Early Western Travels, 1748-1846, Volume XII Part 11

6th. Off Deal. A lovely morning, well calculated to remove from the mind the impressions of the preceding day; a clear view of the town; and the French coast also is very visible from the deck.

In order to attain the important objects of health and security among so promiscuous an a.s.semblage, the cabin pa.s.sengers met at the instance of the Captain, and a set of resolutions was drawn up for the general observance; and a copy being handed to those of the steerage, was acceded to by them and this morning put in force:--by these rules, one captain of the day from the cabin, and another from the steerage were on duty by rotation,--candles were put out at a fixed hour,--the parts of the deck for the use of the cabin and steerage pa.s.sengers were prescribed; and sundry rules for cleanliness, which were afterwards but ill obeyed: no forfeitures were necessary, as the captains of trading vessels have by law the power {6} of punishment; as far at least as putting in irons for misconduct, and indeed this was inflicted in the course of the voyage, upon a riotous tailor.

_Sunday_, 9th. Light airs with mist hitherto; wind this morning rather more favorable. Prayers read upon deck by one of the pa.s.sengers.

We are now clear of the Channel, and drifting upon the vast wilderness of waters, a plank our dependence until we may reach a new continent. To sailors of course, a circ.u.mstance so common brings little reflection, but those to whom the situation is new, must confess a sensation most awful and uneasy: certain it is we are equally in the hands of a beneficent Providence, whether we tread the seemingly firm-set earth, or commit ourselves as now upon this immense ocean; but it is in vain for philosophy to disguise--she cannot subdue feeling.

10th. We are now first experiencing a calm attended by a heavy swell of the sea;--the sailors call this "Paddy's Hurricane," and Paddy was right, for the rolling of the s.h.i.+p, racking of masts, flapping of sails, &c. render it anything but a _calm_ on board.

Of our cabin party it is not necessary to record the views; suffice it, that it consists of three ladies and six gentlemen, besides six children; some for pleasure and health, others for business bound.

{7} The pa.s.sengers in the steerage are far too numerous either for their own comfort or ours; many of them seem very respectable people, farmers, farm-servants, hop-planters, masons, carpenters, and tailors, with their wives and children. I cannot perceive the tenable policy of throwing obstacles in the way of emigration of such people; as England is overstocked with artisans, and other countries are in want of them, it is surely a mutual benefit; and to prevent individuals seeking the best market for their craft is the highest injustice.

12th. Being fine and calm in the mid-day, the Hold was opened and various packages got up for examination and re-stowage; while this was doing, and loose straw laying about on deck, there was a cry "the Caboose is on fire!" This only occasioned a momentary panic, as _luckily_ no harm arose from it; the chimney was foul, and some fat taking fire had communicated to the soot, and from thence nearly to the main-sheet.

This day we took up a cask which upon tapping proved full of excellent brandy; it was covered with barnacles, and had probably been floating four or five months.

15th. A Hawk of a small kind, resembling the Sparrow Hawk of England, was this morning caught in the rigging; the nearest land being supposed above three hundred miles renders this an {8} extraordinary circ.u.mstance: we also saw yesterday a large brown bird pursuing a Gull, and understood its name to be Rump-poke. An appropriate appellation, as it pursues other birds for their droppings, which it catches as they fall and feeds upon.

18th. We have experienced so many head winds and calms that the spirits of all, not excepting the Captain, are cast down,--two thousand five hundred miles yet to run. Yesterday a lady a cabin pa.s.senger, was safely delivered of a boy her first child.

22d. Favorable breezes. A quarrel between the cook and a sailor, in which the former knocked out three of the latter's teeth with a billet of wood; and for which he underwent a severe _cobbing_.[3]

24th. Two Whales of the Grampus kind rose near the vessel. At 7 A. M. a large fish was seen to pa.s.s the s.h.i.+p tormented by a shoal of small ones; the Captain ordered the boat down, went out, struck it, and it was got on board; it proved to be a Sun-fish that weighed one hundred weight and a half: it was quickly cut to pieces, dressed, {9} and eaten by the s.h.i.+p's company and some of the pa.s.sengers; the flesh very white and firm.

s.h.i.+P COOKERY

Anything but clean,--anything but simple,--anything but what one is used to.

SITUATION OF A Pa.s.sENGER ON BOARD s.h.i.+P

Some risk,--little comfort,--a total inversion of all accustomed habits,--a feeling of insecurity,--irritability,--a longing to be ash.o.r.e; in short, a total _be-blue-devilment_ at times, with a few hours of pleasanter colour just to keep hope alive.

The ignorance and simplicity of some of the pa.s.sengers are greater than might be supposed; one said the other day he supposed we had five hundred miles yet to go, and another asked me if America was mountainous.

26th. A tremendous wave broke over us, giving the s.h.i.+p such a shock as laid her down on her side. Great was the confusion; trunks thrown upon trunks, tables, chairs, all forced from their {10} mooring, in spite of bolts and ropes; we were glad to find however that, excepting the fracture of gla.s.ses and crockery, no material accident had happened to any one.

About this time an account of each steerage pa.s.senger's stock of provisions was taken, and though but three weeks out, several were found nearly exhausted; so improvident had they been.

The following list of sea stores is recommended as sufficient for a steerage pa.s.senger.

42 lb. Beef or Pork.

56 lb. Cabin bread (biscuit).

14 lb. Flour.

7 lb. Cheese.

4 lb. b.u.t.ter.

1 lb. Coffee (ground).

1/2 lb. Tea.

10 lb. Sugar.

1/4 lb. Pepper.

1 lb. Salt.

7 lb. Split Peas.

Bottle of Mustard, about 1s. 6d.

100 Eggs.

2 Bushels of Potatoes.

A few red Herrings.

2 Quarts of Vinegar.

{11} 4 Dozens of Porter.

1 Gallon of Spirits.

Some Carrots, Turnips, and Cabbages.

2 lb. Soap.

Some pieces of Tobacco-pipe Clay, which will be found to rub well with sea water in cleansing the skin.

A Tin-pot with cover, in shape like a coffee boiler, with a hook at the side to hang upon the bars of the Caboose grate.

Crockery, Spoons, &c.

A pa.s.senger provided as above will not experience want in any common pa.s.sage, and indeed there are some articles with which he may dispense; as, for example, the Porter; and others he may lessen, as the Potatoes _perhaps_. With respect to medicine, it may be as well to provide some Epsom salts and magnesia, and a few lemons will be found highly grateful; otherwise the s.h.i.+p always carries a chest containing the common remedies.

31st. The wind blew what the sailors call a strong breeze, which is in fact a gale, from the west; the s.h.i.+p laboured much, and such was the impression upon the minds of many of the steerage pa.s.sengers, that at night they took leave of each other, thinking it not likely the vessel should live through the night.

{12} _June_ 1st. With the prospect of a protracted pa.s.sage, an inspection was also judged necessary of the s.h.i.+p's cabin stores; and such waste and extravagance was proved against the Steward, that it was resolved to take into our own hands the ordering of each day's provisions: a meeting was consequently held, an account of stock taken; and ordered, that one of the party by rotation should superintend each day's consumption of food; and also of water, which had likewise been used very extravagantly. Let those going a voyage not only ascertain their _sort_ of Captain but their _sort_ of Steward, upon whom I can a.s.sure them a very material share of their comfort will depend.

The general subject of conversation now is, calculating the probable duration of the pa.s.sage; yet it is essential to comfort during a voyage to abstract the mind as much as possible from such reflections, and to engage it as much as in us lies in some useful studies and occupations--'tis one of the worst to watch the winds and the waves; 'tis one of the most useless, for we cannot command them.

We are, it is supposed, approaching the great bank of Newfoundland: as much doubt exists as to the accuracy of the dead reckoning of longitude, (and we have no other,) our anxiety is great {13} to ascertain the pa.s.sage over the bank, by which a new departure may be taken.

8th. It is now the general opinion, in which the Captain coincides, that we have pa.s.sed, without knowing when, the great Bank; the weather is warmly tempered by a fine S. W. breeze, and the s.h.i.+p is wafting us delightfully over summer seas: hope again "tells a flattering tale" and conversation runs chiefly on what will be done, and what will be had, on our arrival at the much-desired Port.

Last night the full moon exhibited, through a heavy mist, an appearance of several rings of the prismatic colours,--a beautiful effect, which I remember once before to have witnessed in England.

11th. Spoke the brig Spring, of Blyth, homeward bound; and had the no small satisfaction to find that her calculation of longitude nearly agreed with our own late suppositions.

This morning the extraordinary conflict between the fish called the Thresher and a Whale was seen near the vessel; the Thresher repeatedly raised itself on the Whale's back, so that its tail was nearly upright, and struck the Whale violently with it on the head; it is said that the Pilot-fish is at the same time wounding him underneath with his sword-snout: they did not however succeed this time, but relinquished their pursuit at the noise {14} which the people made at the extraordinary spectacle. The Thresher appeared to be about six or seven feet long.

16th. A Shark seen in early morning: and a large Sword-fish swam majestically round the s.h.i.+p's bow, probably taking it for a Whale; but finding his mistake he dropt astern, and soon after a shoal of small fish, perhaps endeavouring to avoid him, rose completely out of the water;--his length was about nine feet as we judged, and his form and colours beautiful. Several kinds of birds have lately been seen; among which we viewed with pleasure the "Hagdown" as the sailors say it is always seen on or near soundings; it is about the size of, and somewhat resembles, a Duck.--Many Porpoises too have lately pa.s.sed us; one of these the men struck, and succeeded in getting it on board, when it was soon cut up and eaten; we were prevailed upon to taste it, and must acknowledge that it could not have been distinguished from a fine beef steak; the gravy was indeed richer.

18th. The events of the voyage have lately been hara.s.sing and pregnant with danger; three officers have kept reckonings of longitude, and all have proved erroneous; the s.h.i.+p has headed them considerably, and, when we little thought of our danger, has been near wrecked upon one of the dangerous shoals off Nantucket; the grave of {15} many a good vessel.

Our escape was providential: during breakfast, the Captain, with seeming presentiment, suddenly went upon deck while the lead was throwing; he made the next cast himself, which he had no sooner done than he let it go--gave the word "'Bout s.h.i.+p"--ran himself to a.s.sist, and notwithstanding the great confusion, it was quickly effected;--the steersman called out "What point?"--answer, "Out as you came in," and in twenty minutes we had deepened again as many fathoms! Had this happened during the night, or had the sea been rough, we should, in all human probability, never have been heard of again. It was conjectured, that we had been upon the edge of what is called "Fisher's Rip," and the water when the s.h.i.+p was put about had suddenly shoaled to less than three fathoms.

We stood a southerly course until midnight, in order to avoid the breakers which lie out forty miles south from Nantucket; and then tacked again.

19th. More alarms,--yester-evening the Boatswain suddenly called out "shoal-water!" the line was immediately thrown, but the depth proved twenty-five fathoms: at half past nine P. M. one of those storms which are I suppose frequent in this new world, pa.s.sed over us, and most awfully grand was its transit. At eight P. M. the s.h.i.+p was just put about under a {16} clear serene starlight,--not five minutes had elapsed when we heard great noise and confusion upon deck, and running up saw the sky covered with the tremendous cloud-storm; throwing its black mantle across from E. to W. and dipping its points like wings into the opposite sides of the horizon. The sails were flying in all directions, and the men clueing them up as fast as they could, while the s.h.i.+p was turning round at the mercy of the whirlwind; providentially, the extreme violence of the storm pa.s.sed above us, and even while we beheld it, the dense vapour seemed to vanish from the sight instantaneously; leaving upon our minds the effect of enchantment.

Six o'clock P. M. not yet quit of terrors; another storm, the extreme force of which we have again been spared, has just past over, but its effects continue; it rains violently, and lightens incessantly.