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.
earnestness in his manner, that alarmed me, and made me fear that I
myself might unexpectedly be overtaken by a like weakness, or dizziness
of nature, that would bereave me at once of both reason and life; but
Providence willed it otherwise.
At about seven o’clock this morning, while I was lying asleep, my
companion who was steering, suddenly and loudly called out “_There’s a
Sail!_” I know not what was the first movement I made upon hearing such
an unexpected cry: the earliest of my recollections are, that
immediately I stood up, gazing in a state of abstraction and ecstasy
upon the blessed vision of a vessel about seven miles off from us; she
was standing in the same direction with us, and the only sensation I
felt at the moment was, that of a violent and unaccountable impulse to
fly directly towards her. I do not believe it is possible to form a just
conception of the pure, strong feelings, and the unmingled emotions of
joy and gratitude, that took possession of my mind on this occasion: the
boy, too, took a sudden and animated start from his despondency, and
stood up to witness the probable instrument of his salvation. Our only
fear was now, that she would not discover us, or that we might not be
able to intercept her course: we, however, put our boat immediately, as
well as we were able, in a direction to cut her off; and found, to our
great joy, that we sailed faster than she did. Upon observing us, she
shortened sail, and allowed us to come up to her. The captain hailed us,
and asked who we were. I told him we were from a wreck, and he cried out
immediately for us to come alongside the ship. I made an effort to
assist myself along to the side, for the purpose of getting up, but
strength failed me altogether, and I found it impossible to move a step
further without help. We must have formed at that moment, in the eyes of
the captain and his crew, a most deplorable and affecting picture of
suffering and misery. Our cadaverous countenances, sunken eyes, and
bones just starting through the skin, with the ragged remnants of
clothes stuck about our sun-burnt bodies, must have produced an
appearance to him affecting and revolting in the highest degree. The
sailors commenced to remove us from our boat, and we were taken to the
cabin, and comfortably provided for in every respect. In a few minutes
we were permitted to taste of a little thin food, made from tapioca, and
in a few days, with prudent management, we were considerably recruited.
This vessel proved to be the brig Indian, captain William Crozier, of
London; to whom we are indebted for every polite, friendly, and
attentive disposition towards us, that can possibly characterize a man
of humanity and feeling. We were taken up in latitude 33° 45′ S.
longitude 81° 03′ W. At twelve o’clock this day we saw the island of
Massafuera, and on the 25th of February, we arrived at Valparaiso in
utter distress and poverty. Our wants were promptly relieved there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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