Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy: A weird series of tales of shipwreck and disaster, from the earliest part of the century to the present time, with accounts of providential escapes and heart-rending fatalities.Anonymous
History
Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy: A weird series of tales of shipwreck and disaster, from the earliest part of the century to the present time, with accounts of providential escapes and heart-rending fatalities.
Anonymous
Mutiny; Pirates; Seafaring life; Shipwrecks
On sounding the well, and finding the ship had sprung a leak, and now
had five feet water in the hold, the people clewed up the
main-topsail, hauled up the mainsail, and immediately endeavored to
furl both, but could not effect it. On discovering the leak all the
pumps were set to work.
At two in the morning of Wednesday the fourth, they tried to wear the
ship, but without success, and judging it necessary to cut away the
mizen-mast, this was immediately done, when another attempt made to
wear her was equally fruitless as the former. The ship had now seven
feet water in the hold which was gaining fast on the pumps, therefore,
for her preservation it was considered expedient to cut away the
mainmast, as she appeared to be in immediate danger of foundering.
In the fall of the mast, Jonathan Moreton, coxswain, and four men,
were either drawn along with the wreck, or fell overboard and were
drowned. By eight in the morning the wreck was cleared, and the ship
got before the wind, in which position she was kept two hours.
Meantime the pumps reduced the water in the hold two feet, and the
ship's head was brought to the eastward with the foresail only.
At ten in the morning the wind abated considerably, but the ship
labouring extremely, rolled the fore-topmast over on the larboard
side, and, in the fall, the wreck went through the foresail, tearing
it to pieces. At eleven the wind came to the westward, and the weather
clearing up, the Berryhead was distinguishable, bearing north and by
east, distant four or five leagues. Another foresail was now
immediately bent, a jury-mainmast erected and a top-gallantsail set
for a mainsail, under which sail Captain Pierce bore up for
Portsmouth, and employed the remainder of the day in getting up a
jury-mizen-mast.
At two next morning, the wind came to the southward, blowing fresh,
the weather being very thick. Portland was seen at noon, bearing north
and by east, distant two or three leagues. At night, it blew a strong
gale at south, at which time the Portland lights were then seen,
bearing north-west, distant four or five leagues. The ship was then
wore, and her head got round to the westward; but finding she lost
ground on that tack, the captain wore her again, and kept stretching
on to the eastward, in hopes to have weathered Peverel Point, in which
case he intended to have anchored in Studland Bay. It cleared at
eleven at night, and St. Alban's Head was seen a mile and a half to
the leeward, on which, sail was instantly taken in, and the small
bower anchor let go, which brought up the ship at a whole cable. She
rode for about an hour, but then drove; the sheet anchor was now let
go, and a whole cable wore away, and the ship rode for about two hours
longer, when she drove again.
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