A True Account of the Voyage of the Nottingham-Galley of London,: John Dean Commander, from the River Thames to New-England — John Shaqi
A True Account of the Voyage of the Nottingham-Galley of London,: John Dean Commander, from the River Thames to New-EnglandLangman, Christopher
History
A True Account of the Voyage of the Nottingham-Galley of London,: John Dean Commander, from the River Thames to New-England
Langman, Christopher
Boon Island (Me.); Nottingham Galley (Merchant ship)
what had happen'd, but we must now all prepare for Death, there being
no Probability to escape it_. Upon this several of our Men went on the
Deck, but cou'd not stay there, because the Sea broke in all over the
Ship. Then the Captain, who had been Cursing and Swearing before, began
to cry and howl for Fear of losing his Life. The Boatswain and another
went into the Hold to see if there was any Water there, and finding
there was, we went all into the Cabbin to Prayers, being in hopes the
Ship would lie whole till Daylight. Soon after this the Mate, though
hardly able, went with some others above Deck; for this Surprize made
him forget his Pain. He spoke to the Captain, and told him, _It was
his Business to encourage the Men, and not to dishearten them_: Yet
still he insisted it was impossible for us to save our Lives. However,
the Mate with three others cut down the Main-Mast and Fore-Mast, which
by God's Assistance prov'd the Means of our Preservation; for the
Fore-Mast fell on the Rock with one End, and the other rested on the
Ship. The Mate went afterwards into the Cabbin, and desired the Captain
to use his Endeavours to save the Men, for the Ship would immediately
sink, and it was not time to think of saving any thing, but to get
ashore as light as we cou'd. By this Time the Water came out of the
Hold, and the Sea beat over the Deck, so that there was no standing
upon it. The Mate got first on the Mast, and with great Difficulty
escap'd to the Rock. He was follow'd by two others, who likewise got
on Shore, but were scarce able to stand on the Rock, from whence they
hallow'd to us to follow them, and we not hearing them any more than
once, were afraid they were wash'd off by the Waves. This put us into
a mighty Consternation, so that we knew not whether it were best to
follow them, or to stay on board till it was Day. The Captain was for
the latter; but it being dead low Water, the Tide of Flood coming on,
and the Wind beginning to blow hard, the Sea beat into the Cabbin while
we were at Prayers, which forced us to go upon Deck: Some more of our
Men escap'd to the Shore by help of the Mast, as the others had done,
and call'd to us to make haste and follow them, which we did, and by
the Blessing of God got safe to the Rock, though not without much
Danger, being forced to crawl upon our Hands and Knees we were so heavy
with Water, and the Rock so slippery.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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