Day 346. Flying fish and salt horse: a seafaring tale
11th July 1860:
Wednesday 11th. At 4 PM the wind was from the Westward and fast increasing to a Gale. The Captn coming on deck in the meantime, ordered the Jib, Spanker, Cross Jack and Mainsail to be stowed, then close reefed the Topsails and Foresails, the Crew knowing what was coming
Worked with a will, and fulfilled the Captns orders, as if by magic, having stowed, reefed and set the various sails to order, and Coiled all the ropes up in about ¾ of an hour. during the morning we had more of it, the ship was run off her course to keep her away before the Gale, during the day it increased with violence, and strained the ship fearfully, so much so, that we have had to be continually at the pumps, she having sprung a leak. The weather being so boisterous and the pumping being so harassing to us, the Carpenter and Sailmaker again kept watch, at 4 PM we had a Pampera being in Lat 37.0S and Long 37.31W which is a right place for them, being abreast of the River Plate. I never was witness to such a sight in all my life, before it struck us, we braced the Fore Yards, sharp up, then the Captn called all hands on the Poop, in case she should broach to, and sweep the decks, before it came down upon us with all its
violence, we clewed up and stowed the Mizen Topsail, while clewing up the lee sheet, the tail broke, and the sheet unreefing, it came smack down upon a young chap’s head, it cut his head and sou’wester in two places, and felled him to the deck, like a stone. There the poor fellow lay apparently dead, he was picked up and carried into the Cabin, but that was no time for attendance as Every man was required on deck, but as in short a time as possible, the Captn dressed his wounds (his senses having returned), which were not so serious as expected and I hope in a week , he will be able to do his duty as usual. Just as we got the Mizen Topsail stowed, the sky had the most strange appearance, that I ever saw, the clouds to windward were of a nasty, black and yellow colour, in fact it was most awful to behold, presently the Monster Gale was about a ¼ mile astern, and I being on the Poop had a full view of it. It
was a splendid, but an awful sight, on it came tearing the water up as if for sport, slashing and pitching it a bout in such huge Masses, threatening to destroy, and overwhelm, us all, and carried us along as a rate frightful to behold. I tried several times to look to windward but it was of no avail, the storm being accompanied by a tremendous hail shower, and Lightening the most vivid, which was enough to beat the flesh off our faces, if we attempted to look at it, but thanks to the Captain, he is every inch a Sailor, he was standing alongside the wheelhouse, giving his orders, (two hands at the wheel all the time). Now my lads keep her dead before it, first up, and then down, then steady, she was very bad to steer, they had to use their utmost endeavours, the sea running so very high
That part of it only lasted about an hour and a half, then we got her hove too, with great difficulty and danger, expecting every minute to see a sea aboard and sweep the decks and all hands with it, but we succeeded without any damage, got the relieving tackles on the helm, after which we got the Foresail stowed and every thing made as secure as possible. The next thing was pump ship and a great deal of water she was making at the time. About 7 PM it came on as heavy as ever again, the Clouds were lowering and as black as Gunpowder accompanied with driving rain, we were just finishing our spell at the pumps, when one of the men at the lee pump, san out, Hold on for your lives, every man of you, I looked round and saw a tremendous heavy sea about to break over us about half the height of Mainmast, but Thank God, as it reached the Ship it dropped
and we escaped the weight of it, or it would have swept us into Eternity, with all our sins and imperfections upon our heads, there were three of us at the weather side, and I and the Sailmaker held onto the Pife rail, the other man, being washed right over our heads, falling amongst the Men on the lee side, they were holding onto the pump brake, and with their weight, and the weight of the Sea, it carried away the standard, a nice mess we were in, in a leaky ship, a Gale of Wind, (and that of the worst kind) and Broken Pumps. All hands looked very blue then I can assure you. It gave rise to a great many unpleasant thoughts, but it was quickly reported to the Captain, and through his keen perception, and ingenuity, it was fixed as to weather the storm. The Cabin skylight also was smashed, with a sea which nearly filled the Cabin, wetting the
the Captain completely to the skin, he being below at the time, at the other end of the ship, there was a great rumpus, the Pig pen which stood across the Forehatch was lifted quite off the deck and smashed right up against the Forecastle, the inmate of this noble mansion, being the Sow which had the Pigs a short time ago, she got clear of the wreck somehow or other, and tried to run aft, squealing, and grunting fearfully, but she had hard work, the ship knocking about so much and there being so water on deck, that it washed her off her legs from one side of the decks to the other.