THE CARGO UNLOADED
NOVEMBER 6 to November 15.--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 stove 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 beside.
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 mortise 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 labor
were all that were wanted to make them good; and with such a will did
everybody 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 labor.
One thing there is which is much in our favor; 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!