CHAPTER VI.
"The yesty waves Confound and swallow navigation up." _Macbeth._
Poor Captain Robbins! No sooner did he regain his bodily strength, thanhe began to endure the pain of mind that was inseparable from theloss of his ship. Marble, who, now that he had fallen to the humblercondition of a second-mate, was more than usually disposed to becommunicative with me, gave me to understand that our old superior hadat first sounded Captain Digges on the subject of proceeding to thewreck, in order to ascertain what could be saved; but the latter hadsoon convinced him that a first-rate Philadelphia Indiaman had somethingelse to do besides turning wrecker. After a pretty broad hint to thiseffect, the John, and all that was in her, were abandoned to their fate.Marble, however, was of opinion that the gale in which the launch cameso near being lost, must have broken the ship entirely to pieces, givingher fragments to the ocean. We never heard of her fate, or recovered asingle article that belonged to her.
Many were the discussions between Captain Robbins and his two mates,touching the error in reckoning that had led them so far from theircourse. In that day, navigation was by no means as simple a thing as ithas since become. It is true, lunars were usually attempted in Indiaand China ships; but this was not an every-day affair, like the presentmorning and afternoon observations to obtain the time, and, by means ofthe chronometer, the longitude. Then we had so recently got clear of theislands, as to have no great need of any extraordinary head-work; andthe "bloody currents" had acted their pleasure with us for eight or tendays before the loss of the ship. Marble was a very good navigator,one of the best I ever sailed with, in spite of the plainness of hisexterior, and his rough deportment; and, all things considered, hetreated his old commander with great delicacy, promising to do all hecould, when he got home, to clear the matter up. As for Kite, he knewbut little, and had the discretion to say but little. This moderationrendered our passage all the more agreeable.
The Tigris was a very fast ship, besides being well-found. She was alittle larger than the John, and mounted twelve guns, nine-pounders. Inconsequence of the additions made to her crew, one way and another, shenow mustered nearer fifty than forty souls on board. Captain Digges hadcertain martial tastes, and, long before we were up with the Cape, hehad us all quartered and exercised at the guns. He, too, had had anaffair with some proas, and he loved to converse of the threshing he hadgiven the rascals. I thought he envied us our exploit, though this mighthave been mere imagination on my part, for he was liberal enough in hiscommendations. The private intelligence he had received of the relationsbetween France and America, quickened his natural impulses; and, by thetime we reached St. Helena, the ship might have been said to be in goodfighting order for a merchantman. We touched at this last-mentionedisland for supplies, but obtained no news of any interest. Those whosupplied the ship could tell us nothing but the names of the Indiamenwho had gone out and home for the last twelvemonth, and the prices offresh meat and vegetables. Napoleon civilized them, seventeen yearslater.
We had a good run from St. Helena to the calm latitudes, but theselast proved calmer than common. We worried through them after a while,however, and then did very well until we got in the latitude of theWindward Islands. Marble one day remarked to me that Captain Diggeswas standing closer to the French island of Guadaloupe than was at allnecessary or prudent, if he believed in his own reports of the dangerthere existed to American commerce, in this quarter of the ocean.
I have lived long enough, and have seen too much of men and things, tofancy my country and countrymen right in all their transactions, merelybecause newspapers, members of congress, and fourth of July orators,are pleased to affirm the doctrine. No one can go much to sea withoutreading with great distrust many of the accounts, in the journals ofthe day, of the grievous wrongs done the commerce of America by theauthorities of this or that port, the seizure of such a ship, or theimprisonment of some particular set of officers and men. As a rule,it is safer to assume that the afflicted parties deserve all that hashappened to them, than to believe them immaculate; and, quite likely,much more, too. The habit of receiving such appeals to their sympathies,renders the good people of the republic peculiarly liable to impositionsof this nature; and the mother who encourages those of her children whofetch and carry, will be certain to have her ears filled with complaintsand tattle. Nevertheless, it is a fact beyond all dispute, that thecommerce of the country was terribly depredated on by nearly all theEuropean belligerents, between the commencement of the war of the Frenchrevolution and its close. So enormous were the robberies thus committedon the widely extended trade of this nation, under one pretence oranother, as to give a colouring of retributive justice, if not of moralright, to the recent failures of certain States among us to pay theirdebts. Providence singularly avenges all wrongs by its unerring course;and I doubt not, if the facts could be sifted to the bottom, it wouldbe found the devil was not permitted to do his work, in either case,without using materials supplied by the sufferers, in some direct orindirect manner, themselves. Of all the depredations on American tradejust mentioned, those of the great sister republic, at the close of thelast century, were among the most grievous, and were of a characterso atrocious and bold, that I confess it militates somewhat against mytheory to admit that France owns very little of the "suspended debt;"but I account for this last circumstance by the reparation she in partmade, by the treaty of 1831. With England it is different. She drove usinto a war by the effects of her orders in council and paper blockades,and compelled us to expend a hundred millions to set matters right. Ishould like to see the books balanced, not by the devil, who equallyinstigated the robberies on the high seas, and the "suspension" or"repudiation" of the State debts; but by the great Accountant who keepsa record of all our deeds of this nature, whether it be to make moneyby means of cruising ships, or cruising scrip. It is true, these roversencountered very differently-looking victims, in the first place; but itis a somewhat trite remark, that the aggregate of human beings is prettymuch the same in all situations. There were widows and orphans asmuch connected with the condemnation of prizes, as with the prices ofcondemned stock; and I do not see that fraud is any worse when carriedon by scriveners and clerks with quills behind their ears, than whencarried on by gentlemen wearing cocked hats, and carrying swordsby their sides. On the whole, I am far from certain that theaccount-current of honesty is not slightly--honesty very _slightly_leavens either transaction--in favour of the non-paying States, as mendo sometimes borrow with good intentions, and fail, from inability,to pay; whereas, in the whole course of my experience, I never knew acaptor of a ship who intended to give back any of the prize-money, if hecould help it. But, to return to my adventures.
We were exactly in the latitude of Guadaloupe, with the usual breeze,when, at daylight, a rakish-looking brig was seen in chase. CaptainDigges took a long survey of the stranger with his best glass, one thatwas never exhibited but on state occasions, and then he pronouncedhim to be a French cruiser; most probably a privateer. That he was aFrenchman, Marble affirmed, was apparent by the height of his top-masts,and the shortness of his yards; the upper spars, in particular, beingmere apologies for yards. Everybody who had any right to an opinion, wassatisfied the brig was a French cruiser, either public or private.
The Tigris was a fast ship, and she was under top-mast and top-gallantstudding-sails at the time, going about seven knots. The brig was on aneasy bowline, evidently looking up for our wake, edging off gradually aswe drew ahead. She went about nine knots, and bade fair to close with usby noon. There was a good deal of doubt, aft, as to the course we oughtto pursue. It was decided in the end, however, to shorten sail and letthe brig come up, as being less subject to cavils, than to seem to avoidher. Captain Digges got out his last letters from home, and I saw himshowing them to Captain Robbins, the two conning them over with greatearnestness. I was sent to do some duty near the hencoops, where theywere sitting, and overheard a part of their conversation. From thediscourse, I gathered tha
t the proceedings of these picaroons were oftenequivocal, and that Americans were generally left in doubt, untila favourable moment occurred for the semi-pirates to effect theirpurposes. The party assailed did not know when or how to defend himself,until it was too late.
"These chaps come aboard you, sometimes, before you're aware of whatthey are about," observed Captain Robbins.
"I'll not be taken by surprise in that fashion," returned Digges, aftera moment of reflection. "Here, you Miles, go forward and tell the cookto fill his coppers with water, and to set it boiling as fast as he can;and tell Mr. Marble I want him aft. Bear a hand, now, youngster, andgive them a lift yourself."
Of course I obeyed, wondering what the captain wanted with so much hotwater as to let the people eat their dinners off cold grub, rather thandispense with it; for this was a consequence of his decree. But wehad not got the coppers half-filled, before I saw Mr. Marble and Neblowering a small ship's engine from the launch, and placing it near thegalley, in readiness to be filled. The mate told Neb to screw on thepipe, and then half a dozen of the men, as soon as we got through withthe coppers, were told to fill the engine with sea-water. Captain Diggesnow came forward to superintend the exercise, and Neb jumped on theengine, flourishing the pipe about with the delight of a "nigger." Thecaptain was diverted with the black's zeal, and he appointed him captainof the firemen on the spot.
"Now, let us see what you can do at that forward dead eye, darky," saidCaptain Digges, laughing. "Take it directly on the strap. Play away,boys, and let Neb try his hand."
It happened that Neb hit the dead-eye at the first jet, and he showedgreat readiness in turning the stream from point to point, as ordered.Neb's conduct on the night of the affair with the proas had been toldto Captain Digges, who was so well pleased with the fellow's presentdexterity, as to confirm him in office. He was told to stick by theengine at every hazard. Soon after, an order was given to clear foraction. This had an ominous sound to my young ears, and, though I haveno reason to suppose myself deficient in firmness, I confess I began tothink again of Clawbonny, and Grace, and Lucy; ay, and even of the mill.This lasted but for a moment, however, and, as soon as I got at work,the feeling gave me no trouble. We were an hour getting the ship ready,and, by that time, the brig was within half a mile, luffing fairly up onour lee-quarter. As we had shortened sail, the privateer manifested nointention of throwing a shot to make us heave-to. She seemed disposed toextend courtesy for courtesy.
The next order was for all hands to go to quarters. I was stationed inthe main-top, and Rupert in the fore. Our duties were to do light work,in the way of repairing damages; and the captain, understanding that wewere both accustomed to fire-arms, gave us a musket a-piece, with ordersto blaze away as soon as they began the work below. As we had both stoodfire once, we thought ourselves veterans, and proceeded to our stations,smiling and nodding to each other as we went up the rigging. Of the two,my station was the best, since I could see the approach of the brig, themizen-top-sail offering but little obstruction to vision after she gotnear; whereas the main-top-sail was a perfect curtain, so far aspoor Rupert was concerned. In the way of danger, there was not muchdifference as to any of the stations on board, the bulwarks of the shipbeing little more than plank that would hardly stop a musket-ball; andthen the French had a reputation for firing into the rigging.
As soon as all was ready, the captain sternly ordered silence. By thistime the brig was near enough to hail. I could see her decks quiteplainly, and they were filled with men. I counted her guns, too, andascertained she had but ten, all of which seemed to be lighter thanour own. One circumstance that I observed, however, was suspicious. Herforecastle was crowded with men, who appeared to be crouching behind thebulwarks, as if anxious to conceal their presence from the eyes of thosein the Tigris. I had a mind to jump on a back-stay and slip down ondeck, to let this threatening appearance be known; but I had heard somesayings touching the imperative duty of remaining at quarters in face ofthe enemy, and I did not like to desert my station. Tyroes have alwaysexaggerated notions both of their rights and their duties, and I hadnot escaped the weakness. Still, I think some credit is due for thealternative adopted. During the whole voyage, I had kept a reckoning,and paper and pencil were always in my pocket, in readiness to catch amoment to finish a day's work. I wrote as follows on a piece ofpaper, therefore, as fast as possible, and dropped the billet on thequarter-deck, by enclosing a copper in the scrawl, _cents_ then beingin their infancy. I had merely written--"The brig's forecastle is filledwith armed men, hid behind the bulwarks!" Captain Digges heard the fallof the copper, and looking up--nothing takes an officer's eyes aloftquicker than to find anything coming out of a top!--he saw me pointingto the paper. I was rewarded for this liberty by an approving nod.Captain Digges read what I had written, and I soon observed Neb and thecook filling the engine with boiling water. This job was no sooner donethan a good place was selected on the quarter-deck for this singularimplement of war, and then a hail came from the brig.
"Vat zat sheep is?" demanded some one from the brig.
"The Tigris of Philadelphia, from Calcutta _home_. What brig is _that_?"
"_La Folie--corsair Francais_. From vair you come?"
"From Calcutta. And where are _you_ from?"
"Guadaloupe. Vair you go, eh?"
"Philadelphia. Do not luff so near me; some accident may happen."
"Vat you call '_accident_?' Can nevair hear, eh? I will come _toutpres_."
"Give us a wider berth, I tell you! Here is your jib boom nearly foul ofmy mizen-rigging."
"Vat mean zat, bert' vidair? eh! _Allons, mes enfants, c'est lemoment_!"
"Luff a little, and keep his spar clear," cried our captain. "Squirtaway, Neb, and let us see what you can do!"
The engine made a movement, just as the French began to run out ontheir bowsprit, and, by the time six or eight were on the heel of thejib-boom, they were met by the hissing hot stream, which took them _enechelon_, as it might be, fairly raking the whole line. The effectwas instantaneous. Physical nature cannot stand excessive heat, unlessparticularly well supplied with skin; and the three leading Frenchmen,finding retreat impossible, dropped incontinently into the sea,preferring cold water to hot--the chances of drowning, to the certaintyof being scalded. I believe all three were saved by their companionsin-board, but I will not vouch for the fact. The remainder of theintended boarders, having the bowsprit before them, scrambled back uponthe brig's forecastle as well as they could, betraying, by therandom way in which their hands flew about, that they had a perfectconsciousness how much they left their rear exposed on the retreat. Ahearty laugh was heard in all parts of the Tigris, and the brig,putting her helm hard up, wore round like a top, as if she were scaldedherself.{*]
{Footnote *: This incident actually occurred in the war of 1798]
We all expected a broadside now; but of that there was littleapprehension, as it was pretty certain we carried the heaviest battery,and had men enough to work it. But the brig did not fire, I supposebecause we fell off a little ourselves, and she perceived it mightprove a losing game. On the contrary, she went quite round on her heel,hauling up on the other tack far enough to bring the two vessels exactly_dos a dos_. Captain Digges ordered two of the quarter-deck nines to berun out of the stern-ports; and it was well he did, for it was not innature for men to be treated as our friends in the brig had been served,without manifesting certain signs of ill-humour. The vessels might havebeen three cables' lengths asunder when we got a gun. The first I knewof the shot was to hear it plunge through the mizen-top-sail, thenit came whistling through my top, between the weather-rigging and themast-head, cutting a hole through the main-top-sail, and, proceedingonward, I heard it strike something more solid than canvass. I thoughtof Rupert and the fore-top in an instant, and looked anxiously down ondeck to ascertain if he were injured.
"Fore-top, there!" called out Captain Digges. "Where did that shotstrike?"
"In the mast-head," answered Rupert, in a clear
, firm voice. "It hasdone no damage, sir."
"Now's your time, Captain Robbing--give 'em a reminder."
Both our nines were fired, and, a few seconds after, three cheers arosefrom the decks of our ship. I could not see the brig, now, for themizen-top-sail; but I afterwards learned that we had shot away her gaff.This terminated the combat, in which the glory was acquired principallyby Neb. They told me, when I got down among the people again, that theblack's face had been dilated with delight the whole time, though hestood fairly exposed to musketry, his mouth grinning from ear to ear.Neb was justly elated with the success that attended this exhibition ofhis skill, and described the retreat of our enemies with a humour andrelish that raised many a laugh at the discomfited privateersman. It iscertain that some of the fellows must have been nearly parboiled.
I have always supposed this affair between la Folie and the Tigris tohave been the actual commencement of hostilities in the _quasi_ warof 1798-9 and 1800. Other occurrences soon supplanted it in the publicmind; but we of the ship never ceased to regard the adventure as one ofgreat national interest. It did prove to be a nine days' wonder in thenewspapers.
From this time, nothing worthy of being noted occurred, until we reachedthe coast. We had got as high as the capes of Virginia, and were runningin for the land, with a fair wind, when we made a ship in-shore of us.The stranger hauled up to speak us, as soon as we were seen. There wasa good deal of discussion about this vessel, as she drew near, betweenCaptain Digges and his chief-mate. The latter said he knew the vessel,and that it was an Indiaman out of Philadelphia, called the Ganges, asort of sister craft to our own ship; while the former maintained, if itwere the Ganges at all, she was so altered as scarcely to be recognised.As we got near, the stranger threw a shot under our fore-foot, andshowed an American pennant and ensign. Getting a better look at her, wegot so many signs of a vessel-of-war in our neighbour, as to thinkit wisest to heave-to, when the other vessel passed under ourstern, tacked, and lay with her head-yards aback, a little on ourweather-quarter. As she drew to windward, we saw her stern, which hadcertain national emblems, but no name on it. This settled the matter.She was a man-of-war, and she carried the American flag! Such a thingdid not exist a few months before, when we left home, and Captain Diggeswas burning with impatience to know more. He was soon gratified.
"Is not that the Tigris?" demanded a voice, through a trumpet, from thestranger.
"Ay, ay! What ship is that?"
"The United States' Ship Ganges, Captain Dale; from the capes of theDelaware, bound on a cruise. You're welcome home, Captain Digges; we maywant some of your assistance under a cockade."
Digges gave a long whistle, and then the mystery was out. This provedto be the Ganges, as stated, an Indiaman bought into a new navy, and thefirst ship-of-war ever sent to sea under the government of the country,as it had existed since the adoption of the constitution, nine yearsbefore. The privateers of France had driven the republic into anarmament, and ships were fitting out in considerable numbers; somebeing purchased, like the Ganges, and others built expressly for the newmarine. Captain Digges went on board the Ganges, and, pulling an oarin his boat, I had a chance of seeing that vessel also. Captain Dale,a compact, strongly-built, seaman-like looking man, in a blue and whiteuniform, received our skipper with a cordial shake of the hand, forthey had once sailed together, and he laughed heartily when he heard thestory of the boarding-party and the hot water. This respectable officerhad no braggadocia about him, but he intimated that it would not belong, as he thought, before the rovers among the islands would havetheir hands full. Congress was in earnest, and the whole country wasfairly aroused. Whenever that happens in America, it is usually to takea new and better direction than to follow the ordinary blind impulsesof popular feelings. In countries where the masses count for nothing,in the every-day working of their systems, excitement has a tendency todemocracy; but, among ourselves, I think the effect of such a conditionof things is to bring into action men and qualities that are commonly oflittle account, and to elevate, instead of depressing, public sentiment.
I was extremely pleased with the manly, benevolent countenance ofCaptain Dale, and had half a desire to ask leave to join his ship on thespot. If that impulse had been followed, it is probable my future lifewould have been very different from what it subsequently proved. Ishould have been rated a midshipman, of course; and, serving so early,with a good deal of experience already in ships, a year or two wouldhave made me a lieutenant, and, could I have survived the pruning of1801, I should now have been one of the oldest officers in the service.Providence directed otherwise; and how much was lost, or how muchgained, by my continuance in the Tigris, the reader will learn as weproceed.
As soon as Captain Digges had taken a glass or two of wine with hisold acquaintance, we returned to our own ship, and the two vessels madesail; the Ganges standing off to the northward and eastward, whilewe ran in for the capes of the Delaware. We got in under Cape May, orwithin five miles of it, the same evening, when it fell nearly calm. Apilot came off from the cape in a row-boat, and he reached us just atdark. Captain Robbins now became all impatience to land, as it was ofimportance to him to be the bearer of his own bad news. Accordingly,an arrangement having been made with the two men who belonged to theshore-boat, our old commander, Rupert and myself, prepared to leave theship, late as it was. We two lads were taken for the purpose ofmanning two additional oars, but were to rejoin the ship in the bay, ifpossible; if not, up at town. One of the inducements of Captain Robbinsto be off, was the signs of northerly weather. It had begun to blow alittle in puffs from the north-west; and everybody knew, if it came onto blow seriously from that quarter, the ship might be a week in gettingup the river, her news being certain to precede her. We hurried offaccordingly, taking nothing with us but a change of linen, and a fewnecessary papers.
We got the first real blast from the north-west in less than fiveminutes after we had quitted the Tigris's side, and while the ship wasstill visible, or, rather, while we could yet see the lights in hercabin-windows, as she fell off before the wind. Presently the lightsdisappeared, owing, no doubt, to the ship's luffing again. The symptomsnow looked so threatening, that the pilot's men proposed making aneffort, before it was too late, to find the ship; but this was fareasier said than done. The vessel might be spinning away towards CapeHenlopen, at the rate of six or seven knots; and, without the means ofmaking any signal in the dark, it was impossible to overtake her. I dobelieve that Captain Robbins would have acceded to the request ofthe men, had he seen any probability of succeeding; as it was, thereremained no alternative but to pull in, and endeavour to reach the land.We had the light on the cape as our beacon, and the boat's head was keptdirectly for it, as the wisest course for us to pursue.
Changes of wind from south-east to north-west are very common on theAmerican coast. They are almost always sudden; sometimes so much so, asto take ships aback; and the force of the breeze usually comes soearly, as to have produced the saying that a "nor'-wester comes butt-endforemost." Such proved to be the fact in our case. In less than halfan hour after it began to blow, the wind would have brought the mostgallant ship that floated to double-reefed topsails, steering by, andto reasonably short-canvass, running large. We may have pulled a milein this half hour, though it was by means of a quick stroke and greatlabour. The Cape May men were vigorous and experienced, and they didwonders; nor were Rupert and I idle; but, as soon as the sea got up, itwas as much as all four of us could do to keep steerage-way on the boat.There were ten minutes, during which I really think the boat was kepthead to sea by means of the wash of the waves that drove past, as webarely held her stationary.
Of course, it was out of the question to continue exertions that wereas useless as they were exhausting. We tried the expedient, however, ofedging to the northward, with the hope of getting more under the lee ofthe land, and, consequently, into smoother water; but it did no good.The nearest we ever got to the light must have considerably exceeded aleague. At lengt
h Rupert, totally exhausted, dropped his oar, and fellpanting on the thwart. He was directed to steer, Captain Robbins takinghis place. I can only liken our situation at that fearful moment to thedanger of a man who is clinging to a cliff its summit and safety almostin reach of his hand, with the consciousness that his powers are fastfailing him, and that he must shortly go down. It is true, death was notso certain by our abandoning the effort to reach the land, but thehope of being saved was faint indeed. Behind us lay the vast and angryAtlantic, without an inch of visible land between us and the Rock ofLisbon. We were totally without food of any sort, though, luckily, therewas a small breaker of fresh water in the boat. The Cape May men hadbrought off their suppers with them, but they had made the meal;whereas the rest of us had left the Tigris fasting, intending to makecomfortable suppers at the light.
At length Captain Robbins consulted the boatmen, and asked them whatthey thought of our situation. I sat between these men, who had beenremarkably silent the whole time, pulling like giants. Both were young,though, as I afterwards learned, both were married; each having a wife,at that anxious moment, waiting on the beach of the cape for the returnof the boat. As Captain Robbins put the question, I turned my head,and saw that the man behind me, the oldest of the two, was in tears. Icannot describe the shock I experienced at this sight. Here was a manaccustomed to hardships and dangers, who was making the stoutest andmost manly efforts to save himself and all with him, at the verymoment, so strongly impressed with the danger of our situation, that hisfeelings broke forth in a way it is always startling to witness, whenthe grief of man is thus exhibited in tears. The imagination of thishusband was doubtless picturing to his mind the anguish of his wife atthat moment, and perhaps the long days of sorrow that were to succeed.I have no idea he thought of himself, apart from his wife: for a finer,more manly resolute fellow, never existed, as he subsequently proved, tothe fullest extent.
It seemed to me that the two Cape May men had a sort of desperatereluctance to give up the hope of reaching the land. We were a strongboat's crew, and we had a capital, though a light boat; yet all wouldnot do. About midnight, after pulling desperately for three hours, mystrength was quite gone, and I had to give up the oar. CaptainRobbins confessed himself in a very little better state, and, it beingimpossible for the boatmen to do more than keep the boat stationary, andthat only for a little time longer, there remained no expedient but tokeep off before the wind, in the hope of still falling in with the ship.We knew that the Tigris was on the starboard tack when we left her, and,as she would certainly endeavour to keep as close in with the land aspossible, there was a remaining chance that she had wore ship to keepoff Henlopen, and might be heading up about north-north-east, and layingathwart the mouth of the bay. This left us just a chance--a ray of hope;and it had now become absolutely necessary to endeavour to profit by it.
The two Cape May men pulled the boat round, and kept her just ahead ofthe seas, as far as it was in their power; very light touches of theoars sufficing for this, where it could be done at all. Occasionally,however, one of those chasing waves would come after us, at a racer'sspeed, invariably breaking at such instants, and frequently half-fillingthe boat. This gave us new employment, Rupert and myself being keptquite half the time bailing. No occupation, notwithstanding the danger,could prevent me from looking about the cauldron of angry waters, inquest of the ship. Fifty times did I fancy I saw her, and as oftendid the delusive idea end in disappointment. The waste of dark waters,relieved by the gleaming of the combing seas, alone met the senses.The wind blew directly down the estuary, and, in crossing its mouth, wefound too much swell to receive it on our beam, and were soon compelled,most reluctantly though it was, to keep dead away to prevent swamping.This painful state of expectation may have lasted half an hour, the boatsometimes seeming ready to fly out of the water, as it drifted beforethe gale, when Rupert unexpectedly called out that he saw the ship!
There she was, sure enough, with her head to the northward andeastward, struggling along through the raging waters, under her fore andmain-top-sails, close-reefed, and reefed courses, evidently clinging tothe land as close as she could, both to hold her own and to make goodweather. It was barely light enough to ascertain these facts, thoughthe ship was not a cable's length from us when first discovered.Unfortunately, she was dead to leeward of us, and was drawing ahead sofast as to leave the probability she would forereach upon us, unlesswe took to all our oars. This was done as soon as possible, and awaywe went, at a rapid rate, aiming to shoot directly beneath the Tigris'slee-quarter, so as to round-to under shelter of her hull, there toreceive a rope.
We pulled like giants. Three several times the water slapped into us,rendering the boat more and more heavy; but Captain Bobbins told us topull on, every moment being precious. As I did not look round--_could_not well, indeed--I saw no more of the ship until I got a sudden glimpseof her dark hull, within a hundred feet of us, surging ahead in themanner in which vessels at sea seem to take sudden starts that carrythem forward at twice their former apparent speed. Captain Robbins hadbegun to hail, the instant he thought himself near enough, or at thedistance of a hundred yards; but what was the human voice amid the musicof the winds striking the various cords, and I may add _chords_, in themazes of a square-rigged vessel's hamper, accompanied by the base ofthe roaring ocean! Heavens! what a feeling of despair was that, when thenovel thought suggested itself almost simultaneously to our minds, thatwe should not make ourselves heard! I say simultaneously, for at thesame instant the whole five of us set up a common, desperate shout toalarm those who were so near us, and who might easily save us from themost dreadful of all deaths--starvation at sea. I presume the fearfulmanner in which we struggled at the oars diminished the effect of ourvoices, while the effort to raise a noise lessened our power with theoars. We were already to leeward of the ship, though nearly in her wake,and our only chance now was to over take her. The captain called outto us to pull for life or death, and pull we did. So frantic were ourefforts, that I really think we should have succeeded, had not a seacome on board us, and filled us to the thwarts. There remained noalternative but to keep dead away, and to bail for our lives.
I confess I felt scalding tears gush down my cheeks, as I gazed at thedark mass of the ship just before it was swallowed up in the gloom.This soon occurred, and then, I make no doubt, every man in theboat considered himself as hopelessly lost. We continued to bail,notwithstanding; and, using hats, gourds, pots and pails, soon clearedthe boat, though it was done with no other seeming object than to avertimmediate death. I heard one of the Cape May men pray. The name of hiswife mingled with his petitions to God. As for poor Captain Robbins,who had so recently been in another scene of equal danger in a boat, heremained silent, seemingly submissive to the decrees of Providence.
In this state we must have drifted a league dead before the wind, theCape May men keeping their eyes on the light, which was just sinkingbelow the horizon, while the rest of us were gazing seaward in ominousexpectation of what awaited us in that direction, when the hail of "Boatahoy!" sounded like the last trumpet in our ears. A schooner was passingour track, keeping a little off, and got so near as to allow us to beseen, though, owing to a remark about the light which drew all eyes towindward, not a soul of us saw her. It was too late to avert the blow,for the hail had hardly reached us, when the schooner's cut-water camedown upon our little craft, and buried it in the sea as if it had beenlead. At such moments men do not think, but act. I caught at a bob-stay,and missed it. As I went down into the water, my hand fell upon someobject to which I clung, and, the schooner rising at the next instant, Iwas grasped by the hair by one of the vessel's men. I had hold of one ofthe Cape May men's legs. Released from my weight, this man was soon inthe vessel's head, and he helped to save me. When we got in-board, andmustered our party it was found that all had been saved but CaptainRobbins. The schooner wore round, and actually passed over the wreck ofthe boat a second time; but our old commander was never heard of more!
Afloat and Ashore: A Sea Tale Page 7
