Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex, of Nantucket;: Which Was Attacked and Finally Destroyed by a Large Spermaceti-whale, in the Pacific Ocean; With an Account of the Unparalleled Sufferings of the Captain and Crew During a Space of Ninety-three Days at Sea, in Open Boats in the Years 1819 & 1820.Chase, Owen
History
Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex, of Nantucket;: Which Was Attacked and Finally Destroyed by a Large Spermaceti-whale, in the Pacific Ocean; With an Account of the Unparalleled Sufferings of the Captain and Crew During a Space of Ninety-three Days at Sea, in Open Boats in the Years 1819 & 1820.
degree as to appear to want some more powerful stimulus than the fears
of death to enable them to do their duty. By great exertions, however,
towards morning we again set a double-reefed mainsail and jib upon her,
and began to make tolerable progress on the voyage. An unaccountable
good fortune had kept the boats together during all the troubles of the
night: and the sun rose and showed the disconsolate faces of our
companions once more to each other.
December 9th. By twelve o’clock this day we were enabled to set all sail
as usual; but there continued to be a very heavy sea running, which
opened the seams of the boats, and increased the leaks to an alarming
degree. There was, however, no remedy for this but continual bailing,
which had now become to be an extremely irksome and laborious task. By
observation we found ourselves in latitude 17° 40′ S. At eleven o’clock
at night, the captain’s boat was unexpectedly found to be missing. After
the last accident of this kind we had agreed, if the same should again
occur, that, in order to save our time, the other boats should not heave
to, as usual, but continue on their course until morning, and thereby
save the great detention that must arise from such repeated delays. We,
however, concluded on this occasion to make a small effort, which, if it
did not immediately prove the means of restoring the lost boat, we would
discontinue, and again make sail. Accordingly we hove to for an hour,
during which time I fired my pistol twice, and obtaining no tidings of
the boat, we stood on our course. When daylight appeared she was to
leeward of us, about two miles; upon observing her we immediately ran
down, and again joined company.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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