Departure from Kamschatka--Shipwrecked on a reef of rocks, on the
northwest coast of America--Author, with the rest of the crew, save
themselves by the long boat--Are drifted on an island--Transactions
upon the island--Prepare to build a vessel.
We left Kamschatka on the 8th of August, and proceeded on our voyage
to the northwest coast of America. Nothing material occurred till the
10th of September. On the morning of that day it blew hard from the
south, and the ship was reduced to close reefed topsails; about three
in the afternoon, the gale increased to such a degree that it became
necessary to take in the fore and mizen topsails. Whilst the men were
on the yards, they discovered land off the lee bow, distant about five
or six leagues; we conjectured it to be that part of the continent
called Aliaska; the ship’s course was immediately altered from N. E.
to E. and the weather proving more moderate in the evening, stood on,
close hauled, but did not set more sail. About ten at night, the alarm
was given that there were breakers ahead, and on the lee bow. Mr.
Brinkman, the chief mate, who had the charge of the watch, immediately
went to the mizen topmast head, and observing there was room to wear
the ship, hastened below to report the circumstance to the captain.
When he returned upon deck, he instantly went to the wheel and ordered
us to our stations, with the intention of wearing; but the captain,
who followed him, was of a different opinion; he said what we saw was
only white water, and not breakers; that there was no danger, and
ordered us to stand on our course. He had scarcely given this order
before the ship plunged, and struck with such violence as to knock away
the fore-foot, and the watch below were driven from their hammocks
against the deck. The sea running very high, she beat so hard that in
a few minutes the rudder was unshipped, and the stern-post forced up
through the poop; as she still had way upon her, she shot over the
reef into deep water: upon sounding we found seventeen fathoms. It was
immediately determined to let go the anchor, and remain by the ship as
long as she would swim. In case she went down, we hoped to save our
lives by the long-boat, which was accordingly cleared and hoisted
out, that she might be ready; seven of the guns were at the same time
thrown overboard, in order to keep her above water until daylight. The
carpenter attempted to sound the well, but owing to some obstacle,
could not get down the sounding rod. I was sent below with him to bore
a hole beside the pump thro’ the lower deck; but on taking off the
after hatch, we found the water as high as the shifting boards.
* * * * *
Early on the morning of the 11th, to our great joy, we saw land to the
leeward of us, distant about three or four leagues. It was immediately
determined to watch the lull, slip the cable, and cast the ship’s head
in shore, and steer her for it with the jib and fore-topsail.--After
she was under way, the captain ordered that any of the crew that could
not swim should go into the long-boat astern, and be ready as soon as
she struck to come alongside for the rest, as he expected that she
would then go to pieces. As soon as she struck, all hands came into the
boat, and went for the shore, the captain taking his quadrant, until
the tide should ebb, when he expected she would be nearly dry. We
landed between eleven and twelve o’clock in the forenoon.
The land upon which we were thrown presented a most dreary appearance;
it was an extensive plain, intersected by pools of fresh water,
stretching about five miles from the sea, and terminated by two
mountains. The ground was covered with heath and moss; not a tree
nor a bush could be seen, neither did we observe the least trace
of human habitations. As the land afforded us no sustenance, we
turned our attention to the sea, and when the tide ebbed found some
large muscles.--Having satisfied our hunger with some raw muscles,
we prepared to go off to the ship; but on our way off we had the
mortification to see her fall over on her beam ends. When we reached
the ship we found that we could do nothing with her, and were preparing
to leave her, when we discovered in the bottom of the long-boat the
carpenter’s axe; we then cut the parrel and gear of the main-topsail
yard, and let it drive clear of the wreck, while we went to cut away
the topmasts, and then left her for that day. On our way ashore we
found the main-topsail yard, and took it in tow, and landed again about
six o’clock in the evening. The approach of night rendering some
shelter necessary, we made a sort of tent with a sail, and lay down on
the moss, cold and wet, and spent a most uncomfortable night.
Next morning, the 12th, we set off along shore in search of any thing
that might have driven from the ship, and found, in a bay at no
great distance from our tent, a barrel of rosin, the arm chest, with
one or two small carbines, some swan-shot, and, what was of greater
consequence to us, several calking irons and mallets; on finding these
we went to the ship, but the sea was so high we could not come near
her, and we returned to our tent.
On the 13th, 14th, and 15th, we were employed in repairing the boat,
which had begun to get very leaky; having picked some oakum, we
calked the seams as well as we could. Over the places where this was
insufficient, we nailed pieces of boards, and calked round the edges.
Although we could not pay the seams, having nothing to melt our rosin
in, we succeeded in making her tolerably tight.
On the 16th several pieces of wreck and some sails were secured; this
day was chiefly employed in preparations for going off to the wreck.
We formed a grappling iron by lashing four bolts together, and bending
them, and made a line out of the rigging that came ashore with the
spars; this proved of great service in fishing up articles from the
wreck. Every thing being ready, and the 17th proving fine, we set off
at day-break, and taking the carpenter’s axe with us, we cut a large
hole in her side, just before the main channels.--With the grappling
irons we hooked several sails, and a number of other articles, such
as boxes of silks and nankeens, and made three different trips to the
wreck this day.
On the 18th we were busy in making a larger tent with the sails we
had got. We set up two small spars at each end, and laid a studding
sail boom across the tops of them; over this we spread a topsail, hung
smaller sails at the ends, and placed planks round the bottom, to
prevent them from being blown up by the wind. With the soft moss of
the island for beds, and planks to sit upon, we now found ourselves
pretty comfortable in every respect but one: All our attempts to kindle
a fire proved unavailing, and we were obliged to eat our victuals
raw. Observing a flight of large birds, resembling ravens, carrying
something in their talons, we watched where they alighted, and going
to the spot, found several parcels of pork and beef which they had
picked up, the barrels being staved by the rocks. In this manner we
procured about a dozen of pieces. We again went off to the wreck in
the afternoon, to see what we could get on shore, as it had every
appearance of a gale of wind, and managed to get three of our chests
out of the vessel before dark; and amongst them mine. It contained only
one shirt and my bible, which I had put into one of those squares,
common in sailor’s chests, for holding case bottles, and in which it
was firmly fixed, in consequence of having swelled with the water. I
was at great pains in drying it in the sun, and succeeded so well that
I could read any part of it. It was afterwards saved from a second
wreck; and in my future hardships and sufferings, the perusal of it
formed my greatest consolation. It is still in my possession, being the
only article I brought with me when I returned to my native country.
We also secured this day, a barrel of fine biscuit; it was soaked with
salt water, but was, nevertheless, a most acceptable addition to our
store. In the night, between the 18th and 19th, it blew so hard from
the south, that the ship went to pieces before morning. At day-break,
we discovered on a small isle, separated from the land by a channel
which was dry at low water, the fore part of the ship, which had driven
high up on the beach. Had we been able to have moved it to a better
situation, it would have made an excellent hut; but this was beyond our
strength. It was broken up and gradually removed when we could afford
time. Some more fragments of the wreck, consisting of knees and planks,
came on shore this day. We also recovered a few packages of nankeens
and chests of tea, which we spread on the moss to dry.
Our horizon to the south being interrupted by the reef, the captain and
mate went out in the long-boat to determine the latitude by a meridian
altitude of the sun. The result of the observations gave 54 deg. 52
min. north, as the latitude of the south side of the island.[11]
[11] This observation, made without the assistance of an ephemeris,
or tables of declination, can only be considered as an approximation.
It however proves that Sannack and Halibut island is the same, the
latitude of that island, as ascertained by captain Cook, being 54 deg.
27 min. As the observation was made about the time of the equinox, the
correction for declination might be estimated within a few minutes.
We made a number of trips to the wreck in the course of the ten
following days, and saved a considerable part of the cargo, consisting
of chests of tea, packages of nankeens, and bags of rice. The last
time we went off to the wreck, before the arrival of the Indians, the
wind was off shore, and began to blow so fresh that we were obliged to
desist from our labours. After having secured a few more sails, some
coils of cordage, and two bales of silks, having only two oars and
a heavy boat to row, we reached the shore before dark, after a most
fatiguing pull. By this time so much of the wreck was recovered that we
determined to build a vessel large enough to carry us to the Sandwich
Islands, where we were certain of meeting with an American ship. Our
principal attention was now turned to that object, and we began our
preparations by collecting into one place planks and other pieces of
wood suitable for the purpose.