sum for every ton of oil which the cargo
produces. Masters and harpooners receive a small sum before sailing,
in place of monthly wages; and if they procure no cargo whatever,
they receive nothing more for their voyage; but in the event of a
successful fishing, their advantages are considerable.
The crow's nest is an apparatus placed on the main-top-mast, or
top-gallant-mast head, as a watch tower for the officer on the
lookout. It is closely defended from the wind and cold, and is
furnished with a speaking trumpet, a telescope and rifle. The most
favorable opportunity for prosecuting the fishery in the Greenland
seas, commonly occurs with north, north-west or west winds. At such
times the sea is smooth, and the atmosphere, though cloudy and dark,
is generally free from fog and snow. The fishers prefer a cloudy to a
clear sky; because in very bright weather, the sea becomes
illuminated, and the shadows of the whale-boats are so deeply
impressed in the water by the beams of the sun that the whales are apt
to take the alarm. Fogs are only so far unfavorable as being liable to
endanger the boats by shutting out the sight of the ship.--A well
constructed whale-boat floats lightly and safely on the water,--is
capable of being rowed with great speed, and readily turned round,--it
is of such capacity that it carries six or seven men, seven or eight
hundred weight of whale-lines, and various other materials, and yet
retains the necessary properties of safety and speed. Whale-boats
being very liable to receive damage, both from whales and ice, are
always carver-built,--a structure which is easily repaired. The
instruments of general use in the capture of the whale, are the
harpoon and lance. There is, moreover, a kind of harpoon which is shot
from a gun, but being difficult to adjust, it is seldom used. Each
boat is likewise furnished with a "jack" or flag fastened to a pole,
intended to be displayed as a signal whenever a whale is harpooned.
The crew of a whale-ship are separated in divisions, equal in number
to the number of the boats. Each division, consisting of a harpooner,
a boat-steerer, and a line-manager, together with three or four
rowers, constitutes a "boats crew."
On fishing stations, when the weather is such as to render the fishery
practicable, the boats are always ready for instant service. The
crow's nest is generally occupied by one of the officers, who keeps an
anxious watch for the appearance of a whale. The moment that a fish is
seen, he gives notice to the "watch upon deck," part of whom leap into
a boat, are lowered down, and push off towards the place. If the fish
be large, a second boat is despatched to the support of the other; and
when the whole of the boats are sent out, the ship is said to have "a
loose fall." There are several rules observed in approaching a whale
to prevent the animal from taking the alarm. As the whale is dull of
hearing, but quick of sight, the boat-steerer always endeavors to get
behind it; and, in accomplishing this, he is sometimes justified in
taking a circuitous rout. In calm weather, where guns are not used,
the greatest caution is necessary before a whale can be reached;
smooth careful rowing is always requisite, and sometimes sculling is
practiced. It is a primary consideration with the harpooner, always to
place his boat as near as possible to the spot in which he expects the
fish to rise, and he conceives himself successful in the attempt when
the fish "comes up within a start," that is, within the distance of
about two hundred yards.
Whenever a whale lies on the surface of the water, unconscious of the
approach of its enemies, the hardy fisher rows directly upon it; and
an instant before the boat touches it, buries his harpoon in his back.
The wounded whale, in the surprise and agony of the moment, makes a
convulsive effort to escape. Then is the moment of danger. The boat is
subjected to the most violent blows from its head, or its fins, but
particularly from its ponderous tail, which sometimes sweeps the air
with such tremendous fury, that boat and men are exposed to one common
destruction.
The head of the whale is avoided, because it cannot be penetrated with
the harpoon; but any part of the body, between the head and the tail,
will admit of the full length of the instrument, without danger of
obstruction. The moment that the wounded whale disappears, a flag is
displayed; on sight of which, those on watch in the ship, give the
alarm, by stamping on the deck, accompanied by shouts of "a fall."--At
the sound of this, the sleeping crew are roused, jump from their beds,
rush upon deck, and crowd into the boats. The alarm of "a fall," has a
singular effect on the feelings of a sleeping person, unaccustomed to
hearing it. It has often been mistaken as a cry of distress. A
landsman, seeing the crew, on an occasion of a fall, leap into the
boats in their shirts, imagined that the ship was sinking. He
therefore tried to get into a boat himself, but every one of them
being fully manned, he was refused. After several fruitless endeavors
to gain a place among his comrades, he cried out, in evident distress,
"What shall I do?--Will none of you take me in?"
The first effort of a "fast-fish," or whale that has been struck, is
to escape from the boat by sinking under water. After this, it
pursues its course downward, or reappears at a little distance, and
swims with great celerity, near the surface of the water. It sometimes
returns instantly to the surface, and gives evidence of its agony by
the most convulsive throes. The downward course of a whale is,
however, the most common. A whale, struck near the edge of any large
sheet of ice, and passing underneath it, will sometimes run the whole
of the lines out of one boat. The approaching distress of a boat, for
want of line, is indicated by the elevation of an oar, to which is
added a second, a third, or even a fourth, in proportion to the nature
of the exigence. The utmost care and attention are requisite, on the
part of every person in the boat, when the lines are running out;
fatal consequences having been sometimes produced by the most trifling
neglect.--When the line happens to "run foul," and cannot be cleared
on the instant, it sometimes draws the boat under water; on which, if
no auxiliary boat, or convenient piece of ice, be at hand, the crew
are plunged into the sea, and are obliged to trust to their oars or
their skill in swimming, for supporting themselves on the surface.
Captain Scoresby relates an accident of this kind, which happened on
his first voyage to the whale fishery. A thousand fathoms of line were
already out, and the fast-boat was forcibly pressed against the side
of a piece of ice. The harpooner, in his anxiety to retard the flight
of the whale, applied too many turns of the line round the bollard,
which, getting entangled, drew the boat beneath the ice. Another boat,
providentially was at hand, into which the crew had just time to
escape. The whale, with near two miles length of line, was, in
consequence of the accident, lost, but the boat was recovered.
The average stay under water of a wounded whale is about thirty
minutes. When it reappears, the assisting boats make for the place
with their utmost speed, and as they reach it, each harpooner plunges
his harpoon into its back, to the amount of three, four, or more,
according to the size of the whale. It is then actively plied with
lances, which are thrust into its body, aiming at its vitals. The sea
to a great extent around is dyed with its blood, and the noise made by
its tail in its dying struggle, may be heard several miles. In dying,
it turns on its back or on its side; which circumstance is announced
by the capturers with the striking of their flags, accompanied with
three lively huzzas!
Whales are sometimes captured, with a single harpoon, in the space of
fifteen minutes. Sometimes they resist forty or fifty hours, and at
times they will break three or four lines at once, or tear themselves
clear off the harpoons, by the violence of their struggles. Generally
the capture of a whale depends on the activity of the harpooner, the
state of the wind and weather, or the peculiar conduct of the animal
itself. Under the most favourable circumstances, the length of time
does not exceed an hour. The general average may be stated at two
hours. Instances have occurred where whales have been taken without
being struck at all, simply by entangling themselves in the lines that
had been used to destroy others, and struggling till they were drowned
or died of exhaustion.
The fishery for whales, when conducted at the margin of those
wonderful sheets of ice, called fields, is, when the weather is fine,
and the refuge for ships secure, the most agreeable, and sometimes the
most productive of all other ways. When the fish can be observed
"blowing" in any of the holes of a field, the men travel over the ice
and attack it with lances to turn it back. As connected with this
subject, Captain Scoresby relates the following circumstance, which
occurred under his own observation.
On the eighth of July, 1813, the ship Esk lay by the edge of a large
sheet of ice, in which there were several thin parts, and some holes.
Here a whale being heard blowing, a harpoon, with a line fastened to
it, was conveyed across the ice, from a boat on guard, and the
harpooner succeeded in striking the whale, at the distance of three
hundred and fifty yards from the verge. It dragged out ten lines,
(2400 yards,) and was supposed to be seen blowing in different holes
in the ice. After some time it made its appearance on the exterior,
and was again struck, at the moment it was about to go under the
second time. About an hundred yards from the edge, it broke the ice
where it was a foot thick, with its head, and respired through the
opening. It then pushed forward, breaking the ice as it advanced, in
spite of the lances constantly directed against it. At last it reached
a kind of basin in the field, where it floated on the surface without
any incumbrance from ice. Its back being fairly exposed, the harpoon
struck from the boat on the outside, was observed to be so slightly
entangled, that it was ready to drop out. Some of the officers
lamented this circumstance, and wished that the harpoon might be
better fast; at the same time observing that if it should slip out,
either the fish would be lost, or they should be under the necessity
of flensing it where it lay, and of dragging the blubber over the ice
to the ship; a kind and degree of labor every one was anxious to
avoid. No sooner was the wish expressed, and its importance explained,
than a young and daring sailor stepped forward, and offered to strike
the harpoon deeper. Not at all intimidated by the surprise manifested
on every countenance at such a bold proposal, he leaped on the back of
the living whale, and cut the harpoon out with his pocket knife.
Stimulated by his gallant example, one of his companions proceeded to
his assistance. While one of them hauled upon the line and held it in
his hands, the other set his shoulder against the end of the harpoon,
and though it was without a stock, contrived to strike it again into
the fish more effectually than at first! The whale was in motion
before they had finished. After they got off its back, it advanced a
considerable distance, breaking the ice all the way, and survived this
novel treatment ten or fifteen minutes. This daring deed was of
essential service. The whale fortunately sunk spontaneously after it
expired; on which it was hauled out under the ice by the line and
secured without farther trouble. It proved a mighty whale; a very
considerable prize.
When engaged in the pursuit of a large whale, it is a necessary
precaution for two boats at all times to proceed in company, that the
one may be able to assist the other, on any emergency. With this
principle in view, two boats from the Esk were sent out in chase of
some large whales, on the 13th of June 1814. No ice was within sight.
The boats had proceeded some time together, when they separated in
pursuit of two whales, not far distant from each other; when, by a
singular coincidence, the harpooners each struck his fish at the same
moment. They were a mile from the ship. Urgent signals for assistance
were displayed by each boat, and in a few minutes one of the
harpooners was obliged to slip the end of his line. Fortunately the
other fish did not descend so deep, and the lines in the boat proved
adequate for the occasion. One of the fish being then supposed to be
lost, five of the boats out of seven attended on the fish which yet
remained entangled, and speedily killed it. A short time afterwards,
the other fish supposed to be lost, was descried at a little distance
from the place where it was struck;--three boats proceeded against
it;--it was immediately struck, and in twenty minutes also killed.
Thus were fortunately captured two whales, both of which had been
despaired of. They produced near forty tons of oil, value, at that
time L1400. The lines attached to the last fish were recovered with
it.
Before a whale can be flensed, as the operation of taking off the fat
and whalebone is called, some preliminary measures are requisite.
These consist in securing the whale to the boat, cutting away the
attached whale-lines, lashing the fins together, and towing it to the
ship. Some curious circumstances connected with these operations may
be mentioned here.
[Illustration]
In the year 1816, a fish was to all appearance killed by the crew of
the Esk. The fins were partly lashed, and the tail on the point of
being secured, and all the lines excepting one, were cut away, the
fish meanwhile lying as if dead. To the alarm, however, of the
sailors, it revived, began to move, and pressed forward in a
convulsive agitation; soon after it sunk in the water to some depth,
and then died. One line fortunately remained attached to it, by which
it was drawn to the surface and secured.
A suspension of labor is generally allowed after the whale has been
secured aside of the ship, and before the commencement of the
operation of flensing. An unlucky circumstance once occurred in an
interval of this kind. At that period of the fishery, (forty or fifty
years ago,) when a single stout whale together with the bounty, was
found sufficient to remunerate the owners of a ship for the expenses
of the voyage, great joy was exhibited on the capture of a whale, by
the fishers. They were not only cheered by a dram of spirits, but
sometimes provided with some favorite "mess," on which to regale
themselves, before they commenced the arduous task of flensing. At
such a period, the crew of an English vessel had captured their first
whale. It was taken to the ship, placed on the lee-side, and though
the wind blew a strong breeze, it was fastened only by a small rope
attached to the fin. In this state of supposed security, all hands
retired to regale themselves, the captain himself not excepted. The
ship being at a distance from any ice, and the fish believed to be
fast, they made no great haste in their enjoyment. At length, the
specksioneer, or chief harpooner, having spent sufficient time in
indulgence and equipment, with an air of importance and
self-confidence, proceeded on deck, and naturally turned to look on
the whale. To his astonishment it was not to be seen. In some alarm he
looked a-stern, a-head, on the other side, but his search was useless;
the ship drifting fast, had pressed forcibly upon the whale, the rope
broke, the fish sunk and was lost. The mortification of this event may
be conceived, but the termination of their vexation will not easily be
imagined, when it is known, that no other opportunity of procuring a
whale occurred during the voyage. The ship returned home clean.
Flensing in a swell is a most difficult and dangerous undertaking; and
when the swell is at all considerable, it is commonly impracticable.
No ropes or blocks are capable of bearing the jerk of the sea. The
harpooners are annoyed by the surge, and repeatedly drenched in water;
and are likewise subject to be wounded by the breaking of ropes or
hooks of tackles, and even by strokes from each other's knives. Hence
accidents in this kind of flensing are not uncommon. The harpooners
not unfrequently fall into the whale's mouth, when it is exposed by
the removal of a surface of blubber; where they might easily be
drowned, but for the prompt assistance which is always at hand.
One of the laws of the fishery universally adhered to, is, that
whenever a whale is loose, whatever may be the case or circumstances,
it becomes a free prize to the first person who gets hold of it. Thus,
when a whale is killed, and the flensing is prevented by a storm, it
is usually taken in tow; if the rope by which it is connected with the
ship should happen to break, and the people of another ship should
seize upon it while disengaged, it becomes their prize. The following
circumstance, which occurred a good many years ago, has a tendency to
illustrate the existing Greenland laws.
During a storm of wind and snow several ships were beating to
windward, under easy sail, along the edge of a pack. When the storm
abated and the weather cleared, the ships steered towards the ice. Two
of the fleet approached it, about a mile assunder, abreast of each
other, when the crews of each ship accidentally got sight of a dead
fish at a little distance, within some loose ice. Each ship now made
sail, to endeavor to reach the fish before the other; which fish being
loose, would be a prize to the first who could get possession of it.
Neither ship could out sail the other, but each contrived to press
forward towards the prize. The little advantage one of them had in
distance, the other compensated with velocity. On each bow of the two
ships, was stationed a principal officer, armed with a harpoon in
readiness to discharge. But it so happened that the ships came in
contact with each other, when within a few yards of the fish, and in
consequence of the shock with which their bows met, they rebounded to
a considerable distance. The officers at the same moment discharged
their harpoons, but all of them fell short of the fish. A hardy fellow
who was second mate of the leeward ship immediately leaped overboard
and with great dexterity swam to the whale, seized it by the fin, and
proclaimed it his prize. It was, however, so swollen, that he was
unable to climb upon it, but was obliged to remain shivering in the
water until assistance should be sent. His captain elated with his
good luck, forgot, or at least neglected his brave second mate; and
before he thought of sending a boat to release him from his
disagreeable situation, prepared to moor his ship to an adjoining
piece of ice. Meanwhile the other ship tacked, and the master himself
stepped into a boat, pushed off and rowed deliberately towards the
dead fish. Observing the trembling seaman still in the water holding
by the fin, he addressed him with, "Well my lad, you have got a fine
fish here,"--to which after a natural reply in the affirmative, he
added, "but don't you find it very cold?"--"Yes," replied the
shivering sailor, "I'm almost starved. I wish you would allow me to
come into your boat until ours arrives." This favor needed no second
solicitation; the boat approached the man and he was assisted into it.
The fish being again loose and out of possession, the captain
instantly struck his harpoon into it, hoisted his flag, and claimed
his prize! Mortified and displeased as the other master felt at this
trick, for so it certainly was, he had nevertheless no redress, but
was obliged to permit the fish to be taken on board of his
competitor's ship, and to content himself with abusing the second mate
for want of discretion, and condemning himself for not having more
compassion on the poor fellow's feeling, which would have prevented
the disagreeable misadventure.
Those employed in the occupation of killing whales, are, when actually
engaged, exposed to danger from three sources, viz. from the ice, from
the climate, and from the whales themselves. The ice is a source of
danger to the fishers, from overhanging masses falling upon
them,--from the approximation of large sheets of ice to each other,
which are apt to crush or upset the boats,--from their boats being
stove or sunk by large masses of ice, agitated by a swell,--and from
the boats being enclosed and beset in a pack of ice, and their crews
thus prevented from joining their ships.
On the commencement of a heavy gale of wind, May 11th, 1813, fourteen
men put off in a boat from the Volunteer of Whitby, with the view of
setting an anchor in a large piece of ice, to which it was their
intention of mooring the ship.--The ship approached on a signal being
made, the sails were clewed up, and a rope fixed to the anchor; but
the ice shivering with the violence of the strain when the ship fell
astern, the anchor flew out and the ship went adrift. The sails being
again set, the ship was reached to the eastward (wind at north,) the
distance of about two miles; but in attempting to wear and return, the
ship, instead of performing the evolution, scudded a considerable
distance to the leeward, and was then reaching out to sea; thus
leaving fourteen of her crew to a fate most dreadful, the fulfilment
of which seemed almost inevitable. The temperature of the air was 15
or 16 of Fahr. when these poor wretches were left upon a detached
piece of ice, of no considerable magnitude, without food, without
shelter from the inclement storm, deprived of every means of refuge
except in a single boat, which, on account of the number of men, and
the violence of the storm, was incapable of conveying them to their
ship. Death stared them in the face whichever way they turned, and a
division in opinion ensued. Some were wishful to remain on the ice,
but the ice could afford them no shelter to the piercing wind, and
would probably be broken to pieces by the increasing swell: others
were anxious to attempt to join their ship while she was yet in
sight, but the force of the wind, the violence of the sea, the
smallness of the boat in comparison to the number of men to be
conveyed, were objections which would have appeared insurmountable to
any person but men in a state of despair.--Judging, that by remaining
on the ice, death was but retarded for a few hours, as the extreme
cold must eventually benumb their faculties, and invite a sleep which
would overcome the remains of animation,--they determined on making
the attempt of rowing to their ship. Poor souls, what must have been
their sensations at that moment,--when the spark of hope yet remaining
was so feeble, that a premature death even to themselves seemed
inevitable. They made the daring experiment, when a few minutes' trial
convinced them, that the attempt was utterly impracticable. They then
with longing eyes, turned their efforts towards recovering the ice
they had left, but their utmost exertions were unavailing. Every one
now viewed his situation as desperate; and anticipated, as certain,
the fatal event which was to put a period to his life. How great must
have been their delight, and how overpowering their sensations, when
at this most critical juncture a ship appeared in sight! She was
advancing directly towards them; their voices were extended and their
flag displayed.--But although it was impossible they should be heard,
it was not impossible they should be seen. Their flag was descried by
the people on board the ship, their mutual courses were so directed as
to form the speediest union, and in a few minutes they found
themselves on the deck of the Lively of Whitby, under circumstances of
safety! They received from their townsmen the warmest congratulations;
and while each individual was forward in contributing his assistance
towards the restoration of their benumbed bodies, each appeared
sensible that their narrow escape from death was highly providential.
The forbearance of God is wonderful. Perhaps these very men a few
hours before, were impiously invoking their own destruction, or
venting imprecations upon their fellow beings! True it is that the
goodness of the Almighty extendeth over all his works, and that while
'Mercy is his darling attribute,'--'Judgment is his strange work.'
The most extensive source of danger to the whale-fisher, when actively
engaged in his occupation, arises from the object of his pursuit.
Excepting when it has young under its protection, the whale generally
exhibits remarkable timidity of character. A bird perching on its back
alarms it; hence, the greater part of the accidents which happen in
the course of its capture, must be attributed to adventitious
circumstances on the part of the whale, or to mismanagement or
foolhardiness on the part of the fishers.
[Illustration]
A harpooner belonging to the Henrietta of Whitby, when engaged in
lancing a whale, into which he had previously struck a harpoon,
incautiously cast a little line under his feet that he had just hauled
into the boat, after it had been drawn out by the fish. A painful
stroke of his lance induced the whale to dart suddenly downward; his
line began to run out from beneath his feet, and in an instant caught
him by a turn round his body. He had but just time to cry out, "clear
away the line,"--"O dear!" when he was almost cut assunder, dragged
overboard and never seen afterwards. The line was cut at the moment,
but without avail. The fish descended a considerable depth, and died;
from whence it was drawn to the surface by the lines connected with
it, and secured.
While the ship Resolution navigated an open lake of water, in the 81st
degree of north latitude, during a keen frost and strong north wind,
on the 2d of June 1806, a whale appeared, and a boat put off in
pursuit. On its second visit to the surface of the sea, it was
harpooned. A convulsive heave of the tail, which succeeded the wound,
struck the boat at the stern; and by its reaction, projected the
boat-steerer overboard. As the line in a moment dragged the boat
beyond his reach, the crew threw some of their oars towards him for
his support, one of which he fortunately seized. The ship and boats
being at a considerable distance, and the fast-boat being rapidly
drawn away from him, the harpooner cut the line with the view of
rescuing him from his dangerous situation. But no sooner was this act
performed, than to their extreme mortification they discovered, that
in consequence of some oars being thrown towards their floating
comrade, and others being broken or unshipped by the blow from the
fish, one oar only remained; with which, owing to the force of the
wind, they tried in vain to approach him. A considerable period
elapsed, before any boat from the ship could afford him assistance,
though the men strained every nerve for the purpose. At length, when
they reached him, he was found with his arms stretched over an oar,
almost deprived of sensation.--On his arrival at the ship, he was in a
deplorable condition. His clothes were frozen like mail, and his hair
constituted a helmet of ice. He was immediately conveyed into the
cabin, his clothes taken off, his limbs and body dried and well
rubbed, and a cordial administered which he drank. A dry shirt and
stockings were then put upon him, and he was laid in the captain's
bed. After a few hours sleep he awoke, and appeared considerably
restored, but complained of a painful sensation of cold. He was,
therefore, removed to his own birth, and one of his messmates ordered
to lie on each side of him, whereby the diminished circulation of the
blood was accelerated, and the animal heat restored. The shock on his
constitution, however, was greater than was anticipated.--He recovered
in the course of a few days, so as to be able to engage in his
ordinary pursuits; but many months elapsed before his countenance
exhibited its usual appearance of health.
The Aimwell of Whitby, while cruising the Greenland seas, in the year
1810, had boats in chase of whales on the 26th of May. One of them was
harpooned. But instead of sinking immediately on receiving the wound,
as is the most usual manner of the whale, this individual only dived
for a moment, and rose again beneath the boat, struck it in the most
vicious manner with its fins and tail, stove it, upset it, and then
disappeared. The crew, seven in number, got on the bottom of the boat;
but the unequal action of the lines, which for sometime remained
entangled with the boat, rolled it occasionally over, and thus plunged
the crew repeatedly into the water.--Four of them, after each
immersion, recovered themselves and clung to the boat; but the other
three, one of whom was the only person acquainted with the art of
swimming, were drowned before assistance could arrive. The four men on
the boat being rescued and conveyed to the ship, the attack on the
whale was continued and two more harpoons struck.--But the whale
irritated, instead of being enervated by its wounds, recommenced its
furious conduct. The sea was in a foam. Its tail and fins wore in
awful play; and in a short time, harpoon after harpoon drew out, the
fish was loosened from its entanglements and escaped.
In the fishery of 1812, the Henrietta of Whitby suffered a similar
loss. A fish which was struck very near the ship, by a blow of its
tail, stove a small hole in the boat's bow. Every individual shrinking
from the side on which the blow was impressed, aided the influence of
the stroke, and upset the boat. They all clung to it while it was
bottom up; but the line having got entangled among the thwarts,
suddenly drew the boat under water, and with it part of the crew.
Excessive anxiety among the people in the ship, occasioned delay in
sending assistance, so that when the first boat arrived at the spot,
two survivors only out of six men were found.
During a fresh gale of wind in the season of 1809, one of the
Resolution's harpooners struck a sucking whale. Its mother being near,
all the other boats were disposed around, with the hope of entangling
it. The old whale pursued a circular route round its cub, and was
followed by the boats; but its velocity was so considerable, that they
were unable to keep pace with it. Being in the capacity of harpooner
on this occasion myself, I proceeded to the chase, after having
carefully marked the proceedings of the fish. I selected a situation,
in which I conceived the whale would make its appearance, and was in
the act of directing my crew to cease rowing, when a terrible blow was
struck on the boat. The whale I never saw, but the effect of the blow
was too important to be overlooked. About fifteen square feet of the
bottom of the boat were driven in; it filled, sunk, and upset in a
moment. Assistance was providentially at hand, so that we were all
taken up without injury, after being but a few minutes in the water.
The whale escaped; the boat's lines fell out and were lost, but the
boat was recovered.
A remarkable instance of the power which the whale possesses in its
tail, was exhibited within my own observation, in the year 1807. On
the 29th of May, a whale was harpooned by an officer belonging to the
Resolution. It descended a considerable depth; and, on its
re-appearance, evinced an uncommon degree of irritation. It made such
a display of its fins and tail, that few of the crew were hardy enough
to approach it. The captain, (Captain Scoresby's father,) observing
their timidity, called a boat, and himself struck a second harpoon.
Another boat immediately followed, and unfortunately advanced too far.
The tail was again reared into the air, in a terrific attitude,--the
impending blow was evident,--the harpooner, who was directly
underneath, leaped overboard,--and the next moment the threatened
stroke was impressed on the centre of the boat, which it buried in the
water. Happily no one was injured. The harpooner who leaped overboard,
escaped certain death by the act,--the tail having struck the very
spot on which he stood. The effects of the blow were astonishing. The
keel was broken,--the gunwales, and every plank, excepting two, were
cut through,--and it was evident that the boat would have been
completely divided, had not the tail struck directly upon a coil of
lines. The boat was rendered useless.
Instances of disasters of this kind, occasioned by blows from the
whale, could be adduced in great numbers,--cases of boats being
destroyed by a single stroke of the tail, are not unknown,--instances
of boats having been stove or upset, and their crews wholly or in part
drowned, are not unfrequent,--and several cases of whales having made
a regular attack upon every boat which came near them, dashed some in
pieces, and killed or drowned some of the people in them, have
occurred within a few years even under my own observation.
The Dutch ship Gort-Moolen, commanded by Cornelius Gerard Ouwekaas,
with a cargo of seven fish, was anchored in Greenland in the year
1660. The captain, perceiving a whale a-head of his ship, beckoned his
attendants, and threw himself into a boat. He was the first to
approach the whale; and was fortunate enough to harpoon it before the
arrival of the second boat, which was on the advance. Jacques Vienkes,
who had the direction of it, joined his captain immediately
afterwards, and prepared to make a second attack on the fish, when it
should remount again to the surface. At the moment of its ascension,
the boat of Vienkes happening unfortunately to be perpendicularly
above it, was so suddenly and forcibly lifted up by a stroke of the
head of the whale, that it was dashed to pieces before the harpooner
could discharge his weapon.
Vienkes flew along with the pieces of the boat, and fell upon the back
of the animal. This intrepid seaman, who still retained his weapon in
his grasp, harpooned the whale on which he stood; and by means of the
harpoon and the line, which he never abandoned, he steadied himself
firmly upon the fish, notwithstanding his hazardous situation, and
regardless of a considerable wound that he received in his leg in his
fall along with the fragments of the boat. All the efforts of the
other boats to approach the whale, and deliver the harpooner, were
futile. The captain, not seeing any other method of saving his
unfortunate companion, who was in some way entangled with the line,
called to him to cut it with his knife, and betake himself to
swimming. Vienkes, embarrassed and disconcerted as he was, tried in
vain to follow this counsel. His knife was in the pocket of his
drawers; and, being unable to support himself with one hand, he could
not get it out. The whale, meanwhile, continued advancing along the
surface of the water with great rapidity, but fortunately never
attempted to dive. While his comrades despaired of his life, the
harpoon by which he held, at length disengaged itself from the body of
the whale. Vienkes being thus liberated, did not fail to take
advantage of this circumstance; he cast himself into the sea, and by
swimming, endeavored to regain the boats which continued the pursuit
of the whale. When his shipmates perceived him struggling with the
waves, they redoubled their exertions. They reached him just as his
strength was exhausted, and had the happiness of rescuing this
adventurous harpooner from his perilous situation.
Captain Lyons of the Raith of Leith, while prosecuting the
whale-fishery on the Labrador coast, in the season of 1802, discovered
a large whale at a short distance from the ship. Four boats were
dispatched in pursuit, and two of them succeeded in approaching it so
closely together, that two harpoons were struck at the same moment.
The fish descended a few fathoms in the direction of another of the
boats, which was on the advance, rose accidentally beneath it, struck
it with its head, and threw the boat, men, and apparatus about fifteen
feet into the air. It was inverted by the stroke, and fell into the
water with its keel upwards. All the people were picked up alive by
the fourth boat, which was just at hand, excepting one man, who having
got entangled in the boat, fell beneath it, and was unfortunately
drowned. The fish was soon afterwards killed. The engraving on page
30, is illustrative of this remarkable accident.
In 1822, two boats belonging to the ship Baffin went in pursuit of a
whale. John Carr was harpooner and commander of one of them. The whale
they pursued led them into a vast shoal of his own species; they were
so numerous that their blowing was incessant, and they believed that
they did not see fewer than an hundred. Fearful of alarming them
without striking any, they remained for a while motionless. At last
one rose near Carr's boat, and he approached, and fatally for himself,
harpooned it. When he struck, the fish was approaching the boat; and,
passing very rapidly, jerked the line out of its place over the stern,
and threw it upon the gunwale. Its pressure in this unfavorable
position so careened the boat, that the side was pulled under water,
and it began to fill. In this emergency, Carr, who was a brave, active
man, seized the line, and endeavored to relieve the boat by restoring
it to its place; but, by some circumstance which was never accounted
for, a turn of the line flew over his arm, dragged him overboard in an
instant, and drew him under the water, never more to rise. So sudden
was the accident, that only one man, who was watching him, saw what
had happened; so that when the boat righted, which it immediately did,
though half full of water, the whole crew on looking round inquired
what had become of Carr. It is impossible to imagine a death more
awfully sudden and unexpected. The invisible bullet could not have
effected more instantaneous destruction. The velocity of the whale at
its first descent is from thirteen to fifteen feet per second. Now as
this unfortunate man was adjusting the line at the water's very edge,
where it must have been perfectly tight, owing to its obstruction in
running out of the boat, the interval between the fastening the line
about him and his disappearance could not have exceeded the third part
of a second of time, for in one second only he must have been dragged
ten or twelve feet deep. Indeed he had not time for the least
exclamation; and the person who saw his removal, observed that it was
so exceeding quick that though his eye was upon him at the moment, he
could scarcely distinguish his figure as he disappeared.
[Illustration: INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE WHALE FISHERY.
1. A common Harpoon.
2. A Pricker.
3. A sharp Spade, used in cutting up a Whale.
4. A Harpoon which is fired from a gun.
5. A Lance, to kill the Whale after he has been harpooned.]
As soon as the crew recovered from their consternation, they applied
themselves to the needful attention which the lines required. A second
harpoon was struck from the accompanying boat on the raising of the
whale to the surface, and some lances were applied, but this
melancholy occurrence had cast such a damp on all present, that they
became timid and inactive in their subsequent duties. The whale when
nearly exhausted was allowed to remain some minutes unmolested, till
having recovered some degree of energy, it made a violent effort and
tore itself away from both harpoons. The exertions of the crews thus
proved fruitless, and were attended with serious loss.
Innumerable instances might be adduced of the perils and disasters to
which our whalemen are subject; of their never tiring fortitude and
daring enterprise; but we believe the examples we have given alone
will sufficiently convey a full and correct idea of the customs and
dangers of the whale-fishery.
[Illustration]
THE NARWAL, OR SEA-UNICORN,
Is a species of the Whale, and seldom exceeds twenty-two feet long.
Its body is slenderer than that of the whale, and its fat not in so
great abundance. But this great animal is sufficiently distinguished
from all others of the deep, by its tooth or teeth, which stand
pointing directly forward from the upper jaw, and are from nine to ten
feet long. In all the variety of weapons with which nature has armed
her various tribes, there is not one so large or so formidable as
this.--This terrible weapon is generally found single; and some are of
opinion that the animal is furnished with but one by nature; but there
is at present the skull of a Narwal at the Stadthouse at Amsterdam,
with two teeth. The tooth, or, as some are pleased to call it, the
horn of the Narwal, is as straight as an arrow, about the thickness of
the small of a man's leg, wreathed as we sometimes see twisted bars of
iron; it tapers to a sharp point; and is whiter, heavier, and harder
than ivory. It is generally seen to spring from the left side of the
head directly forward in a straight line with the body; and its root
enters into the socket above a foot and a half. Notwithstanding its
appointments for combat, this long and pointed tusk, amazing strength,
and matchless celerity, the Narwal is one of the most harmless and
peaceful inhabitants of the ocean. It is seen constantly and
inoffensively sporting among the other great monsters of the deep, no
way attempting to injure them, but pleased in their company. The
Greenlanders call the Narwal the forerunner of the whale; for wherever
it is seen, the whale is shortly after sure to follow. This may arise
as well from the natural passion for society in these animals, as from
both living upon the same food. These powerful fishes make war upon no
other living creature; and, though furnished with instruments to
spread general destruction, are as innocent and as peaceful as a drove
of oxen. The Narwal is much swifter than the whale, and would never be
taken by the fishermen but for those very tusks, which at first appear
to be its principal defence. These animals are always seen in herds of
several at a time; and whenever they are attacked they crowd together
in such a manner, that they are mutually embarrassed by their tusks.
By these they are often locked together, and are prevented from
sinking to the bottom. It seldom happens, therefore, but the fishermen
make sure of one or two of the hindmost, which very well reward their
trouble.
LOSS OF THE BRIG TYRREL.
In addition to the many dreadful shipwrecks already narrated, the
following, which is a circumstantial account given by T. Purnell,
chief mate of the brig Tyrrel, Arthur Cochlan, commander, and the only
person among the whole crew who had the good fortune to escape, claims
our particular attention.
On Saturday, June 29th, 1759, they sailed from New York to Sandy Hook,
and there came to an anchor, waiting for the captain's coming down
with a new boat, and some other articles. Accordingly he came on board
early the succeeding morning, and the boat cleared, hoisted in, stowed
and lashed. At eight o'clock, A. M. they weighed anchor, sailed out of
Sandy Hook, and the same day at noon, took their departure from the
High Land Never Sunk, and proceeded on their passage to Antigua. As
soon as they made sail, the captain ordered the boat to be cast loose,
in order that she might be painted, with the oars, rudder and tiller,
which job, he (Captain Cochlan) undertook to do himself.
At four P. M. they found the vessel made a little more water, than
usual; but as it did not cause much additional labour at the pump,
nothing was thought of it. At eight, the leak did not seem to
increase. At twelve it began to blow very hard in squalls, which
caused the vessel to lie down very much, whereby it was apprehended
she wanted more ballast. Thereupon the captain came on deck, being the
starboard watch, and close reefed both top-sails.
At four A. M. the weather moderated--let out both reefs:--at eight it
became still more moderate, and they made more sail, and set
top-gallant-sails; the weather was still thick and hazy. There was no
further observation taken at present, except that the vessel made more
water. The captain was now chiefly employed in painting the boat,
oars, rudder and tiller.
On Monday, June 30, at four P. M. the wind was at E. N. E. freshened
very much, and blew so very hard, as occasioned the brig to lie along
in such a manner as caused general alarm. The captain was now
earnestly intreated to put for New York, or steer for the Capes of
Virginia. At eight, took in top-gallant-sail, and close reefed both
top-sails, still making more water. Afterwards the weather became
still more moderate and fair, and they made more sail.
July 1, at four A. M. it began to blow in squalls very hard, took in
one reef in each top-sail, and continued so until eight A. M. the
weather being still thick and hazy.--No observation.
The next day she made still more water, but as every watch pumped it
out, this was little regarded. At four P. M. took second reef in each
top-sail,--close reefed both, and sent down top-gallant-yard; the gale
still increasing.
At four A. M. the wind got round to N. and there was no appearance of
its abating. At eight, the captain well satisfied that she was very
crank and ought to have had more ballast, agreed to make for Bacon
Island Road, in North Carolina; and in the very act of wearing her, a
sudden gust of wind laid her down on her beam-end, and she never rose
again!--At this time Mr. Purnell was lying in the cabin, with his
clothes on, not having pulled them off since they left land.--Having
been rolled out of his bed (on his chest,) with great difficulty he
reached the round-house door; the first salutation he met with was
from the step-ladder that went from the quarter-deck to the poop,
which knocked him against the companion, (a lucky circumstance for
those below, as, by laying the ladder against the companion, it served
both him and the rest of the people who were in the steerage, as a
conveyance to windward); having transported the two after guns forward
to bring her more by the head, in order to make her hold a better
wind; thus they got through the aftermost gun-port on the
quarter-deck, and being all on her broadside, every moveable rolled to
leeward, and as the vessel overset, so did the boat, and turned bottom
upwards, her lashings being cast loose, by order of the captain, and
having no other prospect of saving their lives but by the boat,
Purnell, with two others, and the cabin-boy (who were excellent
swimmers) plunged into the water, and with difficulty righted her,
when she was brim full, and washing with the water's edge. They then
made fast the end of the main-sheet to the ring in her stern-post, and
those who were in the fore-chains sent down the end of the
boom-tackle, to which they made fast the boat's painter, and by which
they lifted her a little out of the water, so that she swam about two
or three inches free, but almost full.
They then put the cabin-boy into her, and gave him a bucket that
happened to float by, and he bailed away as quick as he could, and
soon after another person got in with another bucket, and in a short
time got all the water out of her.--They then put two long oars that
were stowed in the larboard-quarter of the Tyrrel into the boat, and
pulled or rowed right to windward; for, as the wreck drifted, she made
a dreadful appearance in the water, and Mr. Purnell and two of the
people put off from the wreck, in search of the oars, rudder and
tiller. After a long while they succeeded in picking them all up, one
after another. They then returned to their wretched companions, who
were all overjoyed to see them, having given them up for lost. By this
time night drew on very fast. While they were rowing in the boat, some
small quantity of white biscuit (Mr. Purnell supposed about half a
peck,) floated in a small cask, out of the round house; but before it
came to hand, it was so soaked with salt water, that it was almost in
a fluid state: and about double the quantity of common ship-biscuit
likewise floated, which was in like manner soaked. This was all the
provision that they had; not a drop of fresh water could they get;
neither could the carpenter get at any of his tools to scuttle her
sides, for, could this have been accomplished, they might have saved
plenty of provisions and water.
By this time it was almost dark; having got one compass, it was
determined to quit the wreck, and take their chance in the boat, which
was nineteen feet six inches long, and six feet four inches broad; Mr.
Purnell supposes it was now about nine o'clock; it was very dark.
They had run abut 360 miles by their dead reckoning, on a S. E. by E.
course. The number in the boat was 17 in all; the boat was very deep,
and little hopes were entertained of either seeing land or surviving
long. The wind got round to westward, which was the course they wanted
to steer; but it began to blow and rain so very hard, that they were
obliged to keep before the wind and sea, in order to preserve her
above water. Soon after they had put off from the wreck the boat
shipped two heavy seas, one after another, so that they were obliged
to keep her before the wind and sea; for had she shipped another sea,
she certainly would have swamped with them.
By sunrise the next morning, July 3, they judged that they had been
running E. S. E. which was contrary to their wishes. The wind dying
away, the weather became very moderate. The compass which they had
saved proved of no utility, one of the people having trod upon, and
broken it; it was accordingly thrown overboard. They now proposed to
make a sail of some frocks and trowsers, but they had got neither
needles nor sewing twine, one of the people however, had a needle in his
knife, and another several fishing lines in his pockets, which were
unlaid by some, and others were employed in ripping the frocks and
trowsers. By sunset they had provided a tolerable lug-sail; having split
one of the boat's thwarts, (which was of yellow deal,) with a very large
knife, which one of the crew had in his pocket, they made a yard and
lashed it together by the strands of the fore-top-gallant-halyards, that
were thrown into the boat promiscuously.--They also made a mast of one
of the long oars, and set their sails, with sheets and tacks made out of
the top-gallant-halyards. Their only guide was the North star. They had
a tolerable good breeze all night; and the whole of the next day, July
4, the weather continued very moderate, and the people were in as good
spirits as their dreadful situation would admit.
July 5, the wind and weather continued much the same, and they knew by
the North star that they were standing in for the land. The next day
Mr. Purnell observed some of the men drinking salt water, and seeming
rather fatigued.--At this time they imagined the wind was got round to
the southward, and they steered, as they thought by the North star, to
the northwest quarter; but on the 7th, they found the wind had got
back to the northward, and blew very fresh. They got their oars out
the greatest part of the night, and the next day the wind still dying
away, the people laboured alternately at the oars, without
distinction. About noon the wind sprung up so that they laid in their
oars, and, as they thought, steered about N. N. W. and continued so
until about eight or nine in the morning of July 9, when they all
thought they were upon soundings, by the coldness of the water.--They
were, in general, in very good spirits. The weather continued still
thick and hazy, and by the North star, they found that they had been
steering about N. by W.
July 10.--The people had drank so much salt water, that it came from
them as clear as it was before they drank it; and Mr. Purnell
perceived that the second mate had lost a considerable share of his
strength and spirits; and also, at noon, that the carpenter was
delirious, his malady increasing every hour; about dusk he had almost
overset the boat, by attempting to throw himself overboard, and
otherwise behaving quite violent.
As his strength, however, failed him, he became more manageable, and
they got him to lie down in the middle of the boat, among some of the
people. Mr. Purnell drank once a little salt water, but could not
relish it; he preferred his own urine, which he drank occasionally as
he made it. Soon after sunset the second mate lost his speech. Mr.
Purnell desired him to lean his head on him; he died, without a groan
or struggle, on the 11th of July, being the 9th day they were in the
boat. In a few minutes after, the carpenter expired almost in a
similar manner. These melancholy scenes rendered the situation of the
survivors more dreadful; it is impossible to describe their feelings.
Despair became general; every man imagined his own dissolution was
near. They all now went to prayers; some prayed in the Welch language,
some in Irish, and others in English; then, after a little
deliberation, they stripped the two dead men, and hove them overboard.
The weather being now very mild, and almost calm, they turned to,
cleaned the boat, and resolved to make their sail larger out of the
frocks and trowsers of the two deceased men. Purnell got the captain
to lie down with the rest of the people, the boatswain and one man
excepted, who assisted him in making the sail larger, which they had
completed by six or seven o'clock in the afternoon, having made a
shroud out of the boat's painter, which served as a shifting
back-stay.--Purnell also fixed his red flannel waistcoat at the
mast-head, as a signal the most likely to be seen.
Soon after this some of them observed a sloop at a great distance,
coming, as they thought, from the land. This roused every man's
spirits; they got out their oars, at which they laboured alternately,
exerting all their remaining strength to come up with her; but night
coming on, and the sloop getting a fresh breeze of wind, they lost
sight of her, which occasioned a general consternation; however, the
appearance of the North star, which they kept on their starboard-bow,
gave them hopes that they stood in for land. This night one William
Wathing died; he was 64 years of age, and had been to sea 50 years;
quite worn out with fatigue and hunger, he earnestly prayed, to the
last moment, for a drop of water to cool his tongue. Early the next
morning Hugh Williams also died, and in the course of the day another
of the crew: entirely exhausted,--they both expired without a groan.
Early in the morning of July 13, it began to blow very fresh, and
increased so much, that they were obliged to furl their sail, and keep
the boat before the wind and sea, which drove them off soundings. In
the evening their gunner died. The weather now becoming moderate and
the wind in the S. W. quarter, they made sail, not one being able to
row or pull an oar at any rate; they ran all this night with a fine
breeze.
The next morning (July 14) two more of the crew died, and in the
evening they also lost the same number. They found they were on
soundings again, and concluded the wind had got round to the N. W.
quarter. They stood in for the land all this night, and early on July
12 two others died; the deceased were thrown overboard as soon as
their breath had departed. The weather was now thick and hazy, and
they were still certain that they were on soundings.
The cabin-boy was seldom required to do any thing, and as his
intellects, at this time, were very good, and his understanding clear,
it was the opinion of Mr. Purnell that he would survive them all, but
he prudently kept his thoughts to himself. The captain seemed likewise
tolerably well, and to have kept up his spirits. On account of the
haziness of the weather, they could not so well know how they steered
in the day time as at night; for, whenever the North star appeared,
they endeavored to keep it on their starboard bow, by which means they
were certain of making the land some time or other. In the evening two
more of the crew died, also, before sunset, one Thomas Philpot, an old
experienced seaman, and very strong; he departed rather convulsed;
having latterly lost the power of articulation, his meaning could not
be comprehended. He was a native of Belfast, Ireland, and had no
family. The survivors found it a difficult task to heave his body
overboard, as he was a very corpulent man.
About six or seven the next morning, July 16, they stood in for the
land, according to the best of their judgment, the weather still thick
and hazy. Purnell now prevailed upon the captain and boatswain of the
boat to lie down in the fore-part of the boat, to bring her more by
the head, in order to make her hold a better wind. In the evening the
cabin-boy, who lately appeared so well, breathed his last, leaving
behind, the captain, the boatswain and Mr. Purnell.
The next morning, July 17, Mr. Purnell asked his two companions if
they thought they could eat any of the boy's flesh; and having
expressed an inclination to try, and the body being quite cold, he cut
the inside of his thigh, a little above his knee, and gave a piece to
the captain and boatswain, reserving a small piece for himself; but so
weak were their stomachs that none of them could swallow a morsel of
it, the body was therefore thrown overboard.
Early in the morning of the 18th, Mr. Purnell found both of his
companions dead and cold! Thus destitute, he began to think of his own
dissolution; though feeble, his understanding was still clear, and his
spirits as good as his forlorn situation could possibly admit. By the
colour and coldness of the water, he knew he was not far from land,
and still maintained hopes of making it. The weather continued very
foggy. He lay to all this night, which was very dark, with the boat's
head to the northward.
In the morning of the 19th, it began to rain; it cleared up in the
afternoon, and the wind died away; still Mr. Purnell was convinced he
was on soundings.
On the 20th, in the afternoon, he thought he saw land, and stood in
for it; but night coming on, and it being now very dark, he lay to,
fearing he might get on some rocks and shoals.
July 21, the weather was very fine all the morning, but in the
afternoon it became thick and hazy. Mr. Purnell's spirits still
remained good, but his strength was almost exhausted; he still drank
his own water occasionally.
On the 22d he saw some barnacles on the boat's rudder, very similar to
the spawn of an oyster, which filled him with greater hopes of being
near land. He unshipped the rudder, and scraping them off with his
knife, found they were of a salt fishy substance, and eat them; he was
now so weak, the boat having a great motion, that he found it a
difficult task to ship the rudder.
At sunrise, July 23, he became so sure that he saw land, that his
spirits were considerably raised. In the middle of this day he got up,
leaned his back against the mast, and received succour from the sun,
having previously contrived to steer the boat in this position. The
next day he saw, at a very great distance, some kind of a sail, which
he judged was coming from the land, which he soon lost sight of. In
the middle of the day he got up, and received warmth from the sun as
before. He stood on all night for the land.
Very early in the morning of the 25th, after drinking his morning
draught, to his inexpressible joy he saw, while the sun was rising, a
sail, and when the sun was up, found she was a two-mast vessel. He
was, however, considerably perplexed, not knowing what to do, as she
was a great distance astern and to the leeward. In order to watch her
motions better, he tacked about. Soon after this he perceived she was
standing on her starboard tack, which had been the same he had been
standing on for many hours. He saw she approached him very fast, and
he lay to for some time, till he believed she was within two miles of
the boat, but still to leeward; therefore he thought it best to steer
larger, when he found she was a top-sail schooner, nearing him very
fast.--He continued to edge down towards her, until he had brought her
about two points under his lee-bow, having it in his power to spring
his luff, or bear away. By this time she was within half a mile, and
he saw some of her people standing forwards on her deck and waiving
for him to come under their lee-bow.
At the distance of about 200 yards they hove the schooner up in the
wind, and kept her so until Purnell got alongside, when they threw him
a rope, still keeping the schooner in the wind. They now interrogated
him very closely; by the manner the boat and oars were painted, they
imagined she belonged to a man of war, and that they had run away with
her from some of his Majesty's ships at Halifax, consequently that
they would be liable to some punishment if they took him up; they also
thought, as the captain and boatswain were lying dead in the boat,
they might expose themselves to some contagious disorder. Thus they
kept Purnell in suspense for some time. They told him they had made
the land that morning from the mast-head, and that they were running
along shore for Marblehead, to which place they belonged, and where
they expected to be the next morning. At last they told him he might
come on board; which as he said, he could not without assistance, the
captain ordered two of his men to help him.--They conducted him aft on
the quarter deck, where they left him resting on the companion.
They were now for casting the boat adrift, but Mr. Purnell told them
she was not above a month old, built at New York, and if they would
hoist her in, it would pay them well for their trouble. To this they
agreed, and having thrown the two corpses overboard, and taken out the
clothes that were left by the deceased, they hoisted her in and made
sail.
Being now on board, Purnell asked for a little water, Captain
Castleman (for that was his name) ordered one of his sons, (having two
on board) to fetch him some; when he came with the water, his father
looked to see how much he was bringing him, and thinking it too much,
threw some of it away, and desired him to give the remainder, which
he drank being the first fresh water he had tasted for 23 days. As he
leaned all this time against the companion, he became very cold, and
begged to go below; the captain ordered two men to help him down to
the cabin, where they left him sitting on the cabin-deck, leaning upon
the lockers, all hands being now engaged in hoisting in and securing
the boat. This done, all hands went down to the cabin to breakfast,
except the man at the helm. They made some soup for Purnell, which he
thought very good, but at present he could eat very little, and in
consequence of his late draughts, he had broke out in many parts of
his body, so that he was in great pain whenever he stirred. They made
a bed for him out of an old sail, and behaved very attentive. While
they were at breakfast a squall of wind came on, which called them all
upon deck; during their absence, Purnell took up a stone bottle, and
without smelling or tasting it, but thinking it was rum, took a hearty
draught of it, and found it to be sweet oil; having placed it where he
found it, he lay down.
They still ran along shore with the land in sight, and were in great
hopes of getting into port that night, but the wind dying away, they
did not get in till nine o'clock the next night. All this time Purnell
remained like a child; some one was always with him, to give him
whatever he wished to eat or drink.
As soon as they came to anchor, Captain Castleman went on shore, and
returned on board the next morning with the owner, John Picket, Esq.
Soon after they got Purnell into a boat, and carried him on shore; but
he was still so very feeble, that he was obliged to be supported by
two men. Mr. Picket took a very genteel lodging for him, and hired a
nurse to attend him; he was immediately put to bed, and afterwards
provided with a change of clothes. In the course of the day he was
visited by every doctor in the town, who all gave him hopes of
recovering, but told him it would be some time, for the stronger the
constitution, the longer (they said) it took to recover its lost
strength. Though treated with the utmost tenderness and humanity, it
was three weeks before he was able to come down stairs. He stayed in
Marblehead two months, during which he lived very comfortably, and
gradually recovered his strength. The brig's boat and oars were sold
for 95 dollars, which paid all his expenses, and procured him a
passage to Boston. The nails of his fingers and toes withered away
almost to nothing, and did not begin to grow for many months after.
THE LOSS OF THE PEGGY.
On the 28th of September, 1785, the Peggy, commanded by Capt. Knight,
sailed from the harbor of Waterford, Ireland, for the port of New
York, in America.
Here it is necessary to observe, that the Peggy was a large unwieldy
Dutch-built ship, about eight hundred tons burden, and had formerly
been in the Norway, and timber trade, for which, indeed, she seemed,
from her immense bulk, well calculated. There being no freight in
readiness for America, we were under the necessity of taking in
ballast: which consisted of coarse gravel and sand, with about fifty
casks of stores, fresh stock, and vegetables, sufficient to last
during the voyage; having plenty of room, and having been most
abundantly supplied by the hospitable neighbourhood, of which we were
about to take our leave.
We weighed anchor, and with the assistance of a rapid tide and
pleasant breeze, soon gained a tolerable offing: we continued under
easy sail the remaining part of the day, and towards sunset lost sight
of land.
Sept. 29th, made the old head of Kingsale; the weather continuing
favorable, we shortly came within sight of Cape Clear, from whence we
took our departure from the coast of Ireland.
Nothing material occurred for several days, during which time we
traversed a vast space of the Western Ocean.
Oct. 12th, the weather now became hazy and squally;--all hands turned
up to reef top-sails, and strike top-gallant-yards.--Towards night the
squalls were more frequent, indicating an approaching gale:--We
accordingly clued, reefed top-sails, and struck top-gallant-masts; and
having made all snug aloft, the ship weathered the night very
steadily.
On the 13th the crew were employed in setting up the rigging, and
occasionally pumping, the ship having made much water during the
night. The gale increasing as the day advanced, occasioned the vessel
to make heavy rolls, by which an accident happened, which was near
doing much injury to the captain's cabin. A puncheon of rum, which was
lashed on the larboard side of the cabin, broke loose, a sudden jerk
having drawn assunder the cleats to which it was fastened. By its
velocity it stove in the state-rooms, and broke several utensils of
the cabin furniture. The writer of this, with much difficulty, escaped
with whole limbs; but not altogether unhurt, receiving a painful
bruise on the right foot: having, however, escaped from the cabin, the
people on deck were given to understand that the rum was broken loose.
The word rum soon attracted the sailor's attention, and this cask
being the ship's only stock, they were not tardy (as may be supposed)
in rendering their assistance to double lash, what they
anticipated--the delight, of frequently splicing the mainbrace
therewith during their voyage.
On the 14th the weather became moderate, and the crew were employed in
making good the stowage of the stores in the hold, which had given way
during the night;--shaking reefs out of the top-sails, getting up
top-gallant-masts and yards, and rigging out studding-sails. All hands
being now called to dinner, a bustle and confused noise took place on
deck. The captain (who was below) sent the writer of this to discover
the cause thereof, but before he could explain, a voice was crying out
in a most piteous and vociferous tone. The captain and chief mate
jumped on deck, and found the crew had got the cook laid on the
windlass, and were giving him a most severe cobbing with a flat piece
of his own fire wood. As soon as the captain had reached forward, he
was much exasperated with them for their precipitate conduct, in
punishing without his knowledge and permission, and having prohibited
such proceedings in future cases, he inquired the cause of their
grievance. The cook, it seems, having been served out fresh water to
dress vegetables for all hands, had inadvertently used it for some
other purpose, and boiled the greens in a copper of salt water, which
rendered them so intolerably tough, that they were not fit for use;
consequently the sailors had not their expected garnish, and a general
murmur taking place, the above punishment was inflicted.
A steady breeze ensuing, all sails filled and the ship made way, with
a lofty and majestic air; and at every plunge of her bows, which was
truly Dutch-built, rose a foam of no small appearance.
During four days the weather continued favorable, which flattered the
seamen with a speedy sight of land.
On the 19th we encountered a very violent gale, with an unusual heavy
sea:--The ship worked greatly, and took in much water through her
seams:--the pumps were kept frequently going. At mid-day, while the
crew were at dinner, a tremendous sea struck the ship right aft, which
tore in the cabin windows, upset the whole of the dinner, and nearly
drowned the captain, mate, and myself, who was at that time holding a
dish on the table, while the captain was busily employed in carving a
fine goose, which, much to our discomfiture, was entirely drenched by
the salt-water. Some of the coops were washed from the quarter-deck,
and several of the poultry destroyed.
In consequence of the vessel shipping so great a quantity of water,
the pumps were doubly manned, and soon gained on her. The gale had not
in the least abated during the night. The well was plumbed, and there
was found to be a sudden and alarming increase of water. The carpenter
was immediately ordered to examine the ship below, in order to find
the cause of the vessel's making so much water. His report was, she
being a very old vessel, her seams had considerably opened by her
laboring so much, therefore, could devise no means at present to
prevent the evil. He also reported, the mizen-mast to be in great
danger.
The heel of the mizen-mast being stepped between decks (a very unusual
case, but probably it was placed there in order to make more room for
stowage in the after-hold) was likely to work from its step, and
thereby might do considerable damage to the ship.
The captain now held a consultation with the officers, when it was
deemed expedient to cut the mast away without delay: this was
accordingly put into execution the following morning, as soon as the
day made its appearance. The necessary preparations having been made,
the carpenter began hewing at the mast, and quickly made a deep wound.
Some of the crew were stationed ready to cut away the stays and
lanyards, whilst the remaining part was anxiously watching the
momentary crash which was to ensue; the word being given to cut away
the weather-lanyards, as the ship gave a lee-lurch, the whole of the
wreck of the mast plunged, without further injury, into the ocean.
The weather still threatening a continuance, our principal employ was
at the pumps, which were kept continually going. The sea had now rose
to an alarming height, and frequently struck the vessel with great
violence. Towards the afternoon part of the starboard bulwark was
carried away by the shock of a heavy sea, which made the ship
broach-to, and before she could answer her helm again, a sea broke
through the fore-chains, and swept away the caboose and all its
utensils from the deck; fortunately for the cook he was assisting at
the pumps at the time, or he inevitably must have shared the same fate
as his galley.
Notwithstanding the exertions of the crew, the water gained fast, and
made its way into the hold, which washed a great quantity of the
ballast through the timber-holes into the hull, by which the suckers
of the pumps were much damaged, and thereby frequently choaked. By
such delays the leaks increased rapidly. We were under the necessity
of repeatedly hoisting the pumps on deck, to apply different means
which were devised to keep the sand from entering, but all our efforts
proved ineffectual, and the pumps were deemed of no further utility.
There was now no time to be lost; accordingly it was agreed that the
allowance of fresh water should be lessened to a pint a man; the casks
were immediately hoisted from the hold, and lashed between decks. As
the water was started from two of them, they were sawed in two, and
formed into buckets, there being no other casks on board fit for that
purpose; the whips were soon applied, and the hands began bailing at
the fore and after hatchways which continued without intermission the
whole of the night, each man being suffered to take one hour's rest,
in rotation.
The morning of the 22d presented to our view a most dreary aspect,--a
dismal horizon encircling--not the least appearance of the gale
abating--on the contrary, it seemed to come with redoubled vigor--the
ballast washing from side to side of the ship at each roll, and scarce
a prospect of freeing her. Notwithstanding these calamities, the crew
did not relax their efforts. The main-hatchway was opened and fresh
buckets went to work; the captain and mate alternately relieving each
other at the helm. The writer's station was to supply the crew with
grog, which was plentifully served to them every two hours. By the
motion of the ship the buckets struck against the combings of the
hatchways with great violence, and in casting them in the hold to
fill, they frequently struck on the floating pieces of timber which
were generally used as chocks in stowing the hold. By such accidents
the buckets were repeatedly stove, and we were under the necessity of
cutting more of the water casks to supply their place. Starting the
fresh water overboard was reluctantly done, particularly as we now
felt the loss of the caboose, and were under the necessity of eating
the meat raw which occasioned us to be very thirsty. Night coming on,
the crew were not allowed to go below to sleep; each man, when it came
to his turn, stretched himself on the deck.
Oct. 23. Notwithstanding the great quantity of water bailed from the
vessel, she gained so considerably that she had visibly settled much
deeper in the water. All hands were now called aft, in order to
consult on the best measures. It was now unanimously resolved to make
for the island of Bermudas, it being the nearest land. Accordingly we
bore away for it, but had not sailed many leagues before we found that
the great quantity of water in the vessel had impeded her steerage so
much that she would scarcely answer her helm; and making a very heavy
lurch, the ballast shifted, which gave her a great lift to the
starboard, and rendered it very difficult to keep a firm footing on
deck. The anchors which were stowed on the larboard bow were ordered
to be cut away, and the cables which were on the orlop deck to be hove
overboard in order to right her; but all this had a very trifling
effect, for the ship was now become quite a log.
The crew were still employed in baling; one of whom, in preventing a
bucket from being stove against the combings, let go his hold, and
fell down the hatchway; with great difficulty he escaped being drowned
or dashed against the ship's sides. Having got into a bucket which was
instantly lowered, he was providentially hoisted on deck without any
injury.
During the night the weather became more moderate, and on the
following morning, (Oct. 25), the gale had entirely subsided, but left
a very heavy swell. Two large whales approached close to the ship.
They sported around the vessel the whole of the day, and after dusk
disappeared.
Having now no further use of the helm, it was lashed down, and the
captain and mate took their spell at the buckets. My assistance having
been also required, a boy of less strength, whose previous business
was to attend the cook, now took my former station of serving the crew
with refreshments. This lad had not long filled his new situation of
drawing out rum from the cask, before he was tempted to taste it, and
which having repeatedly done he soon became intoxicated, and was
missed on deck for some time. I was sent to look for him. The spigot I
perceived out of the cask, and the liquor running about, but the boy I
could not see for some time; however looking down the lazeretto (the
trap-door of which was lying open), I found him fast asleep. He had
luckily fallen on some sails which were stowed there, or he must have
perished.
On the 26th and 27th of Oct. the weather continued quite clear, with
light baffling winds. A man was constantly kept aloft to look out for
a sail. The rest of the crew were employed at the whips.
On the 28th the weather began to lower, and appeared inclined for
rain. This gave some uneasiness, being apprehensive of a gale. The
captain therefore directed the carpenter to overhaul the long-boat,
caulk her, and raise a streak which orders were immediately complied
with; but when he went to his locker for oakum, he found it plundered
of nearly the whole of his stock--all hands were therefore set to
picking, by which means he was soon supplied.
It was totally clear on the 29th, with a fresh breeze, but the ship
heeled so much that her gunwale at times was under water, and the crew
could scarcely stand on deck. All hands were now ordered to assemble
aft, when the captain in a short address, pointed out the most
probable manner by which they could be saved. All agreed in opinion
with him, and it was resolved that the long-boat should be hoisted out
as speedily as possible, and such necessaries as could be conveniently
stowed, to be placed in her. Determined no longer to labor at the
buckets, the vessel, which could not remain above water many hours
after we had ceased baling, was now abandoned to her fate.
I now began to reflect on the small chance we had of being
saved--twenty-two people in an open boat--upwards of three hundred
miles from the land--in a boisterous climate, and the whole crew worn
out with fatigue! The palms of the crew's hands were already so flayed
it could not be expected that they could do much execution with the
oars--while thus reflecting on our perilous situation, one of our
oldest seamen, who at this moment was standing near me, turned his
head aside to wipe away a tear--I could not refrain from sympathizing
with him--my heart was already full;--the captain perceiving my
despondency bade me be of good cheer, and called me a young lubber.
The boat having been hoisted out, and such necessaries placed in her
as were deemed requisite, one of the hands was sent aloft to lash the
colors downwards to the main-top-mast shrouds; which having done, he
placed himself on the crosstrees, to look around him, and almost
instantly hallooed out,--"A sail."--It would be impossible to describe
the ecstatic emotions of the crew: every man was aloft, in order to be
satisfied; though, a minute before, not one of the crew was able to
stand upright.
The sail was on our weather-bow, bearing right down on us with a
smart breeze. She soon perceived us, but hauled her wind several
times, in order to examine our ship. As she approached nearer she
clearly perceived our calamitous situation, and hastened to our
relief.
She proved to be a Philadelphia schooner, bound to Cape Francois, in
St. Domingo. The captain took us all on board in the most humane and
friendly manner, and after casting our boat adrift, proceeded on his
voyage. When we perceived our ship from the vessel on which we were
now happily on board, her appearance was truly deplorable.
The captain of the schooner congratulated us on our fortunate escape,
and expressed his surprise that the ship should remain so long on her
beam ends, in such a heavy sea, without capsizing. We soon began to
distance the wreck, by this time very low in the water, and shortly
after lost sight of her.
The evening began to approach fast, when a man loosing the
main-top-sail, descried a sail directly in the same course on our
quarter. We made sail for her, and soon came within hail of her. She
proved to be a brig from Glasgow, bound to Antigua. It was now
determined, between the captains, that half of our people should
remain in the schooner, and the captain, mate, eight of the crew, and
myself, should get on board the brig. On our arrival at Antigua we met
with much kindness and humanity.
LOSS OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP LITCHFIELD.
The Litchfield, Captain Barton, left Ireland on the 11th of November,
1758, in company with several other men of war and transports, under
the command of Commodore Keppel, intended for the reduction of Goree.
The voyage was prosperous till the 28th, when at eight in the evening
I took charge of the watch, and the weather turned out very squally
with rain. At nine it was extremely dark, with much lightning, the
wind varying from S. W. to W. N. W. At half past nine, had a very hard
squall. Captain Barton came upon deck and staid till ten; then left
orders to keep sight of the commodore, and to make what sail the
weather would permit. At eleven, saw the commodore bearing south, but
the squalls coming on so heavy, were obliged to hand the
main-top-sail, and at twelve o'clock, were under our courses.
November the 29, at one in the morning, I left the deck in charge of
the first lieutenant; the light, which we took to be the commodore's
right ahead, bearing S. wind W. S. W. blowing very hard; at six in the
morning I was awakened by a great shock, and a confused noise of the
men on deck. I ran up, thinking some ship had run foul of us, for, by
my own reckoning, and that of every other person in the ship, we were
at least 35 leagues distant from land; but, before I could reach the
quarter-deck, the ship gave a great stroke upon the ground, and the
sea broke all over her. Just after this, I could perceive the land,
rocky, rugged and uneven, about two cables' length from us. The ship
lying with her broadside to windward, the masts soon went overboard,
carrying some men with them. It is impossible for any one but a
sufferer to feel our distress at this time; the masts, yards, and
sails hanging alongside in a confused heap; the ship beating violently
upon the rocks; the waves curling up to an incredible height, then
dashing down with such force as if they would immediately have split
the ship to pieces, which we, indeed, every moment expected. Having a
little recovered from our confusion, saw it necessary to get every
thing we could over to the larboard side, to prevent the ship from
heeling off, and exposing the deck to the sea. Some of the people were
very earnest to get the boats out contrary to advice; and, after much
intreaty, notwithstanding a most terrible sea, one of the boats was
launched, and eight of the best men jumped into her, but she had
scarcely got to the ship's stern, when she was whirled to the bottom,
and every soul in her perished. The rest of the boats were soon washed
to pieces on the deck.--We then made a raft of the davit, capstan-bars
and some boards, and waited with resignation, for divine Providence to
assist us.
The ship soon filled with water, so that we had no time to get any
provision up; the quarter-deck and poop were now the only place we
could stand on with security, the waves being mostly spent by the time
they reached us, owing to the fore part of the ship breaking them.
At four in the afternoon, perceiving the sea to be much abated, one
of our people attempted to swim, and got safe on shore. There were
numbers of Moors upon the rocks ready to take hold of any one, and
beckoned much for us to come ashore, which, at first we took for
kindness, but they soon undeceived us, for they had not the humanity
to assist any that was entirely naked, but would fly to those who had
any thing about them, and strip them before they were quite out of the
water, wrangling among themselves about the plunder; in the mean time
the poor wretches were left to crawl up the rocks if they were able,
if not, they perished unregarded. The second lieutenant and myself,
with about sixty-five others, got ashore before dark, but were left
exposed to the weather on the cold sand. To preserve ourselves from
perishing of cold, were obliged to go down to the shore, and to bring
up pieces of the wreck to make a fire. While thus employed, if we
happened to pick up a shirt or handkerchief, and did not give it to
the Moors at the first demand, the next thing was a dagger presented
to our breast.
They allowed us a piece of an old sail, which they did not think worth
carrying off; with this we made two tents, and crowded ourselves into
them, sitting between one another's legs to preserve warmth, and make
room. In this uneasy situation, continually bewailing our misery, and
that of our poor shipmates on the wreck, we passed a most tedious
night, without so much as a drop of water to refresh ourselves,
excepting what we caught through our sail-cloth covering.
November the 30th, at six in the morning, went down with a number of
our men upon the rocks, to assist our shipmates in coming ashore, and
found the ship had been greatly shattered in the night. It being now
low water, many attempted to swim ashore; some got safe, but others
perished. The people on board got the raft into the water, and about
fifteen men placed themselves upon it. They had no sooner put off from
the wreck, than it overturned; most of the men recovered it again,
but, scarcely were they on, before it was a second time overturned.
Only three or four got hold of it again, and all the rest perished. In
the mean time, a good swimmer brought with much difficulty a rope
ashore, which I had the good fortune to catch hold of just when he was
quite spent, and had thoughts of quitting it.
Some people coming to my assistance, we pulled a large rope ashore
with that, and made it fast round a rock. We found this gave great
spirits to the poor souls upon the wreck, it being hauled taught from
the upper part of the stern, made an easy descent to any who had art
enough to walk or slide upon a rope, with a smaller rope fixed above
to hold by. This was a means of saving a number of lives, though many
were washed off by the impetuous surf, and perished. The flood coming
on, raised the surf, and prevented any more from coming at that time,
so that the ropes could be of no further use. We then retired from the
rocks; and hunger prevailing, set about boiling some of the drowned
turkeys, &c. which with some flour mixed into a paste, and baked upon
the coals, constituted our first meal upon this barbarous coast. We
found a well of fresh water about a half a mile off, which very much
refreshed us. But we had scarcely finished this coarse repast, when
the Moors, who were now grown numerous, drove us all down to the rocks
to bring up empty iron bound casks, pieces of the wreck which had the
most iron about them, and other articles.
About three o'clock in the afternoon we made another meal on the
drowned poultry, and finding this was the best provision we were
likely to have; some were ordered to save all they could find, others
to raise a larger tent, and the rest sent down to the rocks to look
for people coming ashore. The surf greatly increasing with the flood,
and breaking upon the fore-part of the ship, she was divided into
three parts; the fore-part turned keel up, the middle part soon dashed
into a thousand pieces; the fore-part of the poop likewise fell at
this time, and about thirty men with it, eight of whom got ashore with
our help, but so bruised, that we despaired of their recovery. Nothing
but the after-part of the poop now remained above water, and a very
small part of the other decks, on which our captain, and about 130
more remained, expecting every wave to be their last. Every shock
threw some off; few or none of whom came on shore alive. During this
distress the Moors laughed uncommonly, and seemed much diverted, when
a wave larger than usual, threatened the destruction of the poor
wretches on the wreck. Between four and five o'clock the sea was
decreased with the ebb; the rope being still secure, the people began
to venture upon it; some tumbled off and perished, but others reached
the shore in safety.
About five, we beckoned as much as possible for the captain to come
upon the rope, as this seemed to be as good an opportunity as any we
had seen; and many arrived in safety with our assistance. Some told us
that the captain was determined to stay till all the men had quitted
the wreck however, we still continued to beckon for him, and before it
was dark, saw him come upon the rope. He was closely followed by a
good able seaman, who did all he could to keep up his spirits and
assist him in warping. As he could not swim, and had been so many
hours without refreshment, with the surf hurling him violently along,
he was unable to resist the force of the waves, had lost his hold of
the great rope, and must inevitably have perished had not a wave
thrown him within the reach of our ropes, which he had barely
sufficient sense to catch hold of. We pulled him up, and after resting
a short time on the rocks, he came to himself, and walked up to the
tent, desiring us to continue to assist the rest of the people in
coming on shore.
The villains, (the Moors), would have stripped him, though, he had
nothing on but a plain waistcoat and breeches, if we had not plucked
up a little spirit and opposed them; upon which they thought proper to
desist. The people continued to come ashore, though many perished in
the attempt. The Moors, at length, growing tired with waiting for so
little plunder, would not suffer us to remain on the rocks, but drove
us all away. I then, with the captain's approbation, went, and by
signs made humble supplication to the bashaw, who was in the tent,
dividing the valuable plunder. He understood us at last, and gave us
permission to go down, at the same time sending some Moors with us. We
carried fire-brands down to let the poor souls on the wreck see that
we were still there in readiness to assist them. About nine at night
finding that no more men would venture upon the rope, as the surf was
again greatly increased, we retired to the tent, leaving by the
account of the last man arrived, between thirty and forty souls still
upon the wreck. We now thought of stowing every body in the tent, and
began by fixing the captain in the middle. Then made every man lie
down on his side, as we could not afford them each a breadth; but,
after all, many took easier lodging in empty casks.
The next morning the weather was moderate and fair.--We found the
wreck all in pieces on the rocks, and the shore covered with lumber.
The people upon the wreck all perished about one in morning. In the
afternoon we called a muster, and found the number of the survivors to
be 220; so that 130 perished on this melancholy occasion.
On the 2d of December, the weather still continued moderate. We
subsisted entirely on the drowned stock, and a little pork to relish
it, and the flour made into cakes; all of which we issued regularly
and sparingly, being ignorant whether the Moors would furnish us with
any thing, they being still very troublesome, and even wanting to rob
us of the canvass which covered our tent.
At two in the afternoon a black servant arrived, sent by Mr. Butler, a
Dane, factor to the African Company at Saffy at the distance of about
thirty miles, to inquire into our condition and to offer us
assistance. The man having brought pens, ink and paper, the captain
sent back a letter by him.--Finding there was one who offered us help,
it greatly refreshed our afflicted hearts.
In the afternoon of the following day, we received a letter from Mr.
Butler, with some bread and a few other necessaries. On the 4th, the
people were employed in picking up pieces of sails, and whatever else
the Moors would permit them. We divided the crew into messes, and
served the necessaries we received the preceding day. They had bread
and the flesh of the drowned stock. In the afternoon we received
another letter from Mr. Butler, and one at the same time from Mr.
Andrews, an Irish gentleman, a merchant at Saffy. The Moors were not
so troublesome now as before, most of them going off with what they
had got.
On the 5th the drowned stock was entirely consumed, and at low water
the people were employed in collecting muscles. At ten in the morning,
Mr. Andrews arrived, bringing a French surgeon with medicines and
plaisters, of which, some of the men who had been dreadfully bruised,
stood in great need.--The following day, we served out one of the
blankets of the country to every two men, and pampooses, a kind of
slippers, to those who were in most want of them. These supplies were
likewise brought us by Mr. Andrews. The people were now obliged to
live upon muscles and bread, the Moors, who promised us a supply of
cattle, having deceived us, and never returned.
The people on the 7th were still employed in collecting muscles and
limpets. The Moors began to be a little civil to us, for fear the
emperor should punish them for their cruel treatment to us. In the
afternoon, a messenger arrived from the emperor at Sallee, with
general orders to the people to supply us with provisions. They
accordingly brought us some lean bullocks and sheep which Mr. Andrews
purchased for us; but at this time we had no pots to make broth in,
and the cattle were scarcely fit for any thing else.
In the morning of the 10th, we made preparations for marching to
Morocco, the emperor having sent orders for that purpose, and camels
to carry the lame and necessaries. At nine, set off with about thirty
camels, having got all our liquor with us, divided into hogsheads, for
the convenience of carriage on the camels. At noon, joined the crews
of one of the transports and a bomb-tender, that had been wrecked
about three leagues to the northward of us. We were then all mounted
upon camels, excepting the captain, who was furnished with a horse. We
never stopped till seven in the evening, when they procured two tents
only, which would not contain one third of the men, so that most of
them lay exposed to the dew, which was very heavy, and extremely cold.
We found our whole number to be 388, including officers, men, boys,
three women and a child, which one of the women brought ashore in her
teeth.
On the 11th, continued our journey, attended by a number of Moors on
horseback. At six in the evening we came to our resting place for that
night, and were furnished with tents sufficient to cover all our men.
At five in the morning of the 12th, we set out as before, and, at two
in the afternoon, saw the emperor's cavalcade at a distance. At three,
a relation of the emperor's, named Muli Adriz, came to us, and told
the captain it was the emperor's orders, he should that instant write
a letter to our governor at Gibraltar, to send to his Britanic Majesty
to inquire whether he would settle a peace with him or not. Captain
Barton immediately sat down upon the grass and wrote a letter, which,
being given to Muli Adriz, he went and joined the emperor again. At
six in the evening came to our resting place for the night, and were
well furnished with tents, but very little provisions.
We were, the following day, desired to continue on the same spot, till
the men were refreshed, and this repose they greatly needed, and we
received a better supply of provisions. That morning, Lieutenant
Harrison commanding the soldiers belonging to Lord Forbes's regiment
died suddenly in the tent. In the evening, while employed with his
interment, the inhuman Moors disturbed us by throwing stones and
mocking us. The next day we found that they had opened the grave and
stripped the body.
On the 16th, we continued our journey, came to our resting place at
four in the afternoon, pitched the tents, and served out the
provision. Here our people were ill-treated by the country Moors. As
they were taking water from a brook, the Moors would always spit into
the vessel before they would suffer them to take it away. Upon this
some of us went down to inquire into the affair, but were immediately
saluted with a shower of stones. We ran in upon them, beat some of
them pretty soundly, put them to flight, and brought away one who
thought to defend himself with a long knife. This fellow was severely
punished by the officer who had the charge of conducting us.
The two succeeding days continued our journey, and, at three in the
afternoon of the 18th, arrived at the City of Morocco, without having
seen a single habitation during the whole journey. Here we were
insulted by the rabble, and, at five, were carried before the emperor,
surrounded by five or six hundred of his guards. He was on horseback
before the gate of his palace, that being the place where he
distributes justice to his people. He told Captain Barton, by an
interpreter, that he was neither at peace nor war with England, and he
would detain us till an ambassador arrived from that country to
conclude a permanent treaty. The captain then desired that we might
not be treated as slaves. He answered hastily, that we should be taken
care of. We were then immediately hurried out of his presence,
conveyed to two old ruinous houses, shut up amidst dirt and
innumerable vermin of every description. Mr. Butler being at Morocco
on business, came and supplied us with victuals and drink, and
procured liberty for the captain to go home with him to his lodgings.
He likewise sent some blankets for the officers, and we made shift to
pass the night with tolerable comfort, being very much fatigued.
At nine in the morning of the 21st, the emperor sent orders for the
captain and every officer to appear before him. We immediately
repaired to his palace; we remained waiting in an outer yard two
hours; in the mean time he diverted himself with seeing a clumsy Dutch
boat rowed about in a pond by four of our petty officers. About noon
we were called before him, and placed in a line about thirty yards
from him. He was sitting in a chair by the side of the pond,
accompanied only by two of his chief alcaides. Having viewed us some
time, he ordered the captain to come forward, and after asking him a
good many questions concerning our navy, and the destination of the
squadron to which we had belonged, we were also called forward by two
and three at a time as we stood according to our rank. He then asked
most of us some very insignificant questions, and took some to be
Portuguese because they had black hair, and others to be Swedes
because their hair was light. He judged none of us to be English
excepting the captain, the second lieutenant, the ensign of the
soldiers, and myself. But assuring him we were all English, he cried
Bonno, and gave a nod for our departure, to which we returned a very
low bow, and were glad to return to our old ruined houses again. Our
total number amounted to thirty.
On the 25th, being Christmas-day, prayers were read to the people as
usual in the church of England. The captain this day received a
present of tea and loaves of sugar from one of the queens, whose
grandfather had been an English renegado.
In the afternoon of the 26th, we received the disagreeable
intelligence, that the emperor would oblige all the English to work,
like all the other Christian slaves, excepting the officers who were
before him on the 21st. The next day this account was confirmed; for,
at seven in the morning, an alcaide came and ordered all our people
out to work, excepting the sick. Upon our application eight were
allowed to stay at home every day to cook for the rest, and this
office was performed by turns throughout the whole number. At four in
the afternoon the people returned, some having been employed in
carrying wood, some in turning up the ground with hoes, and others in
picking weeds in the emperor's garden. Their victuals were prepared
for them against their return.
On the 28th all the people went to work as soon as they could see, and
returned at four in the afternoon. Two of the soldiers received one
hundred bastinadoes each, for behaving in a disrespectful manner while
the emperor was looking at their work.
On the 30th, Captain Barton received a kind message from the emperor,
with permission to ride out or take a walk in his garden with his
officers.
From this time the men continued in the same state of slavery till the
arrival, in April, of Captain Milbank, sent as an ambassador to the
emperor. He concluded a treaty for the ransom of the crew of the
Litchfield, together with the other English subjects in the emperor's
power, and the sum stipulated to be paid for their release, was
170,000 dollars. Our people accordingly set out for Sallee, attended
by a bashaw and two soldiers on horseback. On the fourth day of their
march, they had a skirmish with some of the country Moors. The dispute
began in consequence of some of our men in the rear stopping at a
village to buy some milk, for which, after they had drank it, the
Moors demanded an exorbitant price. This our men refused to give, on
which the Moors had recourse to blows, which our people returned; and
others coming to their assistance, they maintained a smart battle,
till the enemy became too numerous. In the meantime some rode off to
call the guard, who instantly came up with their drawn scimetars, and
dealt round them pretty briskly. During this interval we were not
idle, and had the pleasure to see the blood trickling down a good many
of their faces. The guards seized the chief man of the village, and
carried him before the bashaw, who was our conductor, and who having
heard the cause dismissed him without further punishment, in
consideration of his having been well drubbed by us.
On the 22d of April, we arrived at Sallee, and pitched our tents in an
old castle, whence we soon afterwards embarked on board the Gibraltar,
which landed us at Gibraltar on the 27th of June. From that place the
captain and crew were put on board the Marlborough store ship,
prepared expressly for their reception, and arrived in England in the
month of August, 1760.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
WRECK OF THE ROTHSAY CASTLE STEAMER.
The Rothsay Castle was a steam packet which formerly traded on the
Clyde. She belonged to the line of steamers which sailed from
Liverpool to Beaumaris and Bangor, and was furnished with one engine
only. She was commanded by Lieut. Atkinson. At ten o'clock on
the -- of August, 1831 the vessel was appointed to sail from the usual
place, George's Pierhead, but a casual delay took place in starting,
and it was eleven o'clock before she had got every thing in readiness.
Whilst taking passengers on board, a carriage arrived at the Pierhead
for embarkation. It belonged to M. W. Foster, Esq. of Regent's park,
London, who, with his wife and servant, were conveyed in it to the
packet, and took their passage at the same time. They were all
subsequently drowned, a little dog which accompanied them being the
only survivor of this unfortunate group. When the steamer left the
Pierhead her deck was thronged with passengers. The captain, crew,
musicians, &c. amounted to fifteen, in addition to whom, it was
supposed by persons who saw the vessel sail that one hundred and ten
or one hundred and twenty souls were on board. The majority of the
passengers consisted of holyday and family parties, chiefly from
country places; and in one of these companies, who came on a journey
of pleasure from Bury, the hand of death committed a merciless
devastation. It consisted of twenty-six persons; in the morning,
joyous with health and hilarity, they set out upon the waves, and when
the shades of that evening approached, every soul but two saw his last
of suns go down.
The weather was not particularly boisterous at the time she sailed. A
severe storm however, had raged in the morning and must have agitated
the water on the Banks more than usual. The wind too, blew strongly
from the north-west, and the vessel had to contend with the tide,
which began to flow soon after she passed the rock. When the steamer
arrived off the Floating-light, which is stationed about fifteen miles
from Liverpool, the roughness of the sea alarmed many of the
passengers.--One of the survivors stated, that Mr. Tarry, of Bury,
who, with his family, consisting of himself, his wife, their five
children, and servant, was on board, being, in common with others,
greatly alarmed for his own safety and the safety of those dear to
him, went down to the cabin, where the captain was at dinner, and
requested him to put back. His reply was, "I think there is a great
deal of fear on board, and very little danger. If we were to turn back
with passengers, it would never do--we should have no profit." To
another gentleman who urged him to put back, he is reported to have
said very angrily, "I'm not one of those that turn back." He remained
in the cabin two whole hours, and peremptorily refused to comply with
the repeated requests made to him by the more timid of his passengers
to return to Liverpool; observing that if they knew him, they would
not make the request. Before dinner, his behavior had been
unexceptionable; but, after he had dined, a very striking difference
was observed in his conduct. He became violent in his manner, and
abusive in his language to the men. When anxiously questioned by the
passengers, as to the progress the vessel was making, and the time at
which she was likely to reach her destination, he returned trifling,
and frequently very contradictory answers. During the early part of
the voyage, he had spoken confidently of being able to reach Beaumaris
by seven o'clock; but the evening wore away, night came on, and the
vessel was still a considerable distance from the termination of her
voyage. It was near twelve o'clock when they arrived at the mouth of
the Menai Strait, which is about five miles from Beaumaris. The tide,
which had been running out of the strait, and which had, consequently,
for some time previous retarded the steamer's progress towards her
destination, was just on the turn. The vessel, according to the
statement of two of the seamen and one of the firemen saved, had got
round the buoy on the north end of the Dutchman's Bank, and had
proceeded up the river as far as the tower on Puffin Island; when
suddenly the steam got so low that the engine would not keep her on
her proper course. When asked, why there was not steam on, the fireman
said that a deal of water had been finding its way into the vessel
all day, and that sometime before she got into the strait, the
bilge-pumps were choked. The water in the hold then overflowed the
coals; so that, in renewing the fires, a deal of water went in with
the coals, and made it impossible to keep the steam up. It was the
duty of the fireman to give notice of this occurrence; but he seems
not to have mentioned it to the captain. The vessel, which had
evidently come fair into the channel, though there was no light on the
coast to guide her, now drifted, with the ebb tide and north-west
wind, towards the Dutchman's Bank, on the north point of which she
struck, her bows sticking fast in the sand. Lieut. Atkinson
immediately ordered the man at the helm to put the helm a starboard.
The man refused to do so; but put it to port. The mate, perceiving
this, ran aft, took the helm from the man, and put it to starboard
again.--In the meantime, the captain and some of the passengers got
the jib up.--No doubt he did this intending to wear her round and
bring her head to the northward; but in the opinion of nautical men,
it could not make the least difference which way her head was turned,
as she was on a lee shore, and there was no steam to work her off. The
captain also ordered the passengers first to run aft, in the hope, by
removing the pressure from the vessel's stem, to make her float: this
failing to produce the desired effect, he then ordered them to run
forward. All the exertions of the captain, the crew and passengers
united were unavailing. The ill-fated vessel stuck still faster in the
sands, and all gave themselves up for lost. The terror of the
passengers became excessive. Several of them urged the captain to
hoist lights, and make other signals of distress; but he positively
refused to do so, assuring the passengers that there was no danger,
and telling them several times, that the packet was afloat, and doing
well, and on her way; when the passengers knew perfectly well that she
was sticking fast in the sand, and her cabins rapidly filling with
water. Doubtless the unfortunate man was perfectly aware of the
imminence of the danger; but we may charitably suppose, that he held
such language for the purpose of preventing alarm which might be
fatal. The alarm bell was now rung with so much violence that the
clapper broke, and some of the passengers continued to strike it for
some time with a stone. The bell was heard, it is said, at Beaumaris,
but, as there was no light hoisted on the mast of the steamer, (a
fatal neglect!) those who heard the signal were, of course, ignorant
whence it proceeded. The weather, at this awful moment, was
boisterous, but perfectly clear. The moon, though slightly overcast,
threw considerable light on the surrounding objects.--But a strong
breeze blew from the north-west, the tide began to set in with great
strength, and a heavy sea beat over the bank on which the steam packet
was now firmly and immovably fixed.
We cannot describe the scene which followed. Certain death seemed now
to present itself to all on board, and the most affecting scenes were
exhibited. The females, in particular, uttered the most piercing
shrieks; some locked themselves in each others arms, while others,
losing all self-command, tore off their caps and bonnets, in the
wildness of despair. A Liverpool pilot, who happened to be in the
packet, now raised his voice and exclaimed, "It is all over--we are
all lost!" At these words there was a universal despairing shriek. The
women and children collected in a knot together, and kept embracing
each other, keeping up, all the time, the most dismal lamentations.
When tired with crying they lay against each other, with their heads
reclined, like inanimate bodies. The steward of the vessel and his
wife, who was on board, lashed themselves to the mast, determined to
spend their last moments in each other's arms. Several husbands and
wives also met their fate locked in each other's arms; whilst parents
clung to their beloved children,--several mothers it is said, having
perished with their dear little ones firmly clasped in their arms. A
party of the passengers, about fifteen or twenty, lowered the boat and
crowded into it. It was impossible for any open boat to live in such a
sea, even though not overloaded, and she immediately swamped and went
to the bottom, with all who had made this last hopeless effort for
self-preservation.
For some time the vessel, though now irrecoverably lost, continued to
resist the action of the waves, and the despairing souls on board
still struggled with their doom. But hope had forever fled; the packet
was beaten and tossed about by the tumultuous waters with a violence
which threatened to dash her into fragments at every shock, and the
sea now made a continual breach over her. The decks were repeatedly
swept by the boiling ocean, and each billow snatched its victims to a
watery grave. The unfortunate captain and his mate were among the
first that perished. About thirty or forty passengers were standing
upon the poop clinging to each other in hopeless agony, and
occasionally uttering the most piteous ejaculations. Whilst trembling
thus upon the brink of destruction, and expecting every moment to
share the fate which had already overtaken so many of their companions
in misery, the poop was discovered to give way; another wave rolled on
with impetuous fury, and the hinder part of the luckless vessel, with
all who sought safety in its frail support, was burst away from its
shattered counterpart, and about forty wretched beings hurried through
the foaming flood into an eternal world.
"Then rose from sea to sky the wild farewell,
Then shrieked the timid, and stood still the brave."
Those who retained any degree of sensibility endeavored to catch at
whatever was floating within their reach, with the vain hope of
prolonging their lives though it was certain that life could only
lengthen their sufferings. Many grasped with frantic despair, at the
slightest object they could find, but were either too weak to retain
their hold, or were forced to relinquish their grasp by the raging of
the surge. The rudder was seized by eight of the sinking creatures at
the same time, and some of them, were ultimately preserved. The number
of those who clung to the portion of the wreck which remained upon the
bank gradually grew thinner and thinner, as they sunk under their
fatigues, or were hurled into the deep by the remorseless waves. At
length, about an hour and a half from the time when she struck, the
remnant of the Rothsay Castle disappeared from the bosom of the ocean,
and the remainder of her passengers and crew were precipitated into
the foaming abyss.
SHIPWRECK OF THE FRENCH SHIP DROITS DE L'HOMME.
On the 5th of January, 1797, returning home on leave of absence from
the West Indies, in the Cumberland letter of marque, for the recovery
of my health, saw a large man of war off the coast of Ireland, being
then within four leagues of the mouth of the river Shannon. She
hoisted English colours, and decoyed us within gun-shot, when she
substituted the tri-coloured flag, and took us. She proved to be les
Droits de L'Homme, of 74 guns, commanded by the ci-devant baron, now
citizen La Crosse, and had separated from a fleet of men of war, on
board of which were twenty thousand troops, intended to invade
Ireland. On board of this ship was General Humbert, who afterwards
effected a descent into Ireland (in 1799) with nine hundred troops and
six hundred seamen.
On the 7th of January went into Bantry Bay to see if any of the
squadron was still there, and on finding none, the ship proceeded to
the southward. Nothing extraordinary occurred until the evening of the
13th, when two men of war hove in sight, which afterwards proved to be
the Indefatigable and Amazon frigates. It is rather remarkable that
the captain of the ship should inform me, that the squadron which was
going to engage him was Sir Edward Pellow's, and declared, as was
afterwards proved by the issue, "that he would not yield to any two
English frigates, but would sooner sink his ship with every soul on
board." The ship was then cleared for action, and we English
prisoners, consisting of three infantry officers, two captains of
merchantmen, two women, and forty-eight seamen and soldiers, were
conducted down to the cabin tier at the foot of the fore-mast.
The action began with opening the lower deck ports, which, however
were soon shut again, on account of the great sea, which occasioned
the water to rush in to that degree that we felt it running on the
cables. I must here observe, that this ship was built on a new
construction, considerably longer than men of war of her rate, and her
lower-deck, on which she mounted thirty-two pounders French, equal to
forty pounders English, was two feet and a half lower than usual. The
situation of the ship, before she struck on the rocks, has been fully
elucidated by Sir Edward Pellow, in his letter of the 17th of January,
to Mr. Nepeau. The awful task is left for me to relate what ensued.
At about four in the morning a dreadful convulsion, at the foot of the
fore-mast, roused us from a state of anxiety for our fate, to the idea
that the ship was sinking. It was the fore-mast that fell over the
side; in about a quarter of an hour an awful mandate from above was
re-echoed from all parts of the ship; Pouvores Anglais! Pouvores
Anglais! Montez bien vite nous sommes tous perdus!--"poor Englishmen!
poor Englishmen! come on deck as fast as you can, we are all lost!"
Every one rather flew than climbed. Though scarcely able to move
before, from sickness, yet I now felt an energetic strength in all my
frame, and soon gained the upper deck, but what a sight! dead, wounded
and living, intermingled in a state too shocking to describe; not a
mast standing, a dreadful loom of the land, and breakers all around
us.--The Indefatigable, on the starboard quarter, appeared standing
off, in a most tremendous sea, from the Penmark rocks, which
threatened her with instant destruction. To the great humanity of her
commander, those few persons who survived the shipwreck, are indebted
for their lives, for had another broadside been fired, the commanding
situation of the Indefatigable must have swept off at least a thousand
men. On the starboard side was seen the Amazon within two miles, just
struck on the shore. Our own fate drew near. The ship struck and
immediately sunk! Shrieks of horror and dismay were heard from all
quarters, while the merciless waves tore from the wreck many early
victims. Day-light appeared, and we beheld the shore lined with people
who could render us no assistance. At low water, rafts were
constructed, and the boats were got in readiness to be hoisted out.
The dusk arrived, and an awful sight ensued. The dawn of the second
day brought with it still severer miseries than the first, for the
wants of nature could scarcely be endured any longer, having been
already near thirty hours without any means of subsistence, and no
possibility of procuring them.
At low water a small boat was hoisted out, and an English captain and
eight sailors succeeded in getting to the shore.--Elated at the
success of these men all thought their deliverance at hand, and many
launched out on their rafts, but, alas! death soon ended their hopes.
Another night renewed our afflictions. The morning of the third,
fraught with still greater evils, appeared; our continued sufferings
made us exert the last effort, and we English prisoners, tried every
means to save as many of our fellow creatures as lay in our power.
Larger rafts were constructed, and the largest boat was got over the
side. The first consideration was to lay the surviving wounded, the
women and helpless men in the boat, but the idea of equality, so
fatally promulgated among the French, destroyed all subordination, and
nearly one hundred and twenty having jumped into the boat, in defiance
of their officers, they sunk her.--The most dreadful sea that I ever
saw seemed at that moment to aggravate our calamity; nothing of the
boat was seen for a quarter of an hour, when the bodies floated in
all directions; then appeared, in all their horrors, the wreck, the
shores, the dying and the drowned! Indefatigable in acts of humanity,
an adjutant general, Renier, launched himself into the sea, to obtain
succours from the shore, and perished in the attempt.
Nearly one half the people had already perished, when the horrors of
the fourth night renewed all our miseries. Weak, distracted, and
destitute of every thing, we envied the fate of those whose lifeless
corpses no longer wanted sustenance.--The sense of hunger was already
lost, but a parching thirst consumed our vitals. Recourse was had to
urine and salt water, which only increased the wants; half a hogshead
of vinegar indeed floated up, of which each had half a wine glass; it
afforded a momentary relief, but soon left us again in the same state
of dreadful thirst. Almost at the last gasp, every one was dying with
misery, and the ship, now one third shattered away from the stern,
scarcely afforded a grasp to hold by, to the exhausted and helpless
survivors.
The fourth day brought with it a more serene sky, and the sea seemed
to subside, but to behold, from fore to aft, the dying in all
directions, was a sight too shocking for the feeling mind to endure.
Almost lost to a sense of humanity, we no longer looked with pity on
those whom we considered only as the forerunners of our own speedy
fate, and a consultation took place, to sacrifice some one to be food
for the remainder. The die was going to be cast, when the welcome
sight of a man of war brig renewed our hopes.
A cutter speedily followed, and both anchored at a short distance from
the wreck. They then sent their boats to us, and by means of large
rafts, about one hundred, out of four hundred who attempted, were
saved by the brig that evening.--Three hundred and eighty were left to
endure another night's misery, when, dreadful to relate, above one
half were found dead the next morning!
I was saved about ten o'clock on the morning of the 18th, with my
brother officers, the captain of the ship, and General Humbert. They
treated us with great humanity on board the cutter, giving us a little
weak brandy and water every five or six minutes, and after that a
bason of good soup. I fell on the locker in a kind of trance for near
thirty hours, and swelled to such a degree as to require medical aid
to restore my decayed faculties. Having lost all our baggage, we were
taken to Brest almost naked, where they gave us a rough shift of
clothes, and in consequence of our sufferings, and the help we
afforded in saving many lives, a cartel was fitted out by order of the
French Government to send us home, without ransom or exchange. We
arrived at Plymouth on the 7th of March following.
To that Providence, whose great workings I have experienced in this
most awful trial of human afflictions, be ever offered the tribute of
my praise and thanksgiving.
THE LOSS OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP, QUEEN CHARLOTTE.
The Queen Charlotte was, perhaps, one of the finest ships in the
British navy. She was launched in 1790, and her first cruise was with
the fleet fitted out against Spain, in consequence of the dispute
respecting Nootka Sound. Lord Howe, who was the commander and chief of
the fleet, was then on board of her; and she also bore his lordship's
flag on the first of June. After which she was sent to the
Mediterranean, and was the flag-ship of the commander in chief on that
station. In March, 1800, she was despatched by that nobleman to
reconnoitre the island of Cabrera, about thirty leagues from Leghorn,
then in the possession of the French, and which it was his lordship's
intention to attack. On the morning of the 17th the ship was
discovered to be on fire, at the distance of three or four leagues
from Leghorn. Every assistance was promptly forwarded from the shore,
but a number of boats, it appears, were deterred from approaching the
wreck, in consequence of the guns, which were shotted, and which, when
heated by the fire, discharged their contents in every direction.
The only consolation that presents itself under the pressure of so
calamitous a disaster is, that it was not the effect either of
treachery or wilful neglect, as will appear by the following official
statement of the carpenter:--
"Mr. John Braid, carpenter of the Queen Charlotte, reports, that
twenty minutes after 6 o'clock in the morning, as he was dressing
himself he heard throughout the ship a general cry of 'fire.' On which
he immediately ran up the after-ladder to get upon deck, and found the
whole half-deck, the front bulk-head of the admiral's cabin, the
main-mast's coat, and boat's covering on the booms, all in flames;
which, from every report and probability, he apprehends was occasioned
by some hay, which was lying under the half-deck, having been set on
fire by a match in a tub, which was usually kept there for signal
guns.--The main-sail at this time was set, and almost entirely caught
fire; the people not being able to come to the clue garnets on account
of the flames.
"He immediately went to the fore-castle, and found Lieut. Dundas and
the boatswain encouraging the people to get water to extinguish the
fire. He applied to Mr. Dundas, seeing no other officer in the
fore-part of the ship (and being unable to see any on the
quarter-deck, from the flames and smoke between them) to give him
assistance to drown the lower-decks, and secure the hatches, to
prevent the fire falling down. Lieut. Dundas accordingly went down
himself, with as many people as he could prevail upon to follow him:
and the lower-deck ports were opened, the scuppers plugged, the main
and fore-hatches secured, the cocks turned, and water drawn in at the
ports, and the pumps kept going by the people who came down, as long
as they could stand at them.
"He thinks that by these exertions the lower-deck was kept free from
fire, and the magazines preserved for a long time from danger; nor did
Lieut. Dundas, or he, quit this station, but remained there with all
the people who could be prevailed upon to stay, till several of the
middle-deck guns came through that deck.
"About nine o'clock Lieut. Dundas and he, finding it impossible to
remain any longer below, went out at the fore-mast lower deck port,
and got upon the fore-castle; on which he apprehends there were then
about one hundred and fifty of the people drawing water, and throwing
it as far aft as possible upon the fire.
"He continued about an hour on the fore-castle; and finding all
efforts to extinguish the flames unavailing, he jumped from the
jib-boom, and swam to an American boat approaching the ship, by which
he was picked up and put into a Tartan then in the charge of Lieut.
Stewart, who had come off to the assistance of the ship.
(Signed) "JOHN BRAID."
Leghorn, March 18, 1800.
Capt. Todd remained upon deck, with his First Lieutenant, to the last
moment, giving orders for saving the crew, without thinking of his own
safety. Before he fell a sacrifice to the flames, he had time and
courage to write down the particulars of this melancholy event, for
the information of Lord Keith, of which he gave copies to different
sailors, entreating them, that whoever should escape might deliver it
to the admiral.
Thus fell victims to perhaps a too severe duty, the captain and his
first lieutenant, at a time when they still had it in their power to
save themselves; but self-preservation is never a matter of
consideration in the exalted mind of a British naval officer, when the
safety of his crew is at stake.
Lord Keith and some of the officers were providentially on shore, at
Leghorn, when the dreadful accident occurred. Twenty commissioned and
warrant officers, two servants and 142 seamen, are the whole of the
crew that escaped destruction out of nearly 900 souls on board, that
for nearly four hours exerted every nerve to avoid that dreadful
termination which too surely awaited them.
A SCENE ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
On the morning of the 5th of August, 1833, during a severe gale in
lat. 46, lon. 31, Capt. Dempsey, of the ship Kingston, discovered at a
short distance to leeward, a brig lying on her beam ends, with flag of
distress waving. Capt. D. instantly bore down towards her, when she
proved to be the Albion, of Cork, crowded with passengers. Having
reached within hail of the unfortunate vessel, a heart-rending scene
presented itself. "We beheld," says Capt. Dempsey, "the brig reeling
ere she took the farewell plunge--witnessed the cool intrepidity of
the sailors, even at such a moment--and listened, with feelings the
most harrowing, to the piercing shrieks of the ill-fated passengers.
The crew of the Kingston flung their best boat into the boiling
Atlantic, but every exertion was vain--the angry ocean soon made her
its prey. The Albion went down with every human soul on board."
[Illustration: DEPARTURE OF THE FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA]
SHIPWRECK OF THE FRENCH FRIGATE MEDUSA.
_On the Western Coast of Africa. By MADAME DARD, one of the
Sufferers._
In the year 1816, an expedition was fitted out by the French to go and
resume possession of Senegal, which had been restored to them.--My
father was reinstated in his place of resident attorney, and taking
with him his family repaired immediately to Rochefort to embark on
board the Medusa frigate.
Early on the morning of the 12th of June, we were on our way to the
boats that were to convey us on board the Medusa, which was riding at
anchor off the island of Aix, distant about four leagues from
Rochefort. The field through which we passed was sown with corn.
Wishing before I left our beautiful France, to make my farewell to the
flowers, and, whilst our family went leisurely forward to the place
where we were to embark upon the Charente, I crossed the furrows, and
gathered a few blue-bottles and poppies. We soon arrived at the place
of embarkation, where we found some of our fellow passengers, who,
like myself, seemed casting a last look to Heaven, whilst they were
yet on the French soil.--We embarked, however and left these happy
shores. In descending the tortuous course of the Charente, contrary
winds so impeded our progress, that we did not reach the Medusa till
the morrow, having taken twenty-four hours in sailing four leagues. At
length we mounted the deck of the Medusa, of painful memory. When we
got on board, we found our berths not provided for us, consequently
were obliged to remain indiscriminately together till the next day.
Our family, which consisted of nine persons, was placed in a berth
near the main deck. As the wind was still contrary, we lay at anchor
for seventeen days.
On the 17th of June, at four in the morning, we set sail as did the
whole expedition, which consisted of the Medusa frigate, the Loire
store-ship, the Argus brig and the Echo corvette. The wind being
favorable, we soon lost sight of the green fields of l'Aunis. At six
in the morning, however, the island of Rhe still appeared above the
horizon. We fixed our eyes upon it with regret, to salute for the last
time our dear country. Now, imagine the ship borne aloft, and
surrounded by huge mountains of water, which at one moment tossed it
in the air, and at another plunged it into the profound abyss.
The waves, raised by a stormy northwest breeze, came dashing in a
horrible manner against the sides of our ship.--I knew not whether it
was a presentiment of the misfortune which menaced us that had made me
pass the preceding night in the most cruel inquietude. In my
agitation, I sprang upon deck, and contemplated with horror the
frigate winging its way upon the waters. The winds pressed against the
sails with great violence, strained and whistled among the cordage;
and the great bulk of wood seemed to split every time the surge broke
upon its sides. On looking a little out to sea I perceived at no great
distance on our right, all the other ships of the expedition, which
quieted me very much. Towards ten in the morning the wind changed;
immediately an appalling cry was heard, concerning which the
passengers, as well as myself, were equally ignorant. The whole crew
were in motion. Some climbed the rope ladders, and seemed to perch on
the extremities of the yards; others mounted to the highest parts of
the mast; these bellowing and pulling the cordages in cadence; those
crying, swearing, whistling, and filling the air with barbarous and
unknown sounds. The officer on duty, in his turn, roaring out these
words, starboard, larboard, hoist, luff, tack, which the helmsman
repeated in the same tone. All this hubbub, however, produced its
effect; the yards were turned on their pivots, the sails set, the
cordage tightened, and the unfortunate sea-boys having received their
lesson descended to the deck. Every thing remained tranquil, except
that the waves still roared, and the masts continued their creaking.
However the sails were swelled, the wind less violent, though
favorable, and the mariner, while he caroled his song, said we had a
noble voyage.
During several days we did indeed enjoy a delightful passage. All the
ships of the expedition still kept together, but at length the breeze
became changeable, and they all disappeared. The Echo, however, still
kept in sight, and persisted in accompanying us, as if to guide us on
our route. The wind becoming more favorable, we held due south,
sailing at the rate of sixty-two leagues a day. The sea was so fine,
and our journey so rapid, that I began to think it nearly as agreeable
to travel by sea as by land; but my illusion was not of long duration.
On the 28th of June, at six in the morning, we discovered the Peak of
Teneriffe, towards the south, the summit of whose cone seemed lost in
the clouds. We were then distant about two leagues, which we made in
less than a quarter of an hour. At ten o'clock we brought to before
the town of St. Croix. Several officers got leave to go on shore to
procure refreshments.
While these gentlemen were away, a certain passenger, member of the
self-instituted Philanthropic Society of Cape Verd, suggested that it
was very dangerous to remain where we were, adding that he was well
acquainted with the country, and had navigated in all these latitudes.
M. Le Roy Lachaumareys, captain of the Medusa, believing the pretended
knowledge of the intriguing Richefort, gave him the command of the
frigate. Various officers of the navy, represented to the captain how
shameful it was to put such confidence in a stranger, and they would
never obey a man who had no character as a commander. The captain
despised these wise remonstrances; and, using his authority, commanded
the pilots, and all the crew, to obey Richefort; saying he was king,
since the orders of the king were, that they should obey him.
Immediately the imposter, desirous of displaying his great skill in
navigation, made them change the route, for no purpose, but that of
showing his skill in manoeuvring the ship.--Every instant he changed
the tack, went, came and returned, and approached the very reefs, as
if to brave them; in short, he beat about so much, that the sailors at
length refused to obey him, saying boldly that he was a vile imposter.
But it was done. The man had gained the confidence of Captain
Lachaumareys, who ignorant of navigation himself, was doubtless glad
to get someone to undertake his duty. But it must be told, that this
blind inept confidence was the sole cause of the loss of the Medusa
frigate, as well as all the crimes consequent upon it.
Towards three in the afternoon, those officers who went on shore in
the morning, returned on board loaded with vegetables, fruits and
flowers. They laughed heartily at the manoeuvres that had been going
on during their absence, which doubtless did not please the captain,
who flattered himself he had already found in his pilot Richefort, a
good and able seaman; such were his words.
At four in the afternoon we took a southerly direction. M. Richefort,
then beaming with exultation for having, as he said, saved the Medusa
from certain shipwreck, continued to give his pernicious counsels to
the captain, persuading him he had been often employed to explore the
shores of Africa, and that he was perfectly well acquainted with the
Arguin Bank. The journals of the 29th and 30th afford nothing very
remarkable.
The hot winds from the desert of Sahara began to be felt, which told
us we approached the tropic; indeed, the sun at noon seemed suspended
perpendicularly above our heads, a phenomenon which few among us had
ever seen.
On the 1st of July, we recognised Cape Bojador, and then saw the
shores of Sahara. Towards ten in the morning, they set about the
frivolous ceremony which the sailors have invented for the purpose of
exacting something from those passengers who have never crossed the
line. During the ceremony, the frigate doubled Cape Barbas hastening
to its destruction. Captain Lachaumareys very good humoredly presided
at this species of baptism, while his dear Richefort promenaded the
forecastle, and looked with indifference upon a shore bristling with
dangers. However that may be, all passed on well; nay, it may even be
said that the farce was well played off. But the route which we
pursued soon made us forget the short lived happiness we had
experienced. Every one began to observe the sudden change which had
taken place in the color of the sea, as we ran upon the bank in
shallow water. A general murmur arose among the passengers and
officers of the navy;--they were far from partaking in the blind
confidence of the captain.
On the second of July, at five in the morning, the captain was
persuaded that a large cloud, which was discovered in the direction of
Cape Blanco, was that Cape itself. After this pretended discovery,
they ought to have steered to the west, for about fifty leagues, to
have gained sea room to double with certainty the Arguin Bank;
moreover, they ought to have conformed to the instructions the
Minister of Marine had given to the ships which set out for Senegal.
The other part of the expedition, from having followed these
instructions arrived in safety at their destination. During the
preceding night, the Echo, which had hitherto accompanied the Medusa,
made several signals, but being replied to with contempt, abandoned
us. Towards ten in the morning, the danger which threatened us was
again represented to the captain, and he was strongly urged, if he
wished to avoid the Arguin Bank, to take a westerly course; but the
advice was again neglected, and he despised the predictions. One of
the officers of the frigate, from having wished to expose the
in
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