At the end of the seventh day, we were startled by the cry "Land ho!
Land, Land." We exclaimed, "we are saved, we are saved!" and, for a
moment, there was deep silence, an instructive feeling of gratitude
prompted in each breast, young and old, a spontaneous prayer of
thanksgiving to the mighty Being in whose hands we were, who was at once
our Father and our God. The first powerful impulse obeyed, we had
leisure to think of each other. I kissed the little ones, but said
nothing. Madame was loud in her rejoicings and thanksgivings, the
servants outrageous in their frantic joy, but the dread fear of the past
days, the fury of the still existing storm, kept the elder girls yet in
a state of subdued feeling. Dashing the tears from her eyes, and
assuming an indifferent manner, Schillie said, "Madame, spare your
rejoicings until we land; and you howlers," turning to the maids, "keep
your noise for a fitting occasion. I imagine," looking at the rest of
the party, "our condition is rendered more dangerous by the probability
of being driven on shore; when, instead of going to the bottom, like
Christians, with whole skins, we shall be dashed to pieces on the rocks,
and washed up in little bits."
_Felix._--"I hope some of my little bits will get near mama's little
bits, and then I shall not care."
_Oscar._--"Mother, may I creep up and ask Smart what the captain thinks
about the land?"
_All._--"Yes, do, do, dear boy."
"Mind you are careful, my darling boy," said the anxious Mother.
The captain came down himself with the boy, and corroborated Schillie's
idea, that land was dangerous if the gale continued. "But, thank God,"
said he, bowing his head, "the gale is breaking; may I see you all down
before my eyes, if I am deceived in thinking we shall have fine weather
in a few hours; but," continued he, looking round with concern, "what
pale faces, what suffering and misery you have undergone. I am a'most
done myself," the large tears rolling down his pale shrunken cheeks,
"and, but for the lives under my care, I must have given way long ere
this. Ye have need to pray yet for succour; we are aye in a mickle mess,
shortened in our hands, with work for twenty men, it is not to be
expected as nature 'll stand it out. The men are fairly done, and, but
for that likely Smart, I ken we should be in a far worse state. I am
thinking, leddies, a spell at the pump will no harm you, and gie us a
better chance of our lives, while the men get a bit snack. Another six
hours will make or mar us; but it's no me as will disguise from any one
that she's sprung a leak. All the straining and strammashing she has
gone through would have foundered some score of fine boats, but she is a
good one, aye, a grand one. So weel ye just come?"
We were awfully startled at the announcement of a leak, but followed him
as well as we were able. Lashed to the pumps, we again worked hard, but
not as before to reap a reward of our labours in seeing the pumps become
dry. At the end of two hours, when we had worked turn and turn about,
the captain told us that the water did not gain on us, yet the pumps
must be kept going night and day to keep her afloat. How grieved we were
to see our kind-hearted merry Smart, who had always looked such a fine
handsome specimen of an English gamekeeper, worn down to a shadow, his
fine fresh colour gone, his cheeks shrunk and withered, his bright eyes
and frank smile vanished, and a care-worn, haggard, gaunt man in his
stead. The two dogs were near him, looking famished and subdued. But
throughout the whole time, during our greatest danger, he had never
forgotten the cow; he remembered how necessary the milk was to the
health of his little master, and he had fenced and guarded her stall
with sails and straw-bands to prevent her being knocked about;
nevertheless, with all his care, she looked pitiable, and was galled and
bruised in many places.
Gradually the leaden darkness over our heads seemed to be stealing away,
a low moaning sound succeeded to the hollow blasts and whistling
hurricane that had been making us their sport. Instead of the violent
pitching and tossing that had been our fate for so many days, with the
fearful careening over of the labouring ship, we were now going slowly
up and down with the swelling rolling waves. Gradually and distinctly
the land, that had been viewed some hours before, became more visible,
and we beheld what seemed to us a small irregular island, rising very
abruptly to the right, and of great height, but shelving off to the
left; and, as we approached nearer, we could perceive long breakers
dashing for a great distance over the lower part, leading us to imagine
that it extended some miles into the sea. Our captain edged off as well
as he could, with his crippled rudder and the troubled sea with which he
had to contend, because night was coming on. Though the wind was quite
subdued, and the sea becoming each hour more calm, the night was an
anxious one, and weary enough to some of us, for the pumps could not be
left a moment.
The harassing time the young ones had passed made me anxious that they
should obtain that rest so long desired, while the age and delicate
health of Madame rendered her almost as necessary an object of care; but
the maids with my cousin and myself did our duty with the rest in our
endeavours to keep the ship afloat.
We were rewarded in the morning by, oh! joyful and beauteous sight, the
unclouded and glorious rising of the sun. Months seemed to have passed
since we had seen his beautiful face, and the genial warmth and bright
beams imparted a glow to every eye and every heart. The cock, so long
silent and almost dead with salt water, faintly crowed, the dogs barked,
and the cow lowed. When dumb animals thus endeavoured to express their
joy and thankfulness, could we be silent? Oh no, words were not wanting
to add to nature's hymn, happy and joyful sounds were heard on all
sides, and those who could not help it wept the happiness they found
themselves unable to express in words.