A Book of Voyages

  Tho’ this disaster all together was not the work of a minute, yet the damage our ship sustained by it was incredible. It carry’d away her head and cut-water, broke the boltsprit within a foot and an half of the stem, bore away the foremast close by the forecastle, the main-mast within five foot and an half of the deck, and the mizen-mast, which was stept in the gun-room, close to the quarter-deck. It wash’d away seven powder chests plated fast to the deck with winding plate, off the forecastle and quarter-deck, stav’d the long-boat in her lashings all to bits, and in her drown’d and wash’d overboard six hogs, as many sheep, and some goats, besides six hen-coops full of hens it carry’d away; and in one hen-coop left on the quarter-deck with about two dozen of hens, there was not one alive. Thirteen turkies were drowned in the forecastle, standing on the guns, two tire of watercasks wash’d off the main-deck, and a spare topmast which was broke into three pieces, two minion guns, carriages and all, were lost from off the main-deck, on each side the bulkhead of the steerage, tho’ well lash’d with new britchings and tackles; two falconets and a paterero were taken off the quarter-deck, and both the bulk-heads of steerage and great cabbin stav’d to bits, so that there was not the bigness of a trencher to be found of them. But the worst of all was, that it carry’d away our starboard-side, fore and aft, from the steerage to the cook-room, as if it had been saw’d close by the deck, and at the same time stav’d our bittacle to mash, with one of the compasses that were in it. The dish of the other compass, by great providence, rouling about among the other broken things, was taken up by the duke’s first gentleman, who threw it carelessly into his cabbin, without considering of what value and use it was like to be to us, but the box of it was lost.

  When our captain had, with much difficulty, clear’d himself of all the things that fell upon him, he call’d to me to know how things stood, who soon acquainted him how all our masts were gone, and we lay like a wreck. Here-upon we run to clap our helm a-weather; and coming to lay hold of the whipstaff, I found it was fallen into the gun-room; and going down to see the cause of it, was almost up to the knees in water upon our lower deck, which, with the beating of the ship, wash’d from side to side in such manner, that I had much ado to scramble in to feel for the tiller. Having at length waded thro’, I found the tiller lying in the gun-room on the deck, broke off short at the rudder head. Whilst I was thus groveling in the dark, I felt my body all over cover’d with rats, as thick as they could stand upon me, on my coat, arms, neck, and my very head, so that I was forc’d to make my escape into the light to get rid of those vermin. Going up to see if we could by any means get the stump of the tiller from the rudder head, we perceiv’d our rudder hanging only by the upper gudgin, and floating in the sea across our counter; and in less than a glass’s time it broke clear away.

  All this while our gunnel lay open, the water continually pouring down into the hold, and we could not tell which way to remedy it to prevent foundering. Our masts and yards lay still under our lee; and the ship driving in the trough of the sea upon them, it was hard to get rid of them, and it was altogether impossible to save any, because of the violence of the wind and sea, and the rouling of the ship. All our main chain-plates, both of shrouds and back-stays, both to leeward and windward, broke off short as if they had been glass, and not one of them held: so did all the chain-plates before, excepting the two aftermost plates of our larboard shrouds, which alone held, and kept the wreck under our lee, till at last our boatswain cut them away with a hatchet, and then they drove away a-head of us. Our mizen chain-plates broke all to windward, but those to leeward held; by which means we sav’d our mizen shrouds, which, with one half of our cross-jack yard, and a piece of our ensign-staff, was all we could save of our wreck. Besides, we found our grindstone at the end of our windlass, in the corner of our starboard gunnel; which was very strange, considering that before we lost our mast, the stone lay in its trough, and that nail’d down to the deck, between the guns by the steerage door; yet the trough was wash’d overboard, and the stone roul’d so far forwards, and lodg’d in that unlikely place very unaccountably, considering the rouling of the ship; and we should have had a great miss of it, had it been lost. Nor was it a less providence, that our main-mast and all the rigging falling overboard, did no harm to neither of our pumps; for had they been spoil’d, we could never have out-liv’d the next day.

  Next we must contrive to secure our broken side, and keep the water from running down into the hold; for our ship, by the shuffling of the wind, lay again with her broken side to windward, and the weather continuing tempestuous, we were afraid the sea would drive away our other gunnel, by beating upon it continually; besides that, the water which broke in upon our deck was constantly running down into the hold betwixt the side and the ceiling. The first thing we did was to stretch a coil of two inch rope from the timbers of the forecastle to those of the quarter-deck, fore and aft, in the nature of a rope-maker’s walk when their tenterhooks are all full of cable yarns. This we did to lay hold of as we walk’d along the deck, because, having nothing to steady our hull, she roul’d intolerably, and it was almost impossible for a man to keep his feet on the deck, without holding. This done, the boatswain and I having a bolt of Holland’s duck deliver’d us by the captain, and our pockets full of nails, we stretch’d the said duck from the top of our broken gunnel, afore all along the deck, tacking it down with here and there a nail, both within and without the deck; and, to keep it the closer, our commander bored some hoops taken off an old cask, and drawing them out strait, we nail’d them upon it. It had been impossible for the boatswain and myself to have done this, had we not had two long pieces of new rope about our middles, which were made fast at the other end to the rings on the deck, and two men attending us, they were let loose or shorten’d as we had occasion. With all this precaution and care the work took us up about two hours; during all which time, the sea continually beating in over us, we could scarce keep our eyes open to see what we were doing, or have full time to breath for fear of the water, which never ceas’d falling upon us.

  By that time we had done, it was near night, and our commander had made two long hoses of canvas, and nail’d them to the pumps to convey the water we pumped out of the hold, over-board; and whilst the pumps were fixing, we tack’d up a main-topgallant-sail for a bulk-head to our steerage, rather to keep out the wind than the sea. Then our captain encourag’d the men the best he could to stand by one another in their distress, which they promising to perform, he sat him down on the steerage with an half-hour glass, the only one that had escaped breaking, betwixt his legs, and four men were set to pump, being reliev’d every half-hour by four others; which was continu’d for eighteen hours incessantly; at the end whereof, to our unspeakable joy, we found the pumps did suck.

  What water was betwixt decks we were forc’d to cut holes to let out, the scupper holes being all stopp’d, except what was let down into our run, at the powder-room scuttle; which was done by our boatswain, who seeing so much water between decks, took up the said scuttle, thinking it might have drain’d down there to come to the pump; but we paid dear for this his indiscretion; for the water gushing down there, fell into our bread-room, and damnify’d half our bread. Thus ended the 9th of February.

  The next morning after our pump had suck’d, we found several great leaks in the run of our ship, which were occasion’d by the breaking loose of the rudder-bands, and the leaks were in such places that there was no coming to stop them; only the upper gudgin being nail’d to the rudder, was hung upon an iron hook drove thro’ the stern-post; which drawing, and the whole being left open, I stripp’d an ear of Indian wheat, and thrust the husk of it strongly into the hole, where it remain’d till the ship got a new rudder. The other leaks were a continual trouble to us; for besides them our ship was as tight as a drum, notwithstanding all the damage receiv’d.

  About eight of the clock in the morning, this 10th of February, to lighten the ship, our commander caus’d six minion guns to be hove ov
er-board, which was done by giving them a run out at the port-holes, on the lee side, where they stood in the steerage. Then we got up several West-India hogsheads of Jamaica pepper in baskets, and threw it over-board, with several casks of indigo, and the duke’s curious chairs, and rich hangings as also abundance of logwood and other goods: but the indigo scattering about the decks, spoil’d all our beds and cloathes, so that not one man had a dry or clean rag to put on. Still the storm continued, and the pump was ply’d day and night.

  We were now tired, and, what was worse, must think of retrenching our allowance, for we had fed two days on the hens and turkies that were drowned, which was dainty fare; but no more being left, and we not knowing how long we might remain in that condition, judg’d it convenient to begin in time, and reduce ourselves to short allowance that it might last the longer, about half of our bread being damag’d by the salt-water. The cook had every day a pail full of it deliver’d to him, which he heat’d in the furnace, and then every six men had a mess bowl of it full: this we eat with sugar, having cut a hole thro’ the bulkhead of our bread-room, to come at a hogshead, which prov’d very good, and was a great help to get down that wet bisket. This choice fare last’d us about ten or twelve days, and agreed with us well; but after that, the wet bread grew perfectly rotten, mouldy, and of several colours, so that we could eat no more of it, but hove what was left overboard in ballast baskets, and our allowance still grew harder. I had hitherto kept the key of the bread, but now observing that some men mutter’d as believing I could go to it when I would, and so fare better than they; therefore to satisfy all, I deliver’d up the key to the captain. From this time our allowance was settl’d all alike for men and boys, our commander himself not except’d. When we were rid of our rotten bread, we liv’d for some days upon the provisions that were laid in for the sheep and hogs, being Indian wheat, which lay about the gun-room damnified by the sea water: this we boil’d sometimes whole, and sometimes, when we could, would beat it in a piece of canvas, and eat sugar with it to get it down. When the Indian wheat was done, then every six men had two pounds of bread for a week; four times a-week stockfish was boil’d, and then every six men had a pound and a half; and three times a-week beef, each time a small piece between six; also puddings three times a-week, each time a pound and a half of flour between six. The meat was water’d, and puddings made with salt-water, and boil’d in the same, as were the stockfish, and eaten without any oyl, butter, or other thing whatsoever. Our allowance of drink was a small cocoa-nut-shell a-man, being about half a pint, or little more, deliver’d every night by the captain himself, or his steward, and then the spike cut off close till next night. The carpenter and I had a thirteen gallon cask of lime-juice, after all the rum was gone, which we broach’d, and when we could come at it without being seen, drank it with melasses, or sugar spoil’d by the sea water; but it lasted not long. We always drank it in private, because if any man saw another eat or drink, he would beg most earnestly, tho’ he knew not what it was; for our short allowance pinch’d hard.

  I was often commanded to go help stow the dry provisions with the steward, they being apt to shake loose in the lazaretto under the cook-room, which was a very agreeable employment, because I always found some scatter’d pease lying about in the scuppers, which I put in my pocket; and tho’ they were swollen and ready to burst with salt-water, I eat them very greedily in some corner, not daring to be seen to eat upon the deck. Other times going to scuttle a cask of beef, and giving out the allowance to be put into water, I put into my pocket all the loose bits I found in the pickle, or could pick off the pieces, and would afterwards privately eat them raw without bread. But when the steward went down for sugar or bread, I had always some pretence, as looking to the powder, or the like, to go down with him; and when his head was thrust thro’ the hole in the bulk-head of the bread-room to come at the sugar which was in the hold, then would I stuff a pair of Turkish boots I wore, as full of bread as I could, so as not to be discovered, and getting up into the gun-room where my chest lay, put out my cargo there in the dark; which done, I got again into the bread-room, and waited till the steward came out, begging a bit of bread of him, which he seldom refused me. This lasted not long, for at last the steward found the bread in my boots; and tho’ he said nothing to any body but myself, yet I lost the favourable opportunity, and was forc’d for the future to fare as my brethren did. When we could gather rain-water on the quarter-deck, we boil’d pease, and not else; and tho’ they were, when boil’d, as hard as swan-shot, and as bitter as gall, yet they went down pleasantly enough without butter. Very often when the beef was laid in water, it would be slic’d away, and half of it eaten raw, and yet we never knew who did it. The manner of dividing our victuals was thus. When six men had their allowance given them, it was laid down fairly betwixt them, and divided as equal as possible; then one man stood aside so that he could not see it; and another pointing to a piece, ask’d who should have it? and he that was nam’d by the other that did not see, took it; by which means we had no dispute about victuals. There were abundance of parrots aboard, and almost starv’d for want, and the duke’s servants would commonly sell a parrot for a bisket to any man that could pinch one out of his belly, which several seamen did, and brought some of them home, tho’ many dy’d by the way. I brought a delicate bird to Plymouth, which cost me five dollars in the West Indies, and thought it harder to maintain that poor creature aboard than I have since done a wife and two children. Rain water sav’d in a blanket was often sold by the men for a royal plate, or sixpence a pint to the passengers.

  But to come now to the manner of building our bulk-heads, we had, as I said before, sav’d half our cross-jack, and a piece of our ensign-staff; with these two we made a pair of shoves, and fixing them on the deck over our starboard pump, lifted it clear off our lower deck. Then I went down into the hold, or well, and having made way by removing some sticks of logwood, I got at our dry oxe-hides, and rouling them close together, made a shift to hand up sixteen of them through the hole of the pump. Then the pump was again lower’d down into its place, we struck our shoves, and with the hydes we made up our bulk-heads, which when dry did very well, but as soon as wet they flopped like a piece of tripe.

  All this while the weather was no way favourable, and we were spent with labour, and had not a dry thread to put on, and for about a week the boatswain’s eyes and mine were so sore with the great cold we had taken, that we were not able to do any thing, but sit all day in a dark hole; but with our surgeon’s assistance we soon recover’d of that distemper. However the blisters we had on our knees by nailing Holland’s duck on the side of our ship troubled us long after. The foul weather held us full twenty days without any abatement, and all this time we drove in the trough of the sea, the same side still to windward. However by the dish of our compass we always observ’d her drift according to judgment, and now and then took a bad observation, and every day at noon lay flat on the deck to write down our past four and twenty hours work.

  On the 21st day it prov’d fair weather, and being on the deck we spy’d a sail to windward of us standing to the eastward with his larboard tack aboard, the wind being now westerly; whereupon we fir’d four or five guns out of our forecastle on the starboard side, and at last perceiv’d the ship bear down upon us, to our great joy, as hoping for some relief. When she was within a bowshot to windward and a head of us, discovering us to be a wreck, she hoisted out a small boat; and in her sent four men, two of whom were Dutch and Portuguese. I was the only man that could speak to them, having learnt some Dutch in my youth, when I lived two years in the city Zutphen. The Dutchman told me the ship was a Portuguese homeward bound from Brazil, of about 5 or 600 tuns, as I remember. A Portuguese and a Dutchman were left aboard our ship, and the captain and I went aboard the Portuguese. The Dutchman interpreted betwixt the Portuguese captain and me, and I told our commander what the Dutchman said: we told the Portuguese the condition we were in, and heartily begg’d of him to afford u
s a spare yard or top-mast to make us a jury-mast. He had three or four of each sort lash’d along his gunnels and upon deck. Our commander offer’d him goods or money for them, and desir’d he would spare us a compass. The proud fellow stood on the deck with his hands in the sleeves of his watch-coat, and without returning any answer to our request, ask’d, How far we thought the rock of Lisbon distant from us? we answer’d, about 160 leagues eastward; then the Portuguese, shrugging his shoulders, told us, that he could not spare us so much as a compass, for fear the same accident should befall him in sailing those 160 leagues, as had happened to us. But in case we were willing to quit our ship and bring our provisions and water with us, he would receive us aboard, and carry us to Lisbon. Here-upon our captain resolving to stay by his ship, left him, and the unnatural monster never so much as ask’d him to sit down, or to drink a draught of water; so we went into the boat again, and return’d to our own ship. As we put from his side, he order’d some of his men to throw us a piece of wood, which was so rotten that it did us no service. Our commander made their men drink some rum, and then sent them back to their own ship, which then hoisted sail, and in three hours time was out of sight. But before the boat went off, our commander call’d all the seamen and passengers together, and told them, if any had a mind to go aboard the Portuguese whilst the boat was there, he would send them away with a competent allowance of provision, he being resolv’d to stay by his ship. To which the duke’s chief gentleman made answer, he would stay and share his fortune, and all the company resolv’d the same; whereupon the boat was dismiss’d. Within half an hour after the boat was gone, the boat-swain began to revile me, as if I had been the cause, that he and all the ship’s crew were not taken aboard the Portuguese, but our captain hearing it, took him up severely, and never lik’d him well after.