You all know what a storm on shore is when it seems as if the windows
must be blown in, or the roof taken off, when the walls shake, and big
trees are torn up by the roots and thrown down. At sea the wind blows
up the water into large hills with foaming tops, which seem to rise and
leap on every side, or to come rolling on towards the ship as if they
would knock her to pieces, or drive her under them. Instead, she mounts
up the hills of water, and a deep valley is seen far below her.
All sail was taken in, and our big ship ran before the wind, tossed
about as if she were a mere washtub. Above our heads were the dark
driving clouds, on every side the rolling, foaming, roaring waves. Not
another sail did we see, while the nearest land, we knew, was hundreds
of miles away. Often and often I thought that the waves would catch us,
and send us all to the bottom. Then I remembered what father used to
say, "Trust in God; He knows what is best for us. If he thinks that it
is best for us all to be drowned, His will be done." So when I was
ordered to turn in, I went into the little narrow cupboard sort of
place, which was my berth, and slept as soundly as if the ship was in
harbour. Our crew was divided into two watches, that is to say, one
half of us were on deck at one time, and one half at another, except
when all hands were called. When it was again my watch on deck, I found
the ship flying on as before, with the same dark sky above and tossing
waves around me. On she drove, rolling from side to side, and pitching
into the seas as if she was going down under them. I could not stand on
the deck for a moment without holding on to a rope or the bulwarks.
Still I liked to watch the big, dark, green waves, as they rose and
tumbled about. Even the old sailors could do very little, and it was
hard work for the cook to keep the pots on the fire to cook our food.
Things had got somewhat worse when Toby crawled up to me.
"I say, Tom, don't you think that we be all going to be drowned?" he
asked, his teeth chattering with fear and cold.
"I hope not, but I do not like the look of matters," I answered.
"No, they are very bad, depend on it," he said. "I heard some of the
men telling Bill Sniggs that he'd better repent of his sins, for that
may be in a few hours he wouldn't have much chance."
"Perhaps they were only joking him," said I.
"Oh no, they looked too grave for that," said Toby. "It's very awful."
While we were speaking a fierce squall struck the ship. There was a
loud crash, and a cry of "Stand from under." And down came the
fore-topmast and all its rigging; the ropes flying about our heads, and
the spars nearly striking us. I thought that it was all over with us,
and looked to see if Toby had been carried away, but there he stood
clearing himself, as I was doing, from the ropes.
The men, led by the mates, had work enough to clear the wreck of the
masts, and to get the spars stowed away. I should have thought that we
were in a bad state, but the officers and men took matters very coolly,
so I hoped that all was right.
Not long after this a ship was seen ahead. They said that she was a
large ship with some of her masts gone, and that a flag was flying which
showed that she was in distress--that is, in a bad way--like to sink.
We soon drove down to her. There she lay in the trough of the sea. I
heard Mr Alder say that she was twice as big as we were, that there
were soldiers on board with their wives and children, but that we could
give her no help. As we drew near, we saw a number of men at the pumps,
working away for their lives. Some fifty soldiers or more stood ready
drawn up to take their places. There were many more people on deck.
They stretched out their hands as they saw us come near. It made my
heart bleed to think that we could give them no help, but if we had
tried to lower a boat, our own people would have been lost.
For the first time I saw some of our men change colour. They had good
reason to do so, for it seemed as if we should drive right against the
ship and send her to the bottom and ourselves also. As it was, we
passed so near that we could see the look of fear in the faces of the
people, and could hear their piteous cries.
She had not a boat remaining, and had a raft been formed, the people
would have been swept off in that raging sea.
No, there was no hope for a single being on board. Still they might
live on in that state for hours.
I was thinking how sad it was for them when I heard a cry, and saw on a
sudden the big ship lift up her bows out of the water. The people
rushed forward; many were caught by the sea and swept away. It mattered
little even for those who gained the forecastle,--down, down went the
ship; and then I rubbed my eyes. The tops of her masts were seen above
the waves; they too sunk, and for some minutes there was not a sign of
her left. In those few short moments all the men and women and children
who were on board had lost their lives, and were called to stand before
God.
Here and there a spar, or a plank, or a hencoop, or grating floated up,
but not one person could we see.
On we flew. We could have given no help; none was wanted.
"Many a tall ship has gone down in the same way when no one has been
near to see it, many another will thus go down," said Mr Alder, who was
standing near me. "It should teach us sailors to be ready to go up to
God at a moment's call; ay, and landsmen too, for who knows who may next
be called."