On Monday, January the 28th, 1799, His Majesty's frigate Proserpine,
28 guns, commanded by Captain James Wallis, sailed from Yarmouth to
Cuxhaven. She had on board the Hon. Thomas Grenville, who was the
bearer of important despatches for the Court of Berlin. On Wednesday,
the 30th, the ship was off Heligoland, and there took in a pilot for
the Elbe. The day being fine, with a fair wind from the N.N.E., the
Proserpine's course was steered for the Red Buoy, where she anchored
for the night. It was then perceived that the two other buoys at the
entrance of the river had been removed: a consultation was therefore
held with the pilots, in the presence of Mr. Grenville, as to the
practicability of proceeding up the river in the absence of the buoys.
The Heligoland pilot, and the two belonging to the ship, were
unanimous in declaring that there was not the slightest difficulty or
danger in ascending the river; they professed the most perfect
knowledge of the passage, and assured Captain Wallis they had no fear
of carrying the vessel to Cuxhaven provided only he would proceed
between half ebb and half flood tide; for in that case they should be
able to see the sands and to recognise their marks.
The next morning (31st), the Proserpine was got under weigh, and
proceeded up the river, having the Prince of Wales packet, which had
accompanied her from Yarmouth, standing on ahead.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, when they were within four miles of
Cuxhaven, the weather became very thick, and some snow fell, so that
Captain Wallis was obliged to anchor.
At nine o'clock, P.M., the wind changed to east by south, blowing a
violent gale, accompanied by a heavy fall of snow, which made it
impossible to see beyond a few feet from the ship; and what was still
worse, the tide and the wind brought such large masses of ice against
the ship, that, with all hands upon deck, it was with the greatest
difficulty they prevented the cables being cut, and were able to
preserve their station till daylight.
By eight o'clock next morning, the flood tide had carried up most of
the ice, and left a passage clear below the ship, while all above it
was blocked tip. The Prince of Wales packet had gone on shore during
the night; and, warned by her fate, Captain Wallis determined to
retreat out of the Elbe. Mr. Grenville was very anxious to be put on
shore as speedily as possible, his mission being of much importance;
but the river was so completely blocked up above them, that there
seemed no possibility of effecting a landing at Cuxhaven: Captain
Wallis therefore got his ship under weigh, and stood out to sea,
intending to land Mr. Grenville on the nearest part of the coast of
Jutland, if it were practicable.
The pilots were congratulating the captain on the frigate's getting
safely out of the river, and clear of the sands, and the people had
been allowed to go to breakfast, on the supposition that all danger
was past, when the vessel struck upon Scharborn Sand, with Newark
Island bearing south by east, at half-past nine o'clock, A.M.
As it was blowing a very strong gale of wind, the Proserpine struck
with great force, though she carried no other canvass than her
foretopmast stay-sail. Upon sounding there was found to be only ten
feet of water under the fore part of her keel.
The boats were immediately lowered to carry out an anchor, but the ice
was returning upon them so fast that this was found impossible, and
the boats were hoisted on board again. All hands were then employed to
shore the ship up, and make her heel towards the bank, to prevent her
falling into the stream, which would have been certain destruction.
Happily this object was effected; for as the tide ebbed, she lay
towards the bank.
The next tide, however, brought down such huge masses of ice that the
shores were carried away--the copper was torn from the starboard
quarter, and the rudder cut in two, the lower part lying on the ice
under the counter.
Notwithstanding all these disasters, Captain Wallis still hoped to get
the ship off at high water, and to effect this, they proceeded to
lighten her by throwing most of her guns and part of her stores
overboard, all of which were borne up on the ice. One party was
employed in hoisting out the provisions, another in starting the casks
of wine and spirits; and such were the good discipline and right
feeling of the men, that not one instance of intoxication occurred.
At ten o'clock on Friday night, they abandoned all hope of saving the
vessel; it was then high water, yet the heavy gale from the south-east
so kept back the tide, that upon sounding, they found three feet less
water than there had been in the morning, when the ship first struck.
The situation of the crew was dreadful. When the tide ebbed, they
expected every moment that the ship would be driven to pieces by the
ice. The cold was intense, and the darkness such that it was almost
impossible to distinguish one another upon deck; and the snow, falling
very thick, was driven against their faces by the wind, and froze upon
them as it fell.
There was no possibility of keeping up warmth and circulation in their
bodies, for the frozen snow and ice made the deck so slippery they
could scarcely stand, much less walk about quickly, and all they could
do was, to try to screen themselves as much as possible from the
pitiless blast. Thus the night was spent in anxious fears for the
future, and dread of immediate destruction. But morning came at last,
though with little comfort to the sufferers, for the wind had
increased, the ice was up to the cabin windows, the stern-post was
found to be broken in two, and the ship otherwise seriously damaged.
In this state they could not long remain. Mr. Grenville and some of
the officers proposed to Captain Wallis that the crew should make an
attempt to get over the ice to Newark Island, as the only means of
preserving their lives.[4] At first, Captain Wallis was inclined to
reject the proposal; he saw all the danger attending such an attempt;
and it appeared to him, that they could scarcely expect to succeed in
crossing the ice through a dense fog and heavy snow-storm, without any
knowledge of the way, without a guide, and exhausted as they were by
mental and bodily suffering, and benumbed with cold.
On the other hand, he confessed that the plan presented a hope of
safety, and that it was their only hope. The ship's company were
unanimous in wishing to adopt it, and therefore Captain Wallis finally
consented.
The people then set heartily to work to consider the difficulties of
the undertaking, and the best means of meeting them. It was determined
that they should be divided into four companies, each headed by an
officer; that the strongest of the men should carry planks, to be laid
down in the most dangerous places by way of assistance to the less
able and active of the party; and that others should hold a long line
of extended rope, to be instantly available in case of any one falling
between the blocks of ice.
When all these measures were decided upon, and every man had provided
himself with what was most essential for his safety and sustenance,
they began their perilous journey at half-past one o'clock, P.M. By
three o'clock, every one had left the ship, except Captain Wallis, and
he then followed the party, accompanied by Lieutenant Ridley, of the
Marines.
To describe the dangers and difficulties the crew of the Proserpine
had to encounter is almost impossible. The snow was still falling
heavily, driving against their faces, and adhering to their hair and
eyebrows, where in a few minutes it became solid pieces of ice.
Sometimes they had to clamber over huge blocks of ice, and at other
times were obliged to plunge through snow and water reaching to their
middle.
As the wind blew from the direction in which they were proceeding, the
large flakes of snow were driven into their eyes, and prevented them
from seeing many yards in advance. This caused them to deviate from
their proper course, and to travel in a direction which, if continued,
would have carried them off the shoal and field of ice into the sea,
or at least have taken them so far from any place of shelter, as to
have left them to perish in the ice and snow during the night.
This dreadful calamity was, however, prevented, by one of the party
having in his possession a pocket compass. Fortunately, bearings had
been taken previous to their leaving the wreck. The course they were
pursuing was examined, and to their surprise it was discovered that
they had been deviating widely from the direct line which they ought
to have pursued. This, however, enabled the party to correct the
march, and after a toilsome journey of six miles, they at length
reached Newark.
In the course of their hazardous journey, a striking instance was
afforded of the inscrutable ways of Providence. Two females were on
board the Proserpine when she was stranded,--one a strong healthy
woman, accustomed to the hardships of a maritime life: the other
exactly the reverse, weak and delicate, had never been twelve hours on
board a ship until the evening previous to the frigate's sailing from
Yarmouth. Her husband had been lately impressed, and she had come on
board for the purpose of taking farewell. Owing to a sudden change of
the weather, and the urgency of the mission for which the Proserpine
had been despatched, she had been unable to quit the ship. The poor
creature was upon the eve of her confinement, and naturally being but
ill prepared to combat with the inconvenience of a ship at sea, in the
course of the day she was delivered of a dead child. The reader can
well imagine the sufferings endured by this helpless woman, with but
one of her own sex to tend her, in a vessel tossed about in the stormy
seas of the Northern Ocean.
But this was little compared with what she had yet to undergo. Before
many hours the frigate stranded: the night was passed in torture of
mind and body, and then was she compelled, with others, to quit the
ship, and travel through masses of snow and ice, and to combat with
the bitter north wind, hail, and sleet.
It may well be supposed that her strength, already weakened by the
sufferings she had undergone, was totally unprepared to bear up
against a trial from which the strongest of the crew might have
shrunk; but it turned out otherwise. The robust, healthy woman, with
her feeble companion, left the wreck together, the former bearing in
her arms an infant of nine months old. No doubt many a ready arm was
stretched forth to assist them in their perilsome journey. But man
could have done but little against the piercing winter's blast with
which they had to contend. Before they had proceeded half the
distance, the child was frozen in its mother's arms, and ere long the
mother herself sunk on the snow, fell into a state of stupor, and
died. Not so the delicate invalid; sustained by help from above, she
still pursued her way, and ere long gained with others the hospitable
shore. The inhabitants of the village received the strangers with
great kindness, and did everything in their power to alleviate their
sufferings. The ship's company were distributed amongst them for the
night, but the poverty of the place afforded them little more than
shelter.
The next morning a general muster was made, and it was ascertained
that, of the whole company, twelve seamen, a woman, and her child,
only were missing; these had either been frozen to death, or had died
from the effects of cold, and the loss was small when compared with
the hardships they had suffered. Several men had their legs and
fingers frozen, but through proper medical treatment they all
recovered.
The storm lasted without intermission till the night of the 5th, and
during that time the crew of the Proserpine were suffering much from
the want of necessary food, clothing, &c. Provisions were so scarce
that they were all put upon short allowance; and their scanty store
being nearly exhausted, it became absolutely necessary that part of
them should proceed to Cuxhaven.
They learnt that at low water it was possible to get to Cuxhaven on
foot; and as some of the islanders offered their services as guides,
and the tide served, it was settled that the first lieutenant and half
the officers and men should start with the guides on the morning of
the 6th.
Mr. Grenville being very anxious to proceed on his mission to Berlin,
determined to accompany the party, with the secretary to the embassy,
and some of the servants; and they accordingly all set off at eight
o'clock in the morning, the severity of the weather having somewhat
abated.
Great as had been the difficulties they had encountered in their
passage from the Proserpine to Newark Island, the dangers of their
present expedition, over sand and ice, were nearly as formidable. At
one part of their journey they found themselves on the banks of a
river. The guides had assured them it was only a very narrow stream,
and would most probably be frozen over: it proved, however, to be a
river of considerable width; the ice was broken and floating upon it
in large masses; the tide, too, was rising, and altogether the passage
presented a formidable appearance. There was little time for
deliberation, so the word was given to push forward, and the next
moment they were up to their waists in the water, struggling against
the tide and the large flakes of ice, which swept against them with
such force that they had great difficulty in keeping their footing.
But through the mercy of Providence they all reached the opposite bank
in safety, and before evening they arrived at Cuxhaven, without the
loss of a single man. Many of them were more or less frost-bitten, but
by rubbing the parts affected with snow, circulation was restored.
We must now return to Captain Wallis and the officers and men who had
remained with him at Newark, in hopes of being able to save some of
the stores from the frigate.
On Friday, the 8th, Mr. Anthony, the master, volunteered with a party
to endeavour to ascertain the state of the vessel, and if possible to
bring away some bread, of which they were in much need.
They had great difficulty in reaching the ship, which they found lying
on her beam ends, with seven feet and a half of water in her hold,
having her quarter-deck separated six feet from her gangway, and
apparently only-kept together by the vast quantity of ice which
surrounded her.
From this report, it was deemed unadvisable to make any more
expeditions to the ship; but on the 10th, the clearness of the day
induced Mr. Anthony, in company with the surgeon, a midshipman, the
boatswain, and two seamen, to go off a second time.
Those who remained at Newark anxiously expected the return of the
party, but they came not. Evening advanced, the tide was flowing, and
at last it was too late for them to cross the sands and ice till the
next ebb. The watchers were obliged to content themselves with the
hope that Mr. Anthony and his party had found it safe and practicable
to remain on board the frigate till morning. But during the night a
violent storm arose, which increased the anxiety of Captain Wallis for
the safety of his people; and this anxiety became deep distress, when
in the morning he gazed wistfully towards the wreck, and saw nothing
but the foaming waters, and moving fields of ice. Not a vestige of the
frigate was visible. We cannot better describe Captain Wallis's
feelings on this occasion than by quoting his own words, when he
communicated the intelligence to Vice-Admiral Archibald Dickson.
'They got on board,' says Captain Wallis, 'but unfortunately
neglected, until too late in the tide, to return, which left them no
alternative but that of remaining on board till next day. About ten
o'clock at night the wind came on at S.S.E., and blew a most violent
storm; the tide, though at the neap, rose to an uncommon height, the
ice got in motion, the velocity of which swept the wreck to
destruction, (for in the morning not a vestige of her was to be seen,)
and with it, I am miserably afraid, went the above unfortunate
officers and men,--and if so, their loss will be a great one to the
service, as, in their different departments, they were a great
acquisition to it.
'The only hope I have is, that Providence which has so bountifully
assisted us in our recent dangers and difficulties, may be extended
towards them, so as to preserve their lives, by means of boat or
otherwise; but I am very sorry to say my hopes are founded on the
most distant degree of human probability. This melancholy accident
happening so unexpectedly, added to my other misfortunes, has given so
severe a shock to my health and spirits, as to prevent me hitherto
undertaking the journey to Cuxhaven, where the survivors of the ship's
company now are, except a few who are here with me, with whom I shall
set out as soon as we are able.'
It is now necessary that we should follow the proceedings of Mr.
Anthony and his party.
They reached the wreck at ten o'clock on Sunday morning; but, being
busily occupied in collecting what stores they could, they neglected
to watch the tide, and whilst they were thus employed, the time passed
over, and the waves rolling between them and their temporary home at
Newark; they were obliged to wait till the next day's ebb. During the
night, as we have stated, the wind changed to the S.S.E.: it blew a
violent gale, and the tide rose to such an unusual height, that it
floated the ship, and the ice that had stuck to her, without the men
on board being aware of it. The next morning, to their horror and
dismay, they found the vessel drifting out to the ocean. We can
scarcely imagine a situation more terrible than that in which these
unfortunate men were placed. They were in all six persons, four
officers and two seamen, and these few hands had to manage a frigate
of 28 guns, which was actually going to pieces, and it was impossible
to conjecture how long she might swim. She was merely buoyed up on the
sea by the fields of ice that surrounded her; and if the ice were to
break away, in all probability she would not hold together for an
hour.
Mr. Anthony and his companions did not, however, give way to despair,
nor lose time in useless repining. They set to work immediately, to
avoid the danger as far as circumstances would permit.
Their first care was to drop the lead between two of the masses of
ice, and they found that the ship was floating in eleven fathoms. They
then fired several guns, to give warning of their situation. By turns
they worked at the pumps, and, in order to lighten the vessel, threw
all the remaining guns, except four, overboard--a labour of no small
magnitude for six men to perform.
Their next object was to get up the tackles for hoisting out the boat,
in case of their getting into clear water, or being obliged to quit
the wreck.
There was one advantage in all this hard labour, to which most of them
were unaccustomed: it prevented their suffering so much as they
otherwise must have done from the extreme cold; and in one respect
they were better off than their comrades at Newark, for they had
plenty of provisions on board. So passed the first day on the wreck.
The next morning, Tuesday, the 12th, at about eleven o'clock, land was
descried on their lee, on which they fired several guns, and hauled
the colours on the main-rigging, union downwards, as a signal of
distress. An hour afterwards the ship struck on a rock off the island
of Baltrum, about a mile and a-half distant from the shore.
Mr. Anthony and his companions then tried to launch the cutter, but
they were obliged to give up the attempt, as the sea was not
sufficiently clear of ice; they therefore remained on board another
night.
The next morning, however, they hoisted out the boat, and pulled
towards the shore; but they had not gone more than half way, when they
were surrounded by fields of ice, so that they were obliged to get
upon the ice, and drag the boat with them.
About noon they had reached to within a cable's length of the shore,
and here they were compelled to leave the boat: they were all
completely exhausted, and found it impossible to drag her any
further. They themselves had to leap from one piece of ice to another,
often falling into the water; and it was at the imminent risk of their
lives that they at last gained the beach.
They were tolerably well received by the inhabitants, who took them to
their houses, and allowed them to seek that repose which they so much
needed.
The next day the islanders, unable to resist the temptation of
plunder, took to their boats, and made off to the ship, which they
ransacked, and carried off all the arms, stores, and provisions of
every kind. In vain Mr. Anthony protested against this base conduct:
it was as much as he could do to persuade them to spare some part of
the provisions for himself and his friends.
The party were obliged to remain at Baltrum amongst their rapacious
hosts until Saturday, the 16th, when they deemed that the ice was
sufficiently cleared away to allow of their sailing for Cuxhaven; they
accordingly secured the cutter and took their departure. As there was
not the remotest chance of getting the Proserpine afloat again, they
abandoned her to the island plunderers. They reached Cuxhaven about
the 22nd, and there they found Lieutenant Wright and those who had
accompanied him from Newark.
On the following day, Captain Wallis arrived, with the rest of the
ship's company, the sick and wounded. We can imagine the joy and
gratitude with which Captain Wallis received the announcement of the
safe arrival of Mr. Anthony and his friends, whom he had deplored as
lost.
Thus were the crew of the Proserpine, with the exception of thirteen
persons, brought once more together after three weeks endurance of
innumerable hardships, and having been exposed to many perils. Never
was the Almighty hand of Providence more visibly displayed than in
the protection afforded to these gallant fellows; and never did men do
more to help themselves than they did, We cannot but admire the calm
courage they evinced throughout that long and dismal night when almost
certain destruction awaited them; as well as their obedience and
cheerful alacrity through their toilsome march from the wreck to
Newark, and again from Newark to Cuxhaven. Nor must we forget the
fortitude displayed by Mr. Anthony and his companions, when they were
a second time wrecked in the Proserpine.
Throughout the history of their dangers and sufferings from cold and
hunger, and the other evils attending a shipwreck on such an
inhospitable shore and in such a climate, there is no mention of one
single instance of murmuring, discontent, or disobedience of orders.
When the Elbe was again navigable and free from ice, the crew embarked
in different packets and sailed for England, where they all arrived
without further disasters.