DEPARTURE FROM VAN DIEMEN'S LAND AND ARRIVAL AT MADRAS--AN
ACCOUNT OF A SEVERE GALE, AND THE GREAT DANGER OF SHIPWRECK,
TOGETHER WITH HER WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM IT, AND HER SAFE
ARRIVAL IN CUDDALORE.
The morning was beautiful, and the noise of the crew weighing the
anchor, created much life and bustle; and as we proceeded out of the
harbour Nature seemed to smile, and bid us welcome to the watery
element we had been so long traversing. A few days after, we entered
the Endeavour Straits, which are about ten leagues long and five
broad. We had several canoes off from the shore of New Guinea. It is a
long narrow island of the South Pacific Ocean, and north of New
Holland, from which it is separated by this strait, except on the
north-east entrance, where it is counteracted by a group of islands,
called the Prince of Wales's Islands. The land is generally low, and
covered with an astonishing luxuriance of wood and herbage. The
inhabitants resemble those of New Holland, omitting the quantity of
grease and red-ochre with which the New Hollanders besmear their
skins.
Their canoes are neatly carved, and are about twelve feet in length;
they have outriggers to keep them firm on the water, and they are
formed out of the hulls of trees; they carry about five or six men.
They brought on board a quantity of shells, bows, arrows, and clubs,
besides other trifling articles, and they would exchange with us for
bits of old iron-hoops, or in fact any old thing, however trifling.
The breeze freshening, we soon lost sight of the native merchants.
We arrived at Madras on the 12th of September, 1818, after a tedious
passage. Owing to General Munro's intended departure for England, our
cargo was immediately got ready, and as expeditiously received by us,
and we were ready for sea on the 20th of October; but our dispatches
not being in readiness, we were forced to remain at our anchorage, and
on the morning of the 24th the clouds looked very black, and
threatened a severe storm; but no preparations were made on board, and
at 4 P. M. signal was made from the shore for all ships to leave the
roads, which unfortunately was not noticed by many of the officers of
the different vessels. At 5 P. M. the gale commenced; but through
neglect the royal and top-gallant yards were not sent down, nor could
the officer commanding be persuaded that any danger would arise from
remaining at our anchorage; the ship's company now came aft and
expostulated; but the officer in command called them all cowards, and
said he would not start her anchor if it blew the masts out of her.
About 2 A. M. on the 25th, the gale commenced with the utmost fury,
and she rode her scuttles under water, but as they were not secure,
the sea came inboard and made very fast upon us. At 6 A. M. the water
was three feet on the lee-side of our gun-deck, and from the continual
working of the ship the chests broke from their fastenings.
After seeing a vessel go down at her anchors close on our starboard
bow, the officer then gave orders for our cable to be slipped, which
was immediately put into execution. John Gardener, a seaman, wishing
to go aloft, and not taking proper hold, was blown from the rigging,
and never seen again. We set the fore-sail, which immediately split;
the mainsail, met with the same fate; the gaskets of the topsails gave
way, and the sails split. At half past eight we found we had sprung a
leak, owing to the ship's labouring so much; in the course of ten
minutes we sounded, and found three feet water in the hold. The pumps
were choaked; by 9 A. M. they were cleared, and by this time we had
eight feet water in the well, and three on the gun-deck; the ship
rolled very much, and the chests, guns, and water-casks, being all
cast adrift, were dashing from larboard to starboard with the greatest
fury. At 10 A. M. the ship labouring so much, and her being eight
streaks of her main-deck under water, abreast of her main-hatchway, so
that we had very little prospect of her living two minutes above
water, it was thought necessary to send her mizen-mast by the board,
in order to righten her; but while going, the mizen-mast heeled to
windward and caught her royal-yards in the top-sail tye, and stayed
her so, that we were compelled to cut away the main-mast, which
carried the fore-top-mast and jib-boom; and, while in the act of going
by the board, it knocked an invalid down and killed him on the spot.
The ship rightened a little; but the sea was very boisterous, and we
appeared to be in a valley in the midst of a number of tremendous high
mountains, which to all appearance seemed ready to fall and crush us.
The carpenter came forward, and informed us, that we had sprung
another leak, and that we had ten feet water in the well; the men, as
by one accord, dropped the pumps, and appeared to despair; we might
all have well exclaimed with the poet,
"Heaven have mercy here upon us!
For only that can save us now."
"The atmosphere was hurled into the most tremendous confusion, the
aerial torment burst itself over mountains, seas, and continents. All
things felt the dreadful shock; all things trembled under her scourge,
her sturdy sons were strained to the very nerves, and almost swept her
headlong to the deep."
It would be in vain to attempt to give a description of our feelings
at this critical moment, tortured as we were with anguish and despair.
Every man seemed now as if all was given over for lost, when the
carpenter came forward and informed us the leak was found out, and
that with a little exertion it might be stopped; the men then rose
with great vigour, flew to the pumps with renovated strength, and gave
three cheers. The cabins were all washed down, and a party of men were
busily employed throwing every thing overboard,--self was not
considered,--the very last rag was committed to the furious elements
without a sigh. At 11 A. M. the sea struck her starboard
quarter-gallery and forced it from its birth, and as we were busily
employed, a cry was heard, the starboard fore-mast port was carried
away, and the sea forced itself with great rapidity along the deck;
but the seamen flew to meet this new misfortune with the vigour of
tigers, not considering the dangers they had to encounter, and thus
effectually succeeded in stopping the leak.
While the seamen were busily employed, the troops were desired to
pump, which they firmly refused, and said they would sooner sink,
except a poor blind man, who could not keep from them; his reply was
truly noble, and, I am sure, my readers will excuse my repeating it.
"I am unworthy of the life I have if I do not exert myself in this
hour of distress; if it has pleased God to deprive me of the blessing
of sight, he has not of the feelings of a Christian." At half past
eleven the gale greatly abated, and by this time the carpenter had
stopped the leak, by using all the gunny bags and blankets that could
be found; the damage was occasioned by the masts beating under her
counter. By 12 A. M. it was a perfect calm; the men were now busily
employed clearing the gun-deck, and securing every port-hole and
scuttle in which they effectually succeeded by 1 P. M.
"For a moment the turbulent and outrageous sky seemed to be assuaged;
but it intermitted its wrath only to increase its strength; soon the
sounding squadrons of the air returned to their attack, and renewed
their ravages with redoubled fury; and the stately dome rocked amidst
the wheeling clouds. The impregnable clouds tottered on its basis, and
threatened to overwhelm those whom it was intended to protect, the
vessel was almost rent in pieces, and scarcely secure; where then was
a place of safety? Sleep affrighted flew, diversion was turned into
horror; all was uproar in the elements; all was consternation among
us, and nothing was seen but one wide picture of rueful devastation.
"The ocean swelled with tremendous commotions; the ponderous waves
were heaved from their capacious beds, and almost lay bare the
unfathomed deep; flung into the most rapid agitation, they swept over
us, and tossed themselves into the clouds. We were rent from our
anchors, and with all our enormous load were whirled swift as an arrow
along the vast abyss. Now we climb the rolling mountains, we plough
the frightful ridge, and seem to skim the skies; anon we plunge into
the opening gulf, we reel to and fro, and stagger in the jarring
decks, or climb the cordage, whilst bursting seas foam over the decks.
Despair is in every face, and death sits threatening in every surge."
The whistling of the wind and roaring of the sea, together with the
voice of despairing seamen, and the dreadful shrieks of the women,
made us truly miserable; but we were forced to exert ourselves with
assumed courage and vigour, which could only be imagined but by those
placed in a similar situation,--our exertions were for life or death,
knowing that if they once failed, that nothing was to be expected but
to perish in a watery grave.
We kept the water under to about three feet during the time of this
dreadful gale; about 4 P. M. it abated, and about 5 P. M. it blew a
steady breeze from the south-west; and at 6 P. M. we went round her to
examine the damage we had sustained; when, dreadful to relate, we
found that a man and child had been washed out of their hammocks and
perished; on proceeding along the waste we found two invalids had been
jammed to death between two water-casks and the ship's sides, making a
total of six lives lost during the storm.
The hatches were opened about 8 P. M.; but the provisions being so
salt and sodden with the sea water, they could not be eaten, on
account of the scarcity of fresh water. After the watch was set we
laid ourselves down upon the upper-deck with no other covering than
the starry heavens.
On the following day we commenced clearing the wreck, and rigging up
jurymasts, which we happily effected before sun-set; and on the 28th
we arrived at Sadras, which lay south by west of Madras, distant
fifteen miles. We lay here till the 30th without any tidings of the
captain.
The men from fatigue and pain, from sleeping on the wet decks, and
continual pumping, came aft, and said the clouds threatened another
storm, and that the monsoons were growing very strong, and in case the
weather should alter for the worse, they had not strength left to
work the ship in another gale, from want of nourishment; and that
provided the officers did not think proper to remove to a place of
safety, they were determined to take charge of her and proceed to
Trincomalee, and deliver the vessel into the hands of the
under-writers. All our remonstrances to them were in vain, until the
chief mate pledged his word and honour, that if the captain did not
join her the next morning, he would, ill as he was, take charge of her
and proceed there himself.
On the following morning the captain joined her, with the hon. L. G.
K. Murray, secretary to the board of trade at Madras, when they
brought on board a quantity of provisions, which we stood very much in
need of, and immediately made sail and arrived the same day at
Pondicherry. The governor sent us on board a new anchor, as our own
was sprung. Pondicherry is a town of Hindostan, under the French
government, and situated on the coast of Coromandel, seventy-five
miles S. S. W. of Madras.
On the following day we run into Cuddalore, a little above the first
bar. Cuddalore is a town of Hindostan, one hundred miles S. S. W. of
Madras. Thirty of the ship's company being sick, they, with me, were
compelled to leave the ship, and forced to proceed on shore to the
hospital. I was about this time seized with a violent fit of the
cholera morbus. It is supposed to originate from the cold damp airs
which are very prevalent at this time of the season. A gentleman's
bungalow was humanely given up as a hospital, or friendly receptacle,
for our incapacitated seamen, during our sojourn at Cuddalore.
The possibility of visiting the native town was precluded by the
peculiar strictness of the regulations imposed upon us.