The French having ceased firing, and manifesting an unmistakable anxiety
to withdraw from our proximity, we bestowed but little further attention
on them, for it quickly became clear to us that our own condition was
quite sufficiently serious to tax our energies to the utmost. The first
task demanding the attention of the carpenter and his mates was of
course the stoppage of our leaks, and a very difficult task indeed it
proved to be, owing to the rapidity with which the water was rising in
the hold; by manning the pumps, however, and employing the entire
available remainder of the crew in baling, we succeeded in plugging all
the shot-holes and clearing the hold of water by noon, when the men were
knocked off to go to their well-earned dinner. Then, indeed, we found
time to look around us and to ask ourselves and each other where the
French were and what they were doing. There was no difficulty in
furnishing a reply to either question, for our antagonists were only a
bare four miles off, and close together. But bad as our own plight was,
theirs was very much worse; for we now saw that the frigate which we had
raked so unmercifully was in a sinking condition, having settled so low
in the water indeed that the sills of her main-deck ports were awash and
dipping with every sluggish heave of her upon the low and almost
imperceptible swell, while her own boats and those of her consort were
busily engaged in taking off her crew. With the aid of my telescope I
could distinctly see all that was going on, and I saw also that the end
of the gallant craft was so near as to render her disappearance a matter
of but a few minutes. Hungry, therefore, as I was, I determined to
remain on deck and see the last of her. Nor had I long to wait; I had
scarcely arrived at the decision that I would do so, when, as I watched
her through my glass, I saw the boats that hung around her shoving off
hurriedly one after the other, until one only remained. Presently that
one also shoved off, and, loaded down to her gunwale, pulled, as hastily
as her overloaded condition would permit, toward the other frigate. She
had scarcely placed half a dozen fathoms between herself and the sinking
ship before the latter rolled heavily to port, slowly recovered herself,
and then rolled still more heavily to starboard, completely burying the
whole tier of her starboard ports as she did so. She hung thus for
perhaps half a minute, settling visibly all the time; finally she
_staggered_, as it were, once more to an even keel, but with her stern
dipping deeper and deeper every second until her taffrail was buried,
while her battered bows lifted slowly into the air, when, the
inclination of her decks rapidly growing steeper, she suddenly took a
sternward plunge and vanished from sight in the midst of a sudden swirl
of water that was distinctly visible through the lenses of the
telescope. The occupants of the boat that had so recently left her saw
their danger and put forth herculean efforts to avoid it; they were too
near, however, to escape, and despite all their exertions the boat was
caught and dragged back into the vortex created by the sinking ship,
into which she too disappeared. But a few seconds afterwards I saw
heads popping up above the water again, here and there, while a couple
of boats that had just discharged their cargo of passengers dashed away
to the rescue and were soon paddling hither and thither among the little
black spots that kept popping into view all round them. I waited until
all had seemingly been picked up, and then went below to secure what
dinner might be remaining for me.
When, after a hurried meal, I again went on deck, the horizon away to
the northward and eastward was darkening to a light air from that
quarter, that came gently stealing along the glassy surface of the
ocean, first in cat's-paws, then as a gentle breathing that caused the
polished undulations to break into a tremor of laughing ripples, and
finally into a light breeze, before which the surviving French frigate
bore up with squared yards, leaving us unmolested.
Meanwhile the crew, having dined, turned to again for a busy afternoon's
work, which consisted chiefly in clearing away the wreck of our fallen
spars, and saving as many of them and as much of our canvas and running
gear as would be likely to be of use to us in fitting the ship with a
jury-rig. And so well did the men work, that by sunset we were enabled
to cut adrift from the wreck of our lower masts, and to bear up in the
wake of the Frenchman, who by this time had run us out of sight in the
south-western quarter.
But, tired as the men were, there was no rest for them that night, for
it was felt to be imperatively necessary to get the ship under canvas
again without a moment's delay; moreover, despite the fact that the
shot-holes had all been plugged, it was found that the battered hull was
still leaking so seriously as to necessitate a quarter of an hour's
spell at the pumps every two hours. The hands were therefore kept at
work, watch and watch, all through the night, with the result that when
day broke next morning we had a pair of sheers rigged and on end, ready
to rear into position the spars that had been prepared and fitted as
lower masts. The end of that day found us once more under sail, after a
fashion, and heading on our course to the southward and westward.
For the following two days all went well with us, save that the ship
continued to make water so freely as to necessitate the use of the pumps
at the middle and end of every watch, a fair breeze driving us along
under our jury-canvas at the rate of five to six knots per hour. Toward
evening, however, on the second day, signs of a change of weather began
to manifest themselves, the sky to windward losing its rich tint of blue
and becoming pallid and hard, streaked with mares' tails and flecked
with small, smoky-looking, swift-flying clouds, while the setting sun,
as he neared the horizon, lost his radiance and became a mere shapeless
blotch of angry red that finally seemed to dissolve and disappear in a
broad bank of slate-hued vapour. The sea too changed its colour, from
the clear steel-blue that it had hitherto worn to the hue of indigo
smirched with black. Moreover, I heard the captain remark to Mr Dawson
that the mercury was falling and that he feared we were in for a dirty
night.
And, indeed, so it seemed; for about the middle of the second dog-watch
the wind lulled perceptibly and we had a sharp rain-squall, soon after
which it breezed up again, the wind coming first of all in gusts and
then in a strong breeze that, as the night wore on, steadily increased
until it was blowing half a gale, with every indication of worse to
come. The sea, too, rose rapidly, and came rushing down upon our
starboard quarter, high, steep, and foam-crested, causing the frigate to
roll and tumble about most unpleasantly under her jury-rig and short
canvas. Altogether, the prospects for the night were so exceedingly
unpromising that I must plead guilty to having experienced a selfish joy
at the reflection that it was my eight hours in.
When I went on deck at midnight that night, I found that the wind had
increased to a whole gale, with a very high and confused sea running,
over which the poor maimed _Althea_ was wallowing along at a speed of
about eight and a half knots, with a dismal groaning of timbers that
harmonised lugubriously with the clank of the chain pumps and the swash
of water washing nearly knee-deep about the decks--for the hooker
laboured so heavily that she was leaking like a basket, necessitating
the unremitting use of the pumps throughout the watch. And--worst of
all--Keene whispered to me that, even with the pumps going constantly,
the water was slowly but distinctly gaining. And thus it continued all
through the middle watch.
It was hoped that the gale would not be of long duration, but at eight
bells next morning the news was that the mercury was still falling,
while the wind, instead of evincing a disposition to moderate, blew
harder than ever. And oh, what a dreary outlook it was when, swathed in
oilskins, I passed through the hatchway and stepped out on deck! The
sky was entirely veiled by an unbroken mass of dark, purplish, slate-
coloured cloud that was almost black in its deeper shadows, with long,
tattered streamers of dirty whitish vapour scurrying wildly athwart it;
a heavy, leaden-hued, white-crested, foam-flecked sea was running, and
in the midst of the picture was the poor crippled frigate, rolling and
labouring and staggering onward like a wounded sea-bird under her jury-
spars and spray-darkened canvas, with a miniature ocean washing hither
and thither athwart her heaving deck, and a crowd of panting, straining,
half-naked men clustering about her pumps, while others were as busily
employed in passing buckets up and down through the hatchways; the whole
set to the dismal harmony of howling wind, hissing spray, the wearisome
and incessant wash of water, and the groaning and complaining sounds of
the labouring hull. The skipper and the first luff were pacing the
weather side of the poop together in earnest converse, and at each turn
in their walk they both paused for an instant, as by mutual consent, to
cast a look of anxious inquiry to windward.
Presently I saw the carpenter coming along the deck with the sounding-
rod in his hand. I intercepted him just by the foot of the poop ladder
and remarked--
"Well, Chips, what is the best news you have to tell us?"
"The best news?" echoed Chips, with a solemn shake of the head; "there
ain't _no_ best, Mr Courtenay, it's all worst, sir; there's over four
foot of water in the hold now, and it's gainin' on us at the rate of
five inches an hour; and if this here gale don't break pretty quick I
won't answer for the consequences!"
And up he went to make his report to the skipper.
This was bad news indeed, especially for the unfortunate men who were
compelled by dire necessity to toil unceasingly at the back-breaking
labour of working the pumps; but I felt no apprehension as to our
ultimate safety. Five inches of water per hour was a formidable gain
for a leak to make in spite of all the pumping and baling that could be
accomplished, yet it would take so many hours at that rate to reduce the
frigate to a water-logged condition that ere the arrival of that moment
the gale would certainly blow itself out, the labouring and straining of
the ship would cease, the leak would be got under control again, and all
would be well.
But when, at noon that day,--the gale showing no symptoms whatever of
abatement,--the captain gave orders for the upper-deck guns to be
launched overboard, I began to realise that our condition was such as
might easily become critical. And when, about half an hour before
sunset, orders were given to throw the _main-deck_ guns overboard, it
became borne in upon me that matters were becoming mighty serious with
us.
With the approach of night the gale seemed rather to increase in
strength than otherwise, while the sea was certainly considerably
heavier; and the worst of it was that there was no indication of an
approaching change for the better. As for the poor _Althea_, she
certainly did not labour quite so heavily now that she was relieved of
the weight of her guns, but the water in the hold still gained steadily
upon the pumps, and the more experienced hands among us were beginning
to hint at the possibility of our being compelled to leave her and take
to the boats. And these hints received something of confirmation when,
shortly after the commencement of the first watch, the carpenter and his
mates were seen going the rounds of the boats and examining into their
condition with the aid of lanterns. Nevertheless, and despite these
omens, the men stuck resolutely to the pumps and the baling all through
the night, the captain and the first lieutenant animating and
encouraging them by their presence throughout the long, dismal, dreary
hours of darkness.
About three bells in the morning watch the welcome news spread
throughout the ship that the mercury had at length begun to rise again;
and with the approach of dawn it became apparent that the gale was
breaking, the sky to windward gave signs of clearing, and hope once more
sprang up within our breasts. But the men, although still willing and
even eager to continue the heart-breaking work of pumping and baling,
were by this time utterly worn out; the water in the hold steadily and
relentlessly gained upon them, despite their most desperate efforts, and
by the arrival of breakfast-time it had become perfectly apparent to
everybody that the poor old _Althea_ was a doomed ship!
If, however, there was any doubt as to this in the minds of any of us,
it was quickly dispelled, for after breakfast the order was passed to
knock off baling; and the men thus relieved were at once set to work
under the first and second lieutenants, the one party to prepare a sea
anchor, and the other to attend to the provisioning of the boats and get
them ready for launching. I was attached to the first lieutenant's
party, or that which undertook the preparation of the sea anchor; and as
the idea impressed me as being rather ingenious, I will describe it for
the benefit of those who may feel interested in such matters, prefacing
my description with the explanation that, in consequence of the
springing up of the gale so soon after our action with the Frenchmen,
our jury-rig was of a very primitive and incomplete character, such as
would enable us to run fairly well before the wind, but not such as
would permit of our lying-to; hence the need for a sea anchor, now that
the necessity had arisen for us to launch our boats in heavy weather.
The sea anchor was the offspring of the first lieutenant's
inventiveness, and it consisted of an old fore-topsail bent to a couple
of booms of suitable length and stoutness. The head of the sail was
bent to one of the booms with seizings, in much the same manner as it
would have been bent to a topsail yard, while the clews were securely
lashed to the extremities of the other boom. Then to the boom which
represented the topsail yard was attached, a crow-foot made of two spans
of stout hawser, having an eye in the centre of them to which to bend
the cable. The lower boom was well weighted by the attachment to it of
a number of pigs of iron ballast, as well as our stream anchor; after
which the starboard cable was paid out and passed along aft, outside the
fore rigging, the end being then brought inboard and bent on to the
crow-foot. The whole was then made up as compactly as possible with
lashings, after which, by means of tackles aloft, it was hoisted clear
of the bulwarks and lowered down over the side; the lashings were then
cut and the sail dropped into the water, opening out as it did so, when,
the lower boom sinking with the weight attached to it, a broad surface
was exposed, acting as a very efficient sea anchor. At the moment when
everything was ready to let go, the ship's helm was put hard over,
bringing her broad-side-on to the sea, when, as she drove away to
leeward, she brought a strain upon her cable that at once fetched her up
head to wind. This part of the process having been successfully
accomplished, it was an easy matter to bend a spring on to the cable and
heave the ship round broadside-on to the sea once more, in which
position she afforded an excellent lee under the shelter of which to
launch our boats, which, but for this contrivance, must have inevitably
been swamped.
By the time that all this was done the boats were ready for launching,
and the captain gave orders for this to be at once proceeded with,
beginning with the launch; this being the heaviest boat in the ship, and
the most difficult to get into the water. I felt exceedingly doubtful
as to the ability of our jury-spars to support the weight of so heavy a
craft, but, by staying them well, the delicate task was at length
successfully accomplished, when the worst cases among the wounded were
brought on deck and carefully lowered over the side into the boat
beneath, the doctor, with his instruments and medicine-chest, being
already there to receive them. And as soon as she had received her
complement, the launch was veered away to leeward at the end of a long
line--but still under the shelter of the ship's hull--to make room for
the first cutter. The rest of the boats followed in succession--the men
preserving to the very last moment the most admirable order and
discipline--until only the captain's gig, of which I was placed in
command, remained. The proper complement of this boat was six men, in
addition to the coxswain; but in order that the wounded--who were placed
in the launch and the first and second cutters--might be as little
crowded as possible, the remainder of the boats received rather more
than their full complement, in consequence of which my crew numbered
ten, all told, instead of seven. We were the last boat to leave the
ship, the skipper having gone below to his cabin for some purpose at the
last minute; and I assure you that, the bustle and excitement of getting
the men out of the ship being now all over, I found it rather nervous
and trying work to stand there in the gangway, waiting for the
reappearance of the captain on deck. For the ship was by this time in a
sinking condition and liable to go down under our feet at any moment,
having settled so low in the water that she rolled her closed main-deck
ports completely under with every sickly lurch of her upon the still
heavy sea that was now continuously breaking over her, while the water
could be distinctly heard washing about down below.
At length the skipper came out of his cabin, bearing in his hand a large
japanned tin box.
"Jump down, Mr Courtenay, and stand by to take this box from me," he
cried; and down the side I went, needing no second bidding. The box was
carefully passed down to me, and I stowed it away in the stern-sheets.
When I had done so, and looked up at the ship, Captain Harrison was
standing in the gangway with his hat in his hand, looking wistfully and
sorrowfully along the deserted decks and aloft at the jury-spars that,
with their rigging, so pathetically expressed the idea of a mortally
wounded creature gallantly but hopelessly struggling against the death
that was inexorably drawing near. Some such fancy perhaps suggested
itself to him, for I distinctly saw him dash his hand across his eyes
more than once. At length he turned, descended the side-ladder, and,
watching his opportunity, sprang lightly into the boat.
"Shove off, Mr Courtenay!" he ordered, as he wrapped himself in his
boat cloak.
"Shove off!" I reiterated in turn, and forthwith away we went, the men
nothing loath, as I could clearly see, for the ship was now liable to
founder at any moment; indeed the wonder to me was that she remained
afloat so long, for she had by this time sunk so deep that her channels
were completely buried, only showing when she rolled heavily away from
us. Poor old barkie! what a desolate and forlorn object she looked as
we pulled away from her, with little more than her bulwarks showing
above water, with the seas making a clean breach over her bows
continually, as she rolled and plunged with sickening sluggishness to
the great ridges of steel-grey water that incessantly swooped down upon
her and into which her bows, pinned down by the weight of water within
her hull, occasionally bored, as though, tired of the hopeless struggle
for existence, she had at length summoned resolution to take the final
plunge and so end it all. Again and again I thought she was gone, but
again and yet again she emerged wearily and heavily out of the deluges
of water that sought to overwhelm her; but at length an unusually heavy
sea caught her with her bows pinned down after a plunge into the trough;
clear, green, and unbroken it brimmed to her figure-head and poured in a
foaming cataract over her bows, sweeping the whole length of her from
stem to stern until her hull was completely buried. As the wave left
her it was seen that her bows were still submerged, and a moment later
it became apparent that the end had come and she was taking her final
plunge.
"There she goes!" shouted one of the men; and as the fellow uttered the
words the captain rose to his feet in the stern-sheets and doffed his
hat, as though he had been standing beside the grave of a dear friend,
watching the dear old barkie as, with her stern gradually rising high,
she slid slowly and solemnly out of sight, the occupants of the boats
giving her a parting cheer as she vanished. The captain stood
motionless until the swirl that marked her grave had disappeared, then
he replaced his hat, resumed his seat, and remarked--
"Give way, men! Mr Courtenay, be good enough to put me aboard the
launch, if you please."