CHAPTER FIVE.
Our chronicle takes us back to the time when the fight between theEnglish and Portugal fleets was raging most furiously, and when, to aninexperienced eye like that of Edward Raymond, on finding his shipsurrounded, it might naturally have appeared that victory was sidingwith his foes rather than with his own party. He believed, however,that by a desperate effort the day might be retrieved, and he gallantlyresolved on his part to make the effort, trusting that others would bedoing the like at the same moment. Just then he caught sight ofWaymouth repelling the boarders from one of the Portugal ships, and socalling on all the men near to follow, he led them on to the deck ofanother of the enemy's ships which had at that moment run alongside. Sofierce was his attack, that the foe gave way, and before many minuteswere over he found himself master of the ship; but in the mean time shehad broken clear of the Lion, and was drifting down on another Portugalship coming freshly into the fight. The two were soon locked together,and while he with his handful of followers was endeavouring to defendhis prize at one end of the ship, a party of Portugals rushed on boardat the other. In vain he fought with the greatest heroism. Most of hisfollowers were cut down. Pressed on all sides, he had not a prospect ofsuccess. Another Portugal ship came up. His prize, so gallantly taken,was already recaptured. Unable to parry a stroke made at him, he wasseverely wounded, and dropping the point of his sword, he yieldedhimself a prisoner to the reiterated demands of a Portugal captain whohad headed the chief body of his assailants. The three Portugal shipshad, however, fallen within the fire of the Red Dragon and the Serpent,whose shot crashing on board made them glad to set all the sail theycould spread and draw off. As Edward stood on the deck and saw theshattered condition of the English ships, he could scarcely believe thatthe enemy were really drawing off; but when he afterwards saw some ofthe Portugals actually sinking, and others with their masts gone, hecould not refrain from uttering a cheer, faint though it was, at thethought that his countrymen had gained the hard-fought victory. In thishe was joined by the few survivors of his brave followers, all of whomwere more or less wounded. On hearing the cheer, some of the Portugalscame towards them with threatening gestures, one of them exclaiming, intolerably good English--"You are impudent fellows indeed to cheer whenyou are miserable prisoners on board the ship of an enemy. Do not yousee that we are victorious?"
"Running away is a funny mode of proving it, Senhor Portugal," answeredDick Lizard, one of the seamen, cocking his eye at the speaker. "If youhad cheered, now, we might have thought you had won the day; but Isticks to my opinion that it's we have won the day; and so I say, onecheer more for Old England. Old England forever!"
The Portugal's rage was so great that he would have given Dick a clouton the head which would have finished his shouting, had not Raymond,weak as he was, stepped forward to defend his follower, who was muchhurt.
"Shame on you, Senhor Portugal," he exclaimed, standing over Dick with abroken spar which he had grasped to defend him. "What! would you strikea wounded man simply because he knows the satisfaction he feels that ourcountrymen are free, if not the victors, and not as we are, prisoners?"
"You crow loudly for a cock with his leg tied," said the man, desisting,however, from his attempt to strike poor Dick.
Some more seamen had now assembled, threatening to punish the Englishfor their audacity, when their captain made his appearance among them,inquiring the cause of the disturbance.
"Senhor," he said, turning to Edward, "you are my prisoner, though Iwish to treat you as a brave man and a gentleman; but I cannot alwaysrestrain my people, who are somewhat lawless in their notions; and Imust therefore request that, whatever may be the feelings of yourcountrymen, they will keep them within bounds."
So many of the Portugals were wounded, that it was some time before thenot very skilful surgeons of the ship could attend to the English, whohad, and perhaps fortunately for themselves, to doctor their own hurts,which they did, one helping the other in their own rough but efficaciousway. It was pleasant to see the hardy tars helping each other likebrethren, washing and cleansing each other's wounds--several of themtearing up their shirts to bind up their comrades' limbs, or lettingtheir heads rest with tender care in their laps. Those who had stillstrength to stand anxiously watched the fast-receding fleet of theEnglish till their loftier masts sank below the horizon, and all hope ofbeing pursued and retaken was abandoned.
"Troth, sir, I suppose, then, we must make the best of a bad job," saidLizard, shrugging his shoulders. "That's my philosophy. I learned itwhen I was a little chap from my father, who was a great philosopher,seeing that he was a cobbler, and have stuck to it ever since, and neverfound it fail. What's the odds? says I. Why should a man sigh andgroan if he can laugh? why should he cry and moan if he can sing? Ifthings are bad, they can be mended--just as my father used to say of theold shoes brought to him. If that isn't a comfort, I don't know whatis."
Most of the Portugal ships escaping from the fight kept together; butmeeting the same hurricane which caused such fearful havoc among theEnglish fleet, they also were separated, some going where so many proudargosies have gone--to the bottom--the Santa Maria, the ship on boardwhich Edward found himself, being left alone to pursue her voyage.Edward suffered much from his wound, and had far from recovered hisstrength when the Santa Maria arrived at Goa. Goa was at that time thelargest European settlement in the East; and here the Portugals, toimpress the natives with the beauty of the faith they professed, hadestablished that admirable institution, the benign Inquisition. Herethose edifying spectacles, _autos-da-fe_, frequently took place, whenmen of all ages, women, and even children, were paraded forth, dressedin hideous garments, to be burned alive in consequence of theirunwillingness to confess their belief in the doctrines held by theChurch. Our chronicle does not decide whether the Portugal priesthoodwere right or wrong in their proceedings; but, undoubtedly, very fewconverts were made to the Christian faith, and the influence of theircountry in the East has long since decreased to zero. The appearance ofthe place, though deceptive, was in its favour, and innumerable largechurches, monasteries, and other public buildings reared their heads onits sandy shores. Those were the days of old Goa's grandeur andmagnificence, soon to depart for ever.
Instead, however, of being landed here, the prisoners were conveyed tothe Fort of San Pedro, to the south, lest inconvenient questions mightbe too often asked as to how they came to be there, and what had becomeof the rest of the fleet which captured them.
The Castle of San Pedro was a strong fortress with high walls andtowers--a gloomy-looking place, as gloomy as any spot in that land ofsunshine can be, but gloomy undoubtedly it appeared to poor Edward andhis companions, as, strongly guarded, they were conducted through itsportals, not knowing when they might repass them and obtain theirliberty. They were first conducted into the presence of the governor, asurly old don of the most immovable character; his face was likesmoke-dried parchment, with beard of formal cut, and eyes so sunk thatnothing could be seen but two small spots of jetty hue, overhung withgrey shaggy eyebrows. Without the slightest expression of courtesy orcommiseration, he at once commenced interrogating Edward in the Portugaltongue, ordering a yellow-skinned trembling clerk, who squatted at hisside with a huge book before him, to write down his replies.
Edward answered succinctly to all the questions put to him, requestingthat, as prisoners of war, he and his men might be treated with thecourtesy usually awarded to persons in their position, by civilisednations, among whom the Portugals stood prominent.
"Call yourselves prisoners of war!" exclaimed Don Lobo, pulling hismoustaches vehemently. "You are pirates--you and your countrymen--nothing better; and as such deserve to be thrown from the top of one ofthe towers of this castle, or dangled from one of the turrets by a rope,or shot, or drowned--any death is too good for you; burning at the stakeas heretics--ay, vile heretics as you are--is most fit for you. Seethat such is not your lot."
Edward made no repl
y to this address, feeling that such would only tooprobably exasperate the petty tyrant. Dick Lizard was, however, not sojudicious. Having had a good deal of intercourse with the Portugals, heknew enough of their language to understand what was said; so, puttinghis left arm akimbo, and doubling his right fist, he exclaimed--
"Call us pirates! I'll tell you what you and your dastardly crew are,Senhor Don Governor: you are a set of garlic-eating, oil-drinking sonsof sea-cooks, who rob the weak when you can catch them, and run awayfrom the strong like arrant knaves and cowards as you are. You are--"
What other complimentary remarks poor Dick might have uttered it isimpossible to say; for as he was beginning his next sentence, a blowfrom the butt-end of an arquebuse laid him prostrate on the floor.Edward, afraid that his bold countryman had been killed, knelt down byhis side. But Dick's head was too hard to succumb to the strength of aPortugal's arm, even when wielding a heavy weapon.
"All right, sir," he said, opening his eyes. "I'll be at them again,and give 'em more of my mind, and my fist too, if I can get at them."
Edward, however, advised him under the circumstances to keep both oneand the other to himself, and, as he did not feel disposed to be politeto his masters, to hold his tongue.
"Masters! Marry, masters, indeed!" cried Dick. "If you says they aremasters, sir, I suppose they be; but they'll find me a terribleobstinate servant to deal with, let me tell them."
"No, don't tell them, Lizard, that or any thing else," said Edwardsoothingly. "You see that at all events we are in their power, andunless they let us go we may have some difficulty in escaping."
"Not if we can get some planks to float on, sir," whispered Lizard."That notion of yours, sir, has brought me to sooner nor any thing. Ithinks as how now, sir, I can keep a civil tongue in my head to thosebaboon-faced, sneaking, blackguard scoundrels."
"Get up, then, man, and remember not to speak a word while I explainyour sentiments," said Edward, glad by any means to save his followerfrom ill treatment.
The Portugals, who fully believed that the blow must have inflicted amortal injury on the man, fancied that his officer was receiving hislast dying words, a message to his distant home, and did not interferewith him. Their surprise, therefore, was proportionately great whenthey saw him got up on his legs, give a hitch to his waistband, and,after sundry scratches and pulls at his shaggy locks, once more addressthe governor.
"An' may it please your honour, Senhor Don Governor, I axes yourreverence's pardon for calling you and your people yellow-faced sons ofsea-cooks (because as how to my mind your fathers and mothers were neverany thing so respectable," he added in a low tone). "Howsomdever, asyour honour knows, I am but a rough seaman who's followed his calling onthe salt water all the days of his life, and will follow it, maybe, tothe end, and therefore much manners can't be expected; and so, SenhorScarecrow, or whatever is your name, I hope you'll not log down againstmy officer here or my shipmates any thing you've heard."
Edward, as soon as he could put in a word, began to offer aninterpretation of what had been said. It was not very literal, butinterpreters are seldom exact in translation. He remarked that hisfollower had forgotten himself, that the blow had brought him to hissenses, and that he now wished to render every apology in his power toone like Senhor Don Lobo, who so greatly merited his respect.
The old governor pulled away at his beard for some time, and twirled hismoustaches, but was at length pacified sufficiently to order theprisoners to be carried off to the ward prepared for them.
Edward, determined to maintain a courteous demeanour in spite of theharshness with which he was treated, bowed to the governor as he wasmarched off between two guards, who seemed to think that the pugnaciousEnglishmen would by some means or other break away from them, and effecttheir escape. For that reason Dick Lizard had no less than six guards,one on each side, and two in front, and two behind; and certainly, as herolled along with his sea cap stuck on the back of his head, his brawnyarms bare, and his broad chest exposed, he appeared capable ofsuccessfully accomplishing any design he might conceive on his captors.The rest of the seamen imitated him with more or less effect, and wereevidently customers of whom the Portugals stood greatly in awe.
The ward in which the English prisoners were placed was a room in atower on a third floor overlooking the sea. It might have made a notunpleasant chamber if nicely fitted up, but as the only aperture toadmit light and air was strongly barred, as the walls were of roughstone, the floor dirty, and heaps of not the cleanest straw were made todo duty for beds, the state of the case was very different. There wereno chairs or tables; so that when the prisoners got tired of walkingabout they were obliged to betake themselves to their heaps of straw.Here day after day passed by. Edward, however, with the aid of Dick,who firmly believed in his power of escaping, kept up the spirits of theparty by inducing them to tell their long and astounding yarns, andsinging a variety of songs. Sometimes their guards came in to inquirewhy they were making so much noise, but they were not generallyinterfered with. Occasionally they received a visit from the surly oldgovernor, when Edward, instead of asking for better quarters, as hemight reasonably have done, treated him with the same respect as atfirst. Dick Lizard pretended to do the same; but as soon as the statelydon had passed him the expression of his features and his gesturesshowed that his respect was not of an enduring quality. As the governorpassed along the ward, Dick would imitate his strut and would give astately bow, now on one side, now on the other, his countenance all thetime in a broad grin. Even the warders and guards were amused by hisantics, and for fear of putting a stop to them only gave way to theirlaughter when they saw that the governor was not looking towards them.
"All right, sir," said Dick to Edward one day, after he had beenindulging in more than his usual facetiousness, and the governor hadtaken his departure. "To my mind these Portugals care very little fortheir old don, or they wouldn't laugh at him as they do; and it's mybelief that we shall be able to bribe them to let us slip out one ofthese fine nights without making any noise about it, and when themorning comes we shall be gone."
Edward's heart beat with joy at the thought, but after reflecting alittle he answered, with a sigh--
"A bright idea, Dick, but I fear me much the wherewithal to bribe issadly wanting. The rogues have left us little else but the clothes onour backs."
The seaman gave a well-satisfied hitch to his waistband--a movementindicative of satisfaction or hesitation, as well as other emotions ofthe mind, among nautical characters in all ages--and observed--
"The dons are not quite as clever as they think, sir. They left us ourclothes, but I and two more of us had lined them pretty thickly withgood lots of yellow-boys, and there they are all safe. You know, sir, aseaman never knows what may happen, and to my mind it's a wise customamong some of us. To be sure, if we comed to be cast away on a desolateisland, all the gold in the world wouldn't help a man to get off so muchas a sharp axe and a chest of carpenter's tools; but among people withmanners and customs, though I can't say much for either one or the otherof those hereabouts, there's nothing like gold!"
"True indeed, Lizard," said Edward, partaking somewhat of the confidenceof his follower, at the same time that he saw more clearly, probably,the difficulties in their way. He therefore entreated Dick and the restto act with the greatest circumspection, and to appear to submit withperfect readiness to the rules and regulations of the place. The goodeffect of this conduct was apparent by the greater liberty which theprisoners obtained, and they were now allowed to take their exercise inthe open air on the flat roof of part of the castle. Thence in a shorttime they were allowed to descend to a terrace overlooking the sea,where, however, they were watched by several lynx-eyed guards stationedabove them.
It is seldom that those shores are visited by storms, but when the winddoes blow it makes ample amends for its usual state of quiescence. Inspite of a gale which had sprung up, Edward, with Dick Lizard andseveral of the other priso
ners, was walking up and down on the saidterrace, when Dick, whose eyes were of the sharpest, exclaimed that hesaw a tall ship driving on before the gale, which set directly on thecoast.
"Alas for the hapless crew!" exclaimed Edward. "I fear me they will allbe lost!"
"Not a doubt about it, sir, unless some true-hearted seamen venture outto their rescue when the ship strikes, as strike she must before manyhours are over."
"Are you ready to go, Lizard?" asked Edward.
"An' that I am, sir, and all the rest of us, I'll warrant, if a boat canbe found to swim in such a sea," answered Dick.
"Then I'll lead you, my brave lads!" said Edward warmly. "I'll go seekthe governor and get from him a boat fit for our purpose. Whoever theyare, I could not bear to see our fellow-creatures perish without aneffort to save them. But perhaps the Portugals themselves will be eagerto go, and not thank us for making the offer."
"Not a bit of it," answered Dick sturdily. "I've seen brave Portugals,I'll allow, but when they come out to this country all the good getsburnt out of them."
Dick was not far from right. Edward got access to the governor, who atonce inquired if any one was ready to volunteer to go to the rescue ofthe crew of the ship now closely approaching the land; but when it wasunderstood that the English prisoners had offered to risk their lives inthe undertaking, no one was found willing to deprive them of the honour.
A fine seaworthy boat was placed at Edward's disposal, and at the headof his men, who were in the highest spirits, he walked out once morefrom prison.
Of what nation was the approaching ship was the question. To the honesttars and the brave gentlemen they followed it mattered nothing whethershe was friend or foe. The Portugals had, however, discovered her tobelong to their own people, and this, although it did not make them themore disposed to risk their own lives, induced them the more willinglyto allow the English to do so to any extent they might see fit. Greatwas the eagerness they exhibited in bringing oars, and tholes, andboathooks, and ropes down to the boat, and still more, when the Englishhad got into her, in launching her into deep water. This could not havebeen done on the open beach, on which the sea broke with terrific force,but she was hauled up on the shore of a natural harbour formed by twoledges of rocks rising a considerable height above the water. As theouter ends circled round and overlapped each other, the water inside thebasin thus formed was comparatively smooth. Outside, however, the seabroke with terrific fury, threatening to overwhelm any boat or otherfloating machine which might get within its influence.
Some way to the north was another wide extending ledge of rocks, towardswhich it appeared that the unfortunate ship was drifting; but evenshould she escape that particular lodge and drive on the beach, thechance that any of those on board would escape was small indeed, for sohigh were the rollers and so powerful the reflux that once within theirinfluence the stoutest ship could not hold together many minutes, andshould any living beings washed towards the shore escape being dashed topieces or killed by the broken planks and spars, they would be carriedagain out to sea and lost. Edward and Dick Lizard saw clearly thisstate of things, but they were not in consequence deterred fromattempting to perform their errand of mercy. They also saw that if theywould be successful there must be no delay. Each man having secured hisoar with a rope, and himself to his seat by the same means, Edward gavethe sign to the Portugals to shove off the boat. With loud shouts theyplaced their shoulders under her sides, and then, shrieking and gruntingin concert, they almost lifted her along the sand till she floated, whenthe English prisoners bringing their oars into play shoved her off intothe middle of the basin. Dick Lizard took the helm, while Edward stoodup to judge of the best moment for crossing through the breakers. Thecrew went, steadily to their work. No one was ignorant of the danger tobe gone through. At the entrance of the little harbour a white wall ofwater rose up before them, curling round and topped with masses ofglittering foam, which fell in dense showers, blown by the gale overthem, tending to blind and bewilder even the most experienced seaman ofthe party. Edward was at first in despair of finding a channel throughwhich the boat could by any possibility pass and live. Some of thePortugals had, however, assured him that at times between the intervalsof the heavier seas he would be able to get through, and he resolved topersevere if his men were ready to do so.
"Ready, ay, ready, every one of us, Master Raymond," answered DickLizard, after the briefest of consultations with his comrades. "Where'sthe odds? We can but die once, whether with a Portugal's bullet throughus, or by the _vomito preito_ or under yonder foaming seas--what mattersit? An' you wish to go, we, to a man, will go too."
"Thanks, my brave lads; and now, when I order you to give way, give wayyou must, or be ready to back water at the word," exclaimed Edward,standing up in the stern-sheets of the boat so as to command a view overthe mass of seething, raging, roaring water which rose before him. Seaafter sea rolled in, and with a voice of thunder broke on the rocks witha force sufficient, it seemed, to dash them to fragments; but, placedthere by the hand of Omnipotence to curb the fury of the wild ocean, theproud waters were hurled back upon themselves again and again, unable togain a foot on their fixed confines, shattered into minute atoms of foamwhich the wind bore far away on its fleet wings, while the iron rocksremained fixed as of old, laughing to scorn their reiterated attacks.
The ship meantime was approaching nearer and nearer to the shore. Hadshe been drifting directly on it, she would by that time have been casthelpless on the stern rocks, but happily part of her foremast was stillstanding, on which a sail being set, her course was somewhat diagonal,and she was therefore longer in reaching her impending fate than had atfirst appeared likely to be the case. Now she rose on the summit of afoaming sea, now she sank into the hollow, seemingly as if never toappear again; but bravely she struggled on, like a being endued withlife, resolved to battle to the last, yet knowing that destruction wasinevitable. Edward observed that although at first there appeared to beno difference in the height of the rollers, yet that after a timeseveral of less apparent strength came tumbling in unbroken till theyactually touched the rocks, leaving a narrow yet clear space betweenthem. Through this space he determined to urge his boat. He pulleddown to the very mouth of the harbour; the crew lay on their oars. Ahuge sea came roaring on majestically, and breaking into foam almostoverwhelmed the boat. Directly afterwards the clear channel appeared.
"Give way, give way, brave lads!" shouted Edward.
The boat sprang on. Immediate destruction or success awaited them. Theblades of the oars were concealed amid the seething waters on eitherside, and the foam came bubbling up over the gunwales, but the boatstill held her course outward. She rose towards the summit of a loftysea; the men strained every nerve. Up she climbed; then downward sheslid rapidly to meet another sea, up which she worked her way as before.Another and another appeared in rapid succession; she surmounted themall, and the open ocean was gained.
Having gained a sufficient distance from the land, they had to keepalong shore with the sea stream--a dangerous position, as, should theboat be caught by a roller, she would most certainly be turned over andover till she was dashed in fragments on the beach. On they came to theship, plunging through the seas, and appearing as if every instant wouldbe her last, even before she could reach the fatal strand. As they drewnear they could distinguish the people on board in various attitudesindicative of despair. There were many hapless beings--sailors,soldiers, civilians, and women and children, some infants in arms, allfull of life, and yet, ere many fleeting minutes could pass away, to benumbered with the dead. One last desperate effort was, it was seen, nowmade by the crew of the ship to save their lives. Two anchors were letgo, the cables flying out like lightning from the bows, while at thesame moment gleaming axes cut away the remaining part of the foremast,which plunged free of the ship into the sea. It was a well-executed,seamanlike manoeuvre. The stout ship was brought up, and although sheplunged with her lofty bow
almost under the seas, it seemed that heranchors were about to hold her. Hope revived in the breasts of those onboard. Edward and his brave companions pulled alongside; ropes werehove to them, and they maintained the position they had gained, althoughin the greatest possible peril of being swamped. To climb up to thedeck of the ship was almost impossible, but Raymond shouted out that hewas ready to convey as many of the passengers to the shore as werewilling to trust themselves to his charge. Many of those who but ashort time before had given way to despair were now unwilling to leavethe stout ship which still floated under them for a small open boat.Some who had less confidence in the power of the anchors to hold theship, hurried to the side, and showed by their gestures that they wishedto enter the boat. Without assistance, however, to make the attemptwere madness, and the Portugal seamen exhibited no intention of helpingthem.
"I'll do it, Master Raymond," cried Dick Lizard, seizing a rope whichhung over the side, and with a nimbleness which alone prevented him frombeing crushed between the boat and the ship he climbed up over herbulwarks. Two seamen followed his example.
Several more persons came crowding to the side of the vessel on seeingthe hardihood of the British seamen in venturing to their assistance.Dick seized the person he found nearest to him as he leaped on deck. Itwas a young girl. She was clasping the arm of a grey-headed, tall oldman, who seemed to be her father.
"No time for ceremony, fair lady," cried Dick; "bless your sweet face,I'll make all square when we gets you safe on shore; just now, do yousee, you mustn't mind a little rough handling. There! there! let go theold gentleman's fist; we'll lower him after you, never fear. Hold ontaut by the rope, as you love me. A drop of tar won't hurt your prettyhands. There! there! away you go! Look out below there! Gingerly,lads, lower away. Now, old gentleman, you follows your daughter, Isuppose?"
These exclamations were all uttered while Dick and his companions weresecuring a rope round the young lady's waist, and lowering her into theboat. She gazed upward at her father with a look of affection as shefelt herself hanging over the raging ocean while the boat seemedreceding from her. A loud shriek of terror escaped her. Dick waitedtill the boat had again risen, and just as it was about to descend intothe trough, he let the young girl drop into the arms of Raymond, whostood ready to receive her, and with a sharp knife cut the rope aboveher head, not waiting to cast it loose. The next comer was, as Dickpromised, the old gentleman, who, even less able to help himself thanthe young lady, was treated much in the same way.
A young mother with her child, whom with one arm she clutchedconvulsively to her bosom, while with the other with a parent's lovinginstinct she endeavoured to prevent the infant from being dashed againstthe ship's side, was next lowered. Not a sound did she utter. Once theship, gave an unexpected roll, and she was thrown rudely against theside, but she only clasped her infant the tighter, and heeded not thecruel blows she was receiving. Barely could Edward with all hisstrength secure her and free her from the rope before the boat wasdashed off to a distance from the ship. Again, however, the boat washauled up alongside. Lizard had now slung two little boys together.Though pale with terror, they bravely encouraged each other as they hungover the foaming ocean till the position of the boat enabled them to belowered into her.
Their father stood on the bulwarks watching them with all a father'saffection, he himself wishing to follow immediately, but beingprohibited from making the attempt till some more women and children hadbeen lowered. Lizard and his companions laboured on unceasingly, fornone of the Portugal's crew would render them any assistance. Severalother people were thus conveyed to the boat, but many who seemed atfirst inclined to leave the ship lost courage as they saw the hazard ofthe undertaking. Some, again, as they gazed towards the foam-coveredshore, and heard the roar of the seas as they dashed on the wild rocks,or rolled up on the shingly beach, showed that they would rather trusttheir safety to the boat than to the labouring ship. Among them was ayoung man who pushed forward requesting to be lowered.
"No, no, senhor don," said Lizard. "Do ye see that there are more womenand children to go first? We must look after the weaker ones, who can'thelp themselves. That's the rule we rovers of the ocean stick to."
The young man, either not comprehending him, or so eager to escape as toforget all other considerations, sprang up on the bulwarks, and, seizinga rope, attempted to lower himself without assistance. Miscalculatingthe time, he descended rapidly; the ship gave a sudden lurch, the boatswung off, and the foaming sea surging up tore him from the rope, andwith a fearful cry of despair he sank for ever. He was the first victimclaimed by the ocean. His fate deterred others from making a likeattempt.
"Come, senhor," said Lizard to the father of the little boys, "if youwish to go with us it's fair you should, seeing that others are thinkingabout the matter instead of acting. You just trust to me, and I'll landyou safely."
Comprehending what Lizard meant by his gestures, rather than by hiswords, he submitted himself to his guidance, and was placed by the sideof his boys. At that instant a cry arose on board the ship that theanchors were dragging. Lizard soon saw that the report was too true.Now numbers were eager to jump into the boat. She might have carriedthree more persons, but in the attempt to receive them scores might haveleaped in, and the boat would have been swamped. Dick and hiscompanions had no fancy to be wrecked with the ship; so, seizing ropes,they swung themselves into the boat. The next moment the rope whichheld the boat was cut, and she floated clear of the ship. The oars weregot out and hastily plied by the sturdy seamen. Good reason had they toexert all their strength, for the ship, while dragging her anchors, hadalready carried them fearfully near the roaring line of breakers amongwhich she herself was about to be engulfed. With horror those who hadbeen rescued contemplated the impending fate of their late companions.Slowly the boat worked her way out to sea, while the ship, with fargreater rapidity, drove towards the shore. Now the wind, which appearedfor an instant to have lulled, breezed up again. Hardly could the boathold her own. Edward and Lizard had to keep their eyes seaward to watchthe waves in order to steer their boat amid their foaming crests. Thehapless people on board too well knew what must be their own fate. Invain they shrieked for help; in vain they held out their arms; vain,truly, was the help of man. A furious blast swept over the ocean. Amass of foam broke over the boat. Raymond believed that she could notrise to the coming sea, but, buoyantly as before, she climbed up itswatery side, struggling bravely. As she reached its summit a cryescaped the rowers--"The anchors have parted! Good God! the anchorshave parted!"
In an instant more the raging seas, foaming and hissing, broke over thestout ship, ingulfing in their eager embrace many of those who were tillthen standing on the deck full of life and strength. Still the watersseemed to cry out for more. Each time they rushed up more and more weretorn from their hold. Some strong swimmers struggled for a few momentsamid the boiling surges for dear life, but the shrieks of most of themwere speedily silenced in death. The stout ship, too, stout as she was,quickly yielded to the fury of the breakers. The high poop was tornaway as if made of thin pasteboard; the wide forecastle, with theremainder of the crew still clinging to it, was carried off and speedilydashed to fragments; the stout hull next, with a wild crash, was rentasunder, and huge timbers, and beams, and planks were dashed to and froamid the foaming billows, speedily silencing the agonised shrieks ofthose who yet hoped--though hoped in vain--to reach the land wherehundreds upon hundreds of their fellow-creatures stood bewailing theirfate, but unable to render them assistance. But a few minutes hadpassed by since the tall ship had struck on those cruel rocks, and nowher shattered fragments strewed the ocean, some carried back by thereceding waves, others cast, torn and splintered, on the beach withtangled masses of ropes, and spars, and seaweed. Here and there a humanform, mangled, pallid, and lifeless, could be discerned, surrounded bythe remnants of the wreck, now approaching, now again dashed offsuddenly from the shore; now an arm might
be seen lifted up as ifimploringly for help; now the head, now the very lips, might be seen tomove, but it was but the dead mocking at the living. No sound escapedthose lips; for ever they were to be silent. Most of those thusmomentarily seen were swept off again to become the prey of the ravenousmonsters of the deep. A few of the poor remnants of frail mortalitywere cast up and left upon the shore, whence they were carried up by thepitying hands of charity to be interred in their mother earth, but byfar the greater number were among those who shall rest in their oceangraves till the time arrives when the sea shall give up her dead, andall, from every land and every clime throughout all ages since the worldwas peopled, shall meet together for judgment.
Antony Waymouth; Or, The Gentlemen Adventurers Page 5