The frigate was head to wind, rising and pitching with the heavy sea,
but not yet feeling the strain of the cables: the masts lay rolling and
beating alongside.
The ship's company had most of them returned on deck, to view their
impending fate, and the carpenters, who had already received their
orders, were battening down the hatchways on the main-deck. In a minute
the frigate rode to her anchors, and as soon as the strain was on the
cables, she dipped, and a tremendous sea broke over her bows, deluging
us fore and aft, nearly filling the main-deck, and washing the
carpenters away from their half-completed work. A second and a third
followed, rolling aft, so as to almost bury the vessel, sweeping away
the men who clung to the cordage and guns, and carrying many of them
overboard.
I had quitted the gangway, where there was no hold, and had repaired to
the main bitts, behind the stump of the main-mast. Even in this
position I should not have been able to hold on, if it had not been for
Bob Cross, who was near me, and who passed a rope round my body as I was
sweeping away; but the booms and boats which had been cut adrift, in
case of the ship driving on shore broadside, were driven aft with the
last tremendous sea, and many men on the quarter-deck were crushed and
mangled.
After the third sea had swept over us, there was a pause, and Cross said
to me, "We had better go down on the main-deck, Captain Keene, and get
the half-ports open if possible." We did so, and with great difficulty,
found the people to help us; for, as it may be imagined, the confusion
was now very great; but the carpenters were again collected, and the
half-ports got out, and then the battening down was completed; for,
although she continued to ship seas fore and aft, they were not so heavy
as the three first, which had so nearly swamped her.
I again went on deck, followed by Cross, who would not leave me. Most
of the men had lashed themselves to the guns and belaying pins, but I
looked in vain for the first lieutenant and master; they were standing
at the gangway at the time of the first sea breaking over us, and it is
to be presumed that they were washed overboard, for I never saw them
again.
We had hardly been on deck, and taken our old position at the bitts,
when the heavy seas again poured over us; but the booms having been
cleared, and the ports on the main-deck open, they did not sweep us with
the same force as before.
"She cannot stand this long, Bob," said I, as we clung to the bitts.
"No, sir, the cables must part with such a heavy strain; or if they do
not, we shall drag our anchors till we strike on the sands."
"And then we shall go to pieces?"
"Yes, sir; but do not forget to get to the wreck of the masts, if you
possibly can. The best chance will be there."
"Bad's the best, Cross; however, that was my intention."
The reader will be surprised at my having no conversation with any other
party but Cross; but the fact was, that although it was only
occasionally that a heavy sea poured over us, we were blinded by the
continual spray in which the frigate was enveloped, and which prevented
us not only from seeing our own position, but even a few feet from us;
and, as if any one who had not a firm hold when the seas poured over the
deck, was almost certain to be washed overboard, every man clung to
where he was; indeed, there were not fifty men on deck; for those who
had not been washed overboard by the first seas, had hastened to get
under the half-deck; and many had been washed overboard in the attempt.
The most painful part was to hear the moaning and cries for help of the
poor fellows who lay jammed under the heavy spars and boats which had
been washed aft, and to whom it was impossible to afford any relief
without the assistance of a large body of men. But all I have described
since the anchors were let go occurred in a few minutes.
On a sudden, the frigate heeled over to starboard, and at the same time
a sea broke over her chesstree, which nearly drowned us where we were
clinging. As soon as the pouring off of the water enabled us to recover
our speech, "She has parted, Cross, and all is over with us," said I.
"Yes, sir; as soon as she strikes, she will break up in ten minutes. We
must not stay here, as she will part amidships."
I felt the truth of the observation, and, waiting until a heavy sea had
passed over us, contrived to gain the after ladder, and descend. As
soon as we were on the main deck, we crawled to the cabin, and seated
ourselves by the after-gun, Cross having made a hold on to a ring-bolt
for us with his silk neck-handkerchief.
There were many men in the cabin, silently waiting their doom. They
knew that all was over, that nothing could be done, yet they still
contrived to touch their hats respectfully to me as I passed.
"My lads," said I, as soon as I had secured my hold, "the cables have
parted, and the ship will strike, and go to pieces in a very short time;
recollect that the masts to leeward are your best chance."
Those who were near me said, "Thank you, Captain Keene;" but the words
were scarcely out of their mouths, when a shock passed through the whole
vessel, and communicated itself to our very hearts. The ship had struck
on the sand, and the beams and timbers had not ceased trembling and
groaning, when a sea struck her larboard broadside, throwing her over on
her beam-ends, so that the starboard side of the main-deck and the guns
were under water.
It would be impossible after this to detail what occurred in a clear and
correct manner, as the noise and confusion were so terrible. At every
sea hurled against the sides of the vessel the resistance to them became
less. What with the crashing of the beams, the breaking up of the
timbers, and the guns to windward, as their fastenings gave way,
tumbling with a tremendous crash to leeward, and passing through the
ship's sides, the occasional screams mixed with the other noise, the
pouring, dashing, and washing of the waters, the scene was appalling.
At last, one louder crash than any of the former announced that the
vessel had yielded to the terrific force of the waves, and had parted
amidships. After this there was little defence against them, even where
we were clinging, for the waters poured in, as if maddened by their
success, through the passage formed by the separation of the vessel, and
came bounding on, as if changing their direction on purpose to overwhelm
us. As the two parts of the vessel were thrown higher up, the shocks
were more severe, and indeed, the waves appeared to have more power than
before, in consequence of their being so increased in weight from the
quantity of sand which was mixed up with them. Another crash! the sides
of the after-part of the vessel had given way, and the heavy guns,
disengaged, flew to leeward, and we found ourselves without shelter from
the raging waters.
The part of the wreck on which Cross and I were sitting was so
completely on its beam-ends that the deck was within a trifle of being
perpendicular. To walk was impossible: all that we could do was to
slide down into the water to leeward; but little was to be gained by
that, as there was no egress. We therefore remained for more than an
hour in the same position, wearied with clinging, and the continual
suffocation we received from the waves, as they deluged us. We
perceived that the wreck was gradually settling down deeper and deeper
in the sand; it was more steady in consequence, but at the same time the
waves had more power over the upper part; and so it proved; for one
enormous sea came in, blowing up the quarter deck over our heads,
tearing away the planking and timbers, and hurling them to leeward.
This, at all events, set us free, although it exposed us more than
before; we could now see about us, that is, we could see to leeward, and
Cross pointed out to me the mainmast tossing about in the boiling water,
with the main-top now buried, and now rising out clear. I nodded my
head in assent. He made a sign to say that he would go first after the
next wave had passed over us.
I found myself alone, and as soon as I had cleared my eyes of the
salt-water, I perceived Cross in the surge to leeward, making for the
floating mast. He gained it, and waved his hand. I immediately
followed him, and, after a short buffet, gained a place by his side,
just behind the main-top, which afforded us considerable shelter from
the seas. Indeed, as the main-mast was in a manner anchored by the lee
rigging to the wreck of the vessel, the latter served as a breakwater,
and the sea was, therefore, comparatively smooth, and I found my
position infinitely more agreeable than when I was clinging on the
wreck. I could now breathe freely, as it was seldom I was wholly under
water; neither was it necessary, as before, to cling for your life.
On looking round me, I found that about twenty men were hanging on to
the mast. Many of them appeared quite exhausted, and had not strength
left to obtain a more favourable berth. The position taken by Cross and
myself was very secure, being between the main-top and the catharpings,
and the water was so warm that we did not feel the occasional immersion;
five other men were close to us, but not a word was said,--indeed,
hardly a recognition exchanged. At that time we thought only of
immediate preservation, and had little feeling for anybody else.