Ay, ay, sir.
Thus, and no nearer, my man. Ease her with a spoke or two when she sends; but be careful, or shell take the wheel out of your hands.
It really was a very awful sight. When the ship was in the trough of the sea, you could distinguish nothing but a waste of tumultuous water; but when she was borne up on the summit of the enormous waves, you then looked down, as it were, upon a low, sandy coast, close to you, and covered with foam and breakers. She behaves nobly, observed the captain, stepping aft to the binnacle, and looking at the compass; if the wind does not baffle us, we shall weather. The captain had scarcely time to make the observation, when the sails shivered and flapped like thunder. Up with the helm; what are you about, quarter-master?
The wind has headed us, sir, replied the quarter-master, coolly.
The captain and master remained at the binnacle watching the compass; and when the sails were again full, she had broken off two points and the point of land was only a little on the lee bow.
We must wear her round, Mr Falcon. Hands, wear shipready, oh, ready.
She has come up again, cried the master, who was at the binnacle.
Hold fast there a minute. Hows her head now?
N.N.E., as she was before she broke off, sir?
Pipe belay, said the captain. Falcon, continued he, if she breaks off again we may have no room to wear; indeed there is so little room now, that I must run the risk. Which cable was ranged last nightthe best bower?
Yes, sir.
Jump down, then, and see it double-bitted and stoppered at thirty fathoms. See it well doneour lives may depend upon it.
The ship continued to hold her course good; and we were within half a mile of the point, and fully expected to weather it, when again the wet and heavy sails flapped in the wind, and the ship broke off two points as before. The officers and seamen were aghast, for the ships head was right on to the breakers. Luff now, all you can, quarter-master, cried the captain. Send the men aft directly. My lads, there is no time for wordsI am going to club-haul the ship, for there is no room to wear. The only chance you have of safety is to be cool, watch my eye, and execute my orders with precision. Away to your stations for tacking ship. Hands by the best bower anchor. Mr Wilson, attend below with the carpenter and his mates, ready to cut away the cable at the moment that I give the order. Silence, there, fore and aft. Quarter-master, keep her full again for stays. Mind you ease the helm down when I tell you. About a minute passed before the captain gave any further orders. The ship had closed to within a quarter of a mile of the beach, and the waves curled and topped around us, bearing us down upon the shore, which presented one continued surface of foam, extending to within half a cables length of our position, at which distance the enormous waves culminated and fell with the report of thunder. The captain waved his hand in silence to the quarter-master at the wheel, and the helm was put down. The ship turned slowly to the wind, pitching and chopping as the sails were spinning. She had lost her way, the captain gave the order, Let go the anchor. We will haul all at once, Mr Falcon, said the captain. Not a word was spoken; the men went to the fore brace, which had not been manned; most of them knew, although I did not, that if the ships head did not go round the other way, we should be on shore, and among the breakers, in half a minute. At last the ship was head to wind, and the captain gave the signal. The yards flew round with such a creaking noise, that I thought the masts had gone over the side, and the next moment the wind had caught the sails; and the ship, which for a moment or two had been on an even keel, careened over to her gunnel with its force. The captain, who stood upon the weather hammock-rails, holding by the main rigging, ordered the helm amidships, looked full at the sails, and then at the cable, which grew broad upon the weather bow, and held the ship from nearing the shore. At last he cried, Cut away the cable! A few strokes of the axes were heard, and then the cable flew out of the hawse hole in a blaze of fire, from the violence of the friction, and disappeared under a huge wave, which struck us on the chess-tree, and deluged us with water fore and aft. But we were now on the other tack, and the ship regained her way, and we had evidently increased our distance from the land.
My lads, said the captain to the ships company, you have behaved well, and I thank you; but I must tell you honestly, that we have more difficulties to get through. We have to weather a point of the bay on this tack. Mr Falcon, splice the main-brace, and call the watch. Hows her head, quarter-master?
S.W. by S. Southerly, sir.
Very well; let her go through the water; and the captain, beckoning to the master to follow him, went down into the cabin. As our immediate danger was over, I went down into the berth to see if I could get anything for breakfast, where I found OBrien and two or three more.
By the powers, it was as nate a thing as ever I saw done, observed OBrien; the slightest mistake as to time or management, and at this moment the flatfish would have been dubbing at our ugly carcasses. Peter, youre not fond of flatfish, are you, my boy? We may thank Heaven and the captain, I can tell you that, my lads; but now, wheres the chart, Robinson? Hand me down the parallel rules and compasses, Peter; they are in the corner of the shelf. Here we are now, a devilish sight too near this infernal point. Who knows how her head is?
I do, OBrien: I heard the quarter-master tell the captain S.W. by S. Southerly.
Let me see, continued OBrien, variation two and a quarterlee wayrather too large an allowance of that, Im afraid; but, however, well give her two and a half points; the Diomede would blush to make any more, under any circumstances. Herethe compassnow well see; and OBrien advanced the parallel rule from the compass to the spot where the ship was placed on the chart. Bother! you see its as much as shell do to weather the other point now, on this tack, and thats what the captain meant when he told us we had more difficulty. I could have taken my Bible oath that we were clear of everything, if the wind held.
See what the distance is, OBrien, said Robinson. It was measured, and proved to be thirteen miles. Only thirteen miles; and if we do weather, we shall do very well, for the bay is deep beyond. Its a rocky point, you see, just by way of variety. Well, my lads, Ive a piece of comfort for you, anyhow. Its not long that youll be kept in suspense, for by one oclock this day, youll either be congratulating each other upon your good luck, or youll be past praying for. Come, put up the chart, for I hate to look at melancholy prospects: and, steward, see what you can find in the way of comfort. Some bread and cheese, with the remains of yesterdays boiled pork, were put on the table, with a bottle of rum, procured at the time they spliced the main-brace; but we were all too anxious to eat much, and one by one returned on deck, to see how the weather was, and if the wind at all favoured us. On deck the superior officers were in conversation with the captain, who had expressed the same fear that OBrien had in our berth. The men, who knew what they had to expectfor this sort of intelligence is soon communicated through a shipwere assembled in knots, looking very grave, but at the same time not wanting in confidence. They knew that they could trust to the captain, as far as skill or courage could avail them; and sailors are too sanguine to despair, even at the last moment.
Before twelve oclock the rocky point which we so much dreaded was in sight broad on the lee bow; and if the low sandy coast appeared terrible, how much more did this, even at a distance! the black masses of rock covered with foam, which each minute dashed up in the air higher than our lower mast-heads. The captain eyed it for some minutes in silence, as if in calculation.
Mr Falcon, said he at last, we must put the mainsail on her.
She never can bear it, sir.
She must bear it, was the reply. Send the men aft to the mainsheet. See that careful men attend the buntlines.
The mainsail was set, and the effect of it upon the ship was tremendous. She careened over so that her lee channels were under the water; and when pressed by a sea, the lee side of the quarter-deck and gangway were afloat. She now reminded me of a goaded and fiery horse, mad with the stimulus applied; not rising as before, but forcing herself through whole seas, and dividing the waves, which poured in one continual torrent from the forecastle down upon the decks below. Four men were secured to the wheelthe sailors were obliged to cling, to prevent being washed awaythe ropes were thrown in confusion to leewardthe shot rolled out of the lockers, and every eye was fixed aloft, watching the masts, which were expected every moment to go over the side. A heavy sea struck us on the broadside, and it was some moments before the ship appeared to recover herself; she reeled, trembled, and stopped her way, as if it had stupefied her. The first lieutenant looked at the captain as if to say, This will not do.
It is our only chance, answered the captain to the appeal. That the ship went faster through the water, and held a better wind, was certain; but just before we arrived at the point, the gale increased in force.
If any thing starts, we are lost, sir, observed the first lieutenant again.
I am perfectly aware of it, replied the captain, in a calm tone; but, as I said before, and you must now be aware, it is our only chance. The consequence of any carelessness or neglect in the fitting and securing of the rigging, will be felt now; and this danger, if we escape it, ought to remind us how much we have to answer for if we neglect our duty. The lives of a whole ships company may be sacrificed by the neglect or incompetence of an officer when in harbour.
The ship was now within two cables lengths of the rocky point; some few of the men I observed to clasp their hands, but most of them were silently taking off their jackets, and kicking off their shoes, that they might not lose a chance of escape provided the ship struck.
Twill be touch and go indeed, Falcon, observed the captain (for I had clung to the belaying pins, close to them for the last half-hour that the mainsail had been set). Come aft, you and I must take the helm. We shall want nerve there, and only there, now.
The captain and first lieutenant went aft, and took the forespokes of the wheel, and OBrien, at a sign made by the captain, laid hold of the spokes behind him. An old quarter-master kept his station at the fourth. The roaring of the sea on the rocks, with the howling of the wind, were dreadful; but the sight was more dreadful than the noise. For a few moments I shut my eyes, but anxiety forced me to open them again. As near as I could judge, we were not twenty yards from the rocks, at the time that the ship passed abreast of them. We were in the midst of the foam, which boiled around us; and as the ship was driven nearer to them, and careened with the wave, I thought that our main yard-arm would have touched the rock; and at this moment a gust of wind came on which laid the ship on her beam-ends, and checked her progress through the water, while the accumulated noise was deafening. A few moments more the ship dragged on, another wave dashed over her and spent itself upon the rocks, while the spray was dashed back from them, and returned upon the decks. The main rock was within ten yards of her counter, when another gust of wind laid us on our beam-ends; the foresail and mainsail split, and were blown clean out of the bolt-ropesthe ship righted, trembling fore and aft. I looked astern: the rocks were to windward on our quarter, and we were safe. I thought at the time, that the ship, relieved of her courses, and again lifting over the waves, was not a bad similitude of the relief felt by us all at that moment; and, like her, we trembled as we panted with the sudden reaction, and felt the removal of the intense anxiety which oppressed our breasts.
The captain resigned the helm, and walked aft to look at the point, which was now broad on the weather quarter. In a minute or two, he desired Mr Falcon to get new sails up and bend them, and then went below to his cabin. I am sure it was to thank God for our deliverance: I did most fervently, not only then, but when I went to my hammock at night. We were now comparatively safein a few hours completely so: for, strange to say, immediately after we had weathered the rocks, the gale abated, and before morning we had a reef out of the topsails.
Chapter Sixteen
News from homeA fatigue party employed at Gibraltarmore particulars in the life of Mr ChucksA brush with the enemya court-martial and a lasting impression
A few days afterwards, a cutter joined us from Plymouth with orders for the frigate to proceed forthwith to Gibraltar, where we should learn our destination. We were all very glad of this: for we had had quite enough of cruising in the Bay of Biscay; and, as we understood that we were to be stationed in the Mediterranean, we hoped to exchange gales of wind and severe weather for fine breezes and a bright sky. The cutter brought out our letters and newspapers. I never felt more happy than I did when I found one put into my hands. It is necessary to be far from home and friends, to feel the real delight of receiving a letter. I went down into the most solitary place in the steerage, that I might enjoy it without interruption. I cried with pleasure before I opened it; but I cried a great deal more with grief, after I had read the contentsfor my eldest brother Tom was dead of a typhus fever. Poor Tom. When I called to mind what tricks he used to play mehow he used to borrow my money and never pay meand how he used to thrash me and make me obey him, because he was my elder brotherI shed a torrent of tears at his loss; and then I reflected how miserable my poor mother must be, and I cried still more.
I was very melancholy for a few days; but it was so delightful running down the Portuguese and Spanish coasts, the weather was so warm, and the sea so smooth, that I am afraid I forgot my brothers death sooner than I ought to have done; but my spirits were cheered up, and the novelty of the scene prevented me from thinking. Every one, too, was so gay and happy, that I could not well be otherwise. In a fortnight, we anchored in Gibraltar Bay, and the ship was stripped to refit. There was so much duty to be done, that I did not like to go on shore. Indeed, Mr Falcon had refused some of my messmates, and I thought it better not to ask, although I was very anxious to see a place which was considered so extraordinary. One afternoon, I was looking over the gangway as the people were at supper, and Mr Falcon came up to me and said, Well, Mr Simple, what are you thinking of? I replied, touching my hat, that I was wondering how they had cut out the solid rocks into galleries, and that they must be very curious.
That is to say, that you are very curious to see them. Well, then, since you have been very attentive to your duty, and have not asked to go on shore, I will give you leave to go to-morrow morning and stay till gun-fire.