The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket: Comprising the details of a mutiny and atrocious butchery on board the American brig Grampus, on her way to the South Seas, in the month of June, 1827.Poe, Edgar Allan
General
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket: Comprising the details of a mutiny and atrocious butchery on board the American brig Grampus, on her way to the South Seas, in the month of June, 1827.
Poe, Edgar Allan
Sea stories; Stowaways -- Fiction; Whaling ships -- Fiction; Young men -- Fiction
sooner, had it not been for the narrow space in which he had to act,
and the tremendous lurches of the vessel. Presently he was enabled to
get hold of a heavy stool, several of which lay about the floor. With
this he beat out the brains of Greely as he was in the act of
discharging a musket at me, and immediately afterward a roll of the
brig throwing him in contact with Hicks, he seized him by the throat,
and, by dint of sheer strength, strangled him instantaneously. Thus, in
far less time than I have taken to tell it, we found ourselves masters
of the brig.
The only person of our opponents who was left alive was Richard Parker.
This man, it will be remembered, I had knocked down with a blow from
the pump-handle at the commencement of the attack. He now lay
motionless by the door of the shattered stateroom; but, upon Peters
touching him with his foot, he spoke, and entreated for mercy. His head
was only slightly cut, and otherwise he had received no injury, having
been merely stunned by the blow. He now got up, and, for the present,
we secured his hands behind his back. The dog was still growling over
Jones; but, upon examination, we found him completely dead, the blood
issuing in a stream from a deep wound in the throat, inflicted, no
doubt, by the sharp teeth of the animal.
It was now about one o'clock in the morning, and the wind was still
blowing tremendously. The brig evidently laboured much more than usual,
and it became absolutely necessary that something should be done with a
view of easing her in some measure. At almost every roll to leeward she
shipped a sea, several of which came partially down into the cabin
during our scuffle, the hatchway having been left open by myself when I
descended. The entire range of bulwarks to larboard had been swept
away, as well as the caboose, together with the jollyboat from the
counter. The creaking and working of the mainmast, too, gave indication
that it was nearly sprung. To make room for more stowage in the after
hold, the heel of this mast had been stepped between decks (a very
reprehensible practice, occasionally resorted to by ignorant
ship-builders), so that it was in imminent danger of working from its
step. But, to crown all our difficulties, we plummed the well, and
found no less than seven feet water.
Leaving the bodies of the crew lying in the cabin, we got to work
immediately at the pumps--Parker, of course, being set at liberty to
assist us in the labour. Augustus's arm was bound up as well as we
could effect it, and he did what he could, but that was not much.
However, we found that we could just manage to keep the leak from
gaining upon us by having one pump constantly going. As there were only
four of us, this was severe labour; but we endeavoured to keep up our
spirits, and looked anxiously for daybreak, when we hoped to lighten
the brig by cutting away the mainmast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account