THE DEVASTATIONS OF THE HURRICANE--PETER MAKES FRIENDS--AT DESTROYING OR
SAVING, NOTHING LIKE BRITISH SEAMEN--PETER MEETS WITH GENERAL O'BRIEN
MUCH TO HIS SATISFACTION--HAS ANOTHER MEETING STILL MORE SO--A GREAT
DEAL OF PRESSING OF HANDS, "AND ALL THAT," AS POPE SAYS.
Now that the brig was safe, we thought of ourselves. My first attention
was directed to the dead bodies; and as I looked at their mangled limbs,
I felt grateful to Heaven that I had been so miraculously spared. We
then cast our eyes along the beach to see if we could trace any remnants
of the other boats; but in vain. We were about three miles from the
town, which we could perceive had received considerable damage and the
beach below it was strewed with wrecks and fragments. I told the men
that we might as well walk into the town, and deliver ourselves up as
prisoners; to which they agreed, and we set forward, promising to send
for the poor fellows who were too much hurt to accompany us.
As soon as we climbed up the rocks, and gained the inland, what a sight
presented itself to us! Trees torn up by the roots in every direction--
cattle lying dead--here and there the remains of a house, of which the
other parts had been swept away for miles. Everything not built of
solid masonry had disappeared. We passed what had been a range of negro
huts, but they were levelled to the ground. The negroes were busily
searching for their property among the ruins, while the women held their
infants in their arms, and the other children by their sides. Here and
there was the mother wailing over the dead body of some poor little
thing which had been crushed to death. They took no notice of us.
About half a mile further on, to our great delight, we fell in with the
crews of the other boats, who were sitting by the side of the road.
They had all escaped unhurt: their boats being so much more buoyant than
ours, had been thrown up high and dry. They joined us, and we proceeded
on our way.
On our road we fell in with a cart blown over, under the wheel of which
was the leg of the negro who conducted it. We released the poor fellow:
his leg was fractured. We laid him by the side of the road in the
shade, and continued our march. Our whole route was one scene of
desolation and distress; but when we arrived at the town, we found that
there it was indeed accumulated. There was not one house in three
standing entire--the beach was covered with the remnants of bodies and
fragments of vessels, whose masts lay forced several feet into the sand,
and broken into four or five pieces. Parties of soldiers were busy
taking away the bodies, and removing what few valuables had been saved.
We turned up into the town, for no one accosted or even noticed us; and
here the scene was even more dreadful. In some streets they were
digging out those who were still alive, and whose cries were heard among
the ruins; in others, they were carrying away the dead bodies. The
lamentations of the relatives--the howling of the negroes--the cries of
the wounded--the cursing and swearing of the French soldiers, and the
orders delivered continually by officers on horseback, with all the
confusion arising from crowds of spectators, mingling their voices
together, formed a scene as dreadful as it was novel.
After surveying it for a few minutes, I went up to an officer on
horseback, and told him in French that I wished to surrender myself as a
prisoner.
"We have no time to take prisoners now," replied he: "hundreds are
buried in the ruins, and we must try to save them. We must now attend
to the claims of humanity."
"Will you allow my men to assist you, sir?" replied I. "They are active
and strong fellows."
"Sir," said he, taking off his hat, "I thank you in the name of my
unfortunate countrymen."
"Show us, then, where we may be most useful."
He turned and pointed to a house higher up, the offices of which were
blown down. "There are living beings under those ruins."
"Come, my lads," said I: and sore as they were, my men hastened with
alacrity to perform their task. I could not help them myself, my side
was so painful; but I stood by giving them directions.
In half-an-hour we had cleared away so as to arrive at a poor negro
girl, whose cries we had distinctly heard. We released her, and laid
her down in the street, but she fainted. Her left hand was dreadfully
shattered. I was giving what assistance I could, and the men were busy
clearing away, throwing on one side the beams and rafters, when an
officer on horseback rode up. He stood and asked me who we were. I
told him that we belonged to the brig, and had been wrecked; and that we
were giving what assistance we could until they were at leisure to send
us to prison.
"You English are fine brave fellows," replied he, as he rode on.
Another unfortunate object had been recovered by our men, an old
white-headed negro, but he was too much mangled to live. We brought him
out, and were laying him beside the negro girl, when several officers on
horseback rode down the street. The one who was foremost, in a
general's uniform, I immediately recognised as my former friend, then
Colonel O'Brien. They all stopped and looked at us. I told who we
were. General O'Brien took off his hat to the sailors, and thanked
them.
He did not recognise me, and he was passing on, when I said to him in
English, "General O'Brien, you have forgotten me; but I shall never
forget your kindness."
"My God!" said he, "is it you, my dear fellow?" and he sprang from his
horse, and shook me warmly by the hand. "No wonder that I did not know
you; you are a very different person from little Peter Simple, who
dressed up as a girl and danced on stilts. But I have to thank you, and
so has Celeste, for your kindness to her. I will not ask you to leave
your work of charity and kindness; but when you have done what you can,
come up to my house. Any one will show it to you; and if you do not
find me you will find Celeste, as you must be aware I cannot leave this
melancholy employment. God bless you!" He then rode off followed by
his staff.
"Come, my lads," said I, "depend upon it we shall not be very cruelly
treated. Let us work hard, and do all the good we can, and the
Frenchmen won't forget it."
We had cleared that house, and went back to where the other people were
working under the orders of the officer on horseback. I went up to him,
and told him we had saved two, and if he had no objection, would assist
his party. He thankfully accepted our services.
"And now, my lads," said Swinburne, "let us forget all our bruises, and
show these French follows how to work."
And they did so--they tossed away the beams and rafters right and left,
with a quickness and dexterity which quite astonished the officer and
other inhabitants who were looking on; and in half-an-hour had done more
work than could have possibly been expected. Several lives were saved,
and the French expressed their admiration at our sailors' conduct, and
brought them something to drink, which they stood much in need of, poor
fellows. After they had worked double tides, as we say, and certainly
were the means of saving many lives, which otherwise would have been
sacrificed.
The disasters occasioned by this hurricane were very great, owing to its
having taken place at night, when the chief of the inhabitants were in
bed and asleep. I was told, that most of the wood houses were down five
minutes after the hurricane burst upon them. About noon there was no
more work for us to do, and I was not sorry that it was over. My side
was very painful, and the burning heat of the sun made me feel giddy and
sick at the stomach.
I inquired of a respectable looking old Frenchman, which was the
general's house. He directed me to it, and I proceeded there, followed
by my men. When I arrived, I found the orderly leading away the horse
of General O'Brien, who had just returned. I desired a serjeant, who
was in attendance at the door, to acquaint the general that I was below.
He returned, and desired me to follow him. I was conducted into a
large room, where I found him in company with several officers. He
again greeted me warmly, and introduced me to the company as the officer
who had permitted the ladies, who had been taken prisoners, to come on
shore.
"I have to thank you, then, for my wife," said an officer, coming up and
offering his hand.
Another came up, and told me that I had also released his. We then
entered into a conversation, in which I stated the occasion of my having
been wrecked, and all the particulars; also, that I had seen the brig in
the morning dismasted, but that she had weathered the point, and was
safe.
"That brig of yours, I must pay you the compliment to say, has been very
troublesome; and my namesake keeps the batteries more upon the alert
than ever I could have done," said General O'Brien. "I don't believe
there is a negro five years old upon the island who does not know your
brig."
We then talked over the attack of the privateer, in which we were beaten
off. "Ah!" replied the aide-de-camp, "you made a mess of that. He has
been gone these four months. Captain Carnot swears that he'll fight you
if he falls in with you."
"He has kept his word," replied I: and then I narrated our action with
the three French privateers, and the capture of the vessel; which
surprised, and, I think, annoyed them very much.
"Well, my friend," said General O'Brien, "you must stay with me while
you are on the island; if you want anything, let me know."
"I am afraid that I want a surgeon," replied I; "for my side is so
painful, that I can scarcely breathe."
"Are you hurt, then?" said General O'Brien, with an anxious look.
"Not dangerously, I believe," said I, "but rather painfully."
"Let me see," said an officer, who stepped forward; "I am surgeon to the
forces here, and perhaps you will trust yourself in my hands. Take off
your coat."
I did so with difficulty. "You have two ribs broken," said he, feeling
my side, "and a very severe contusion. You must go to bed, or lie on a
sofa for a few days. In a quarter of an hour I will come and dress you,
and promise you to make you all well in ten days, in return for your
having given me my daughter, who was on board of the _Victorine_ with
the other ladies." The officers now made their bows, and left me alone
with General O'Brien.
"Recollect," said he, "that I tell you once for all, that my purse, and
everything, is at your command. If you do not accept them freely, I
shall think you do not love us. It is not the first time, Peter, and
you repaid me honourably. However, of course, I was no party to that
affair; it was Celeste's doing," continued he, laughing. "Of course I
could not imagine that it was you who was dressed up as a woman, and so
impudently danced through France on stilts. But I must hear all your
adventures, by-and-bye. Celeste is most anxious to see you. Will you
go now, or wait till after the surgeon comes?"
"Oh now, if you please, general. May I first beg that some care may be
taken of my poor men; they have had nothing to eat since yesterday, are
very much bruised, and have worked hard; and that a cart may be sent for
those who lie on the beach?"
"I should have thought of them before," replied he: and I will also
order the same party to bury the other poor fellows who are lying on the
beach. Come now--I will take you to Celeste.