THE AUTHOR'S DEPARTURE FROM MADRAS AND ARRIVAL AT
BENGAL--DEPARTURE THEREFROM--HIS VESSEL RUNS ASHORE ON THE
PULICAT SHOALS, AND GETS SAFE AFLOAT AGAIN, AFTER BEATING
SIX HOURS AND FORTY MINUTES--HIS SAFE ARRIVAL AT MADRAS, AND
DESCRIPTION OF THE DIVERS--ARRIVAL AT BOMBAY--THE SHIP BEING
DOCKED, THE AUTHOR IS SENT TO BUTCHER'S ISLAND WITH THE
SHIP'S COMPANY--A DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND OF
ELEPHANTA--HIS JOINING THE SHIP AFTER HER LEAVING THE
DOCK--HIS WORDS WITH HIS COMMANDER, AND BEING TURNED BEFORE
THE MAST IN CONSEQUENCE--HIS DEPARTURE FROM BOMBAY, AND
AFTER A SHORT PERIOD HE IS REPLACED IN HIS FORMER
SITUATION--AND ARRIVES AT MADRAS.
We sailed from Madras, August 23d, and arrived at Bengal on the 30th.
The scenery on the entrance up the river was indeed sublime, and
inspired us with a sensation of gratitude to the Giver of all good. I
went up to Calcutta with a craft of cargo; but having been sent down
immediately, I could form no idea of the place.
On the 20th December we sailed from Bengal bound to Madras, in company
with the Honourable Company's ship Marquis of Wellington. We kept
a-head of her on the morning of the 25th, till she was almost mast
down, and expected to bring-to about twelve o'clock in the Madras
roads; but our expectations were greatly damped by the following
circumstances:--At 8 A. M. the ship struck on the Pulicat rocks with
such great violence, as to knock almost every man off his legs; the
lead was immediately called, which, to the disgrace of some one, was
not on deck; in the course of two minutes she struck again with as
much violence as before; sail was immediately taken in, and after
sounding, we found we drew about three and a half feet water. We then
made signal of distress, by hoisting the ensign union downwards, and
firing a gun. The Marquis of Wellington by this time hove in sight;
all was confusion and consternation, the ship having beat several
times with great violence. The Wellington hove to, and sent their
cutter with four men and a second mate to our assistance, and then
made sail and passed us, without rendering us any other assistance.
The pinnace and long-boats, booms and spars, were immediately sent
over the side, and the kedge-anchor was placed in the long-boat; but
she leaked so very fast, that with all the united efforts of the
seamen they could not keep her above water.
The weather was now very cloudy and black, and threatened a severe
gale; so that our present situation became very disagreeable, as no
assistance could be rendered us off shore, should necessity require
it. But owing to the exertions of the officers and men, we effectually
swung her head to the wind, which was blowing strong from the shore,
and by 7 P. M. we anchored safe in the roads.
On the following morning we were busily employed in discharging our
cargo and sending it on board its destined ships, (Honourable
Company's ships Stratham and Rose.) After our clearance, the divers
were expected from off shore, to examine the damage the ship's bottom
had received; but, owing to the inclemency of the weather, it was
impossible for them to get off from shore.
A seaman on board, by birth a West Indian, engaged to dive under the
ship's bottom, and to acquaint us with the state of it, which was
gladly accepted. In his youth he had been a fisherman on the coast of
the island of Jamaica: the weather being rough, it was thought unsafe
for him to venture; but on the following morning, it being quite calm,
he prepared himself for his expedition: after he had jumped overboard,
he walked, or rather trod water, round the ship; he informed us the
copper was much battered above water, and in many places whole sheets
of it were broken off; and after he had made us perfectly acquainted
with the damages we had received above, he dived under her counter,
and abreast of the after, main, and fore hatchways;--when he came on
board, he informed us, that about twelve feet of our false-keel was
knocked off, and about six feet of our copper abreast of the
main-hatchway, besides a quantity of copper in different places, all
of which we found to be true after we were docked.
We received considerable damage on board; the bolts were started from
her side about three inches, and the main-beams sprung. Three days
after he had dived, the captain came on board with two native divers,
and several officers of the different vessels lying in the roads, to
survey the ship. When they went under they brought up the same
account as our man had first given. After about an hour's
consultation, our ship was ordered to Bombay to be docked, it being
the most convenient one for a ship of our burden. In a few days after
we proceeded on our passage, and arrived in safety, keeping the pumps
in continual motion during our passage.
The Island of Bombay is situated on the west coast of the ocean, and
one of the three Presidencies belonging to the Honourable East India
Company, and is in Lat. 18 deg. 55' N. and Lon. 72 deg. 54' E. of Greenwich.
As soon as we had discharged all our cargo, and the ship was docked,
the ship's company and officers were sent to Butcher's Island.
Butcher's Island is a small island situated about four miles and a
half to the westward of Bombay, and is in circumference about one mile
and a half, and has been a very formidable garrison. In the centre is
a small fort and two barracks, the latter we took possession of for
the ship's company. Soon after our landing on the island, a party of
us went over to the Island of Elephanta.
The Island of _Elephanta_ is about one mile and a half to the west of
Butcher's Island, and is inhabited by 100 poor Indian families. It
contains one of the most stupendous antiquities in the world: the
figure of an elephant of the natural size, cut coarsely in black
stone, appears in an open plain, near the landing place, from which an
easy slope leads to an immense subterraneous cavern, hewn out of the
solid rock, eighty or ninety feet long and forty broad, the roof of
which is cut flat, and supported by regular rows of pillars, about ten
feet high, with capitals resembling round cushions, and at the farther
end of it are three gigantic figures, mutilated by the bigoted zeal of
the Portuguese, when this island was in their possession. After
spending the day very pleasantly we returned.
The Sergeant (an old invalid) who had charge of the fort, had a
beautiful little garden; thither in the morning I frequently resorted,
to enjoy one of the most charming pieces of morning scenery that I had
ever witnessed.
"Awake! the morning shines, and the fresh fields
Call you; ye lose the prime to mark how spring
The tender plants; how blows the citron grove;
What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed;
How nature paints her colours; how the bee
Sits on the bloom, extracting liquid sweets."
MILTON'S PARADISE LOST.
How delightful this fragrance. It is distributed in the nicest
proportion; neither so strong as to depress the organs, nor so faint
as to elude them. We are soon cloyed at a sumptuous banquet, but this
pleasure never loses its poignancy, never palls the appetite; here
luxury itself is innocent; or rather, in this case, indulgence is not
capable of excess. Our amusements for the forenoon were our nautical
studies, and in the afternoon officers and men joined in cricket. In
the evening, after my duty of the day was dispatched, and the sultry
heats were abated, I enjoyed the recreation of a walk in one of the
finest recesses of the Island, and in one of the pleasantest evenings
which the season produced.
The trees uniting their branches over my head, formed a verdant
canopy, and cast a most refreshing shade; under my feet lay a carpet
of Nature's velvet; grass intermingled with moss, and embroidered with
the evening dew; jessamines, united with woodbines, twined around the
trees, displaying their artless beauties to the eye, and diffusing
their delicious sweets through the air. On either side, the boughs
rounding into a set of regular arches, opened a view into the distant
seas, and presented a prospect of the convex heavens. The little birds
all joyous and grateful for the favours of the light, were paying
their acknowledgments in a tribute of harmony, and soothing themselves
to rest with songs. All these beauties of Nature were for a while
withdrawn. The stars served to alleviate the frown of night, rather
than to recover the objects from their obscurity. A faint ray scarcely
reflected, and only gave the straining eye a very imperfect glimpse.
The day following that the ship came out of dock we joined her. Our
labours were now unremitted, to get her in readiness for sea. Amidst
all our exertions it was impossible to give any satisfaction; our
chief mate was very arbitrary, and vented his spleen upon the
defenceless midshipmen, besides making the backs of the poor seamen
sore with _starting_. Starting is a term used for rope's-ending a man,
or otherwise laying a _Point_ severely across their shoulders till
they have not the strength to wield it any longer; a point is a flat
platted rope, made for the purpose of taking in reefs, or otherwise to
fasten the sail upon the yards.
At length my life became so truly miserable, that I was determined in
my own mind not to endure it, if there was any possibility of avoiding
it. For that purpose I wrote on board his Majesty's frigate,
Revolutionnaire, for a situation, when Captain Wolcombe generously
offered me one, provided I could get permission of Captain Craig to
leave my present ship. I was at length forced to leave Bombay,
through this and other circumstances.
On our arrival at Madras every preparation was made for receiving our
cargo on board, which was speedily done, and in a short time was ready
for sea.