NOVEMBER 6th to NOVEMBER 15th.--For the first five days after the
“Chancellor” had run aground, there was a dense black smoke continually
rising from the hold; but it gradually diminished until the 6th of
November, when we might consider that the fire was extinguished. Curtis,
nevertheless, deemed it prudent to persevere in working the pumps, which
he did until the entire hull of the ship, right up to the deck, had been
completely inundated.
The rapidity, however, with which the water, at every retreat of the
tide, drained off to the level of the sea, was an indication that the
leak must be of considerable magnitude; and such, on investigation,
proved to be the case. One of the sailors, named Flaypole, dived one
day at low water to examine the extent of the damage, and found that the
hole was not much less than four feet square, and was situated thirty
feet fore of the helm, and two feet above the rider of the keel; three
planks had been stoved in by a sharp point of rock, and it was only a
wonder that the violence with which the heavily-laden vessel had been
thrown ashore did not result in the smashing in of many parts besides.
As it would be a couple of days or more before the hold would be in a
condition for the bales of cotton to be removed for the carpenter to
examine the damage from the interior of the ship, Curtis employed the
interval in having the broken mizzen-mast repaired. Dowlas the carpenter,
with considerable skill, contrived to mortice it into its former stump,
and made the junction thoroughly secure by strong iron-belts and bolts.
The shrouds, the stays and backstays, were then carefully refitted,
some of the sails were changed, and the whole of the running rigging was
renewed. Injury, to some extent, had been done to the poop and to the
crew’s lockers, in the front; but time and labour were all that were
wanted to make them good; and with such a will, did every one set to
work that it was not long before all the cabins were again available for
use.
On the 8th the unlading of the ship commenced. Pulleys and tackling were
put over the hatches, and passengers and crew together proceeded to haul
up the heavy bales which had been deluged so frequently by water that
the cotton was all but spoiled. One by one the sodden bales were placed
in the boat to be transported to the reef. After the first layer of
cotton had been removed it became necessary to drain off part of the
water that filled the hold. For this purpose the leak in the side had
somehow or other to be stopped, and this was an operation which was
cleverly accomplished by Dowlas and Flaypole, who contrived to dive at
low tide and nail a sheet of copper over the entire hole. This, however,
of itself would have been utterly inadequate to sustain the pressure
that would arise from the action of the pumps; so Curtis ordered that a
number of the bales should be piled up inside against the broken planks.
The scheme succeeded very well, and as the water got lower and lower in
the hold the men were enabled to resume their task of unlading.
Curtis thinks it quite probable that the leaks may be mended from the
interior. By far the best way of repairing the damage would be to careen
the ship, and to shift the planking, but the appliances are wanting for
such an undertaking; moreover, any bad weather which might occur while
the ship was on her flank would only too certainly be fatal to her
altogether. But the captain has very little doubt that by some device or
other he shall manage to patch up the hole in such a way as will insure
our reaching land in safety.
After two days’ toil the water was entirely reduced and without further
difficulty the unlading was completed. All of us, including even Andre
Letourneur, have been taking our turn at the pumps, for the work is so
extremely fatiguing that the crew require some occasional respite; arms
and back soon become strained and weary with the incessant swing of
the handles, and I can well understand the dislike which sailors always
express to the labour.
One thing there is which is much in our favour; the ship lies on a firm
and solid bottom, and we have the satisfaction of knowing that we
are not contending with a flood that encroaches faster than it can be
resisted. Heaven grant that we may not be called to make like efforts,
and to make them hopelessly, for a foundering ship!