Poe, Edgar Allen - The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe

by Volume 01-05 (lit)

  bodies on deck and threw them overboard. Our next care was to get rid

  of the mainmast. The necessary preparations having been made, Peters

  cut away at the mast (having found axes in the cabin), while the rest

  of us stood by the stays and lanyards. As the brig gave a tremendous

  lee-lurch, the word was given to cut away the weather-lanyards, which

  being done, the whole mass of wood and rigging plunged into the sea,

  clear of the brig, and without doing any material injury. We now

  found that the vessel did not labour quite as much as before, but our

  situation was still exceedingly precarious, and in spite of the

  utmost exertions, we could not gain upon the leak without the aid of

  both pumps. The little assistance which Augustus could render us was

  not really of any importance. To add to our distress, a heavy sea,

  striking the brig to the windward, threw her off several points from

  the wind, and, before she could regain her position, another broke

  completely over her, and hurled her full upon her beam-ends. The

  ballast now shifted in a mass to leeward (the stowage had been

  knocking about perfectly at random for some time), and for a few

  moments we thought nothing could save us from capsizing. Presently,

  however, we partially righted; but the ballast still retaining its

  place to larboard, we lay so much along that it was useless to think

  of working the pumps, which indeed we could not have done much longer

  in any case, as our hands were entirely raw with the excessive labour

  we had undergone, and were bleeding in the most horrible manner.

  Contrary to Parker's advice, we now proceeded to cut away the

  foremast, and at length accomplished it after much difficulty, owing

  to the position in which we lay. In going overboard the wreck took

  with it the bowsprit, and left us a complete hulk.

  So far we had had reason to rejoice in the escape of our

  longboat, which had received no damage from any of the huge seas

  which had come on board. But we had not long to congratulate

  ourselves; for the foremast having gone, and, of course, the foresail

  with it, by which the brig had been steadied, every sea now made a

  complete breach over us, and in five minutes our deck was swept from

  stern to stern, the longboat and starboard bulwarks torn off, and

  even the windlass shattered into fragments. It was, indeed, hardly

  possible for us to be in a more pitiable condition.

  At noon there seemed to be some slight appearance of the gale's

  abating, but in this we were sadly disappointed, for it only lulled

  for a few minutes to blow with redoubled fury. About four in the

  afternoon it was utterly impossible to stand up against the violence

  of the blast; and, as the night closed in upon us, I had not a shadow

  of hope that the vessel would hold together until morning.

  By midnight we had settled very deep in the water, which was now

  up to the orlop deck. The rudder went soon afterward, the sea which

  tore it away lifting the after portion of the brig entirely from the

  water, against which she thumped in her descent with such a

  concussion as would be occasioned by going ashore. We had all

  calculated that the rudder would hold its own to the last, as it was

  unusually strong, being rigged as I have never seen one rigged either

  before or since. Down its main timber there ran a succession of stout

  iron hooks, and others in the same manner down the stern-post.

  Through these hooks there extended a very thick wrought-iron rod, the

  rudder being thus held to the stern-post and swinging freely on the

  rod. The tremendous force of the sea which tore it off may be

  estimated by the fact, that the hooks in the stern-post, which ran

  entirely through it, being clinched on the inside, were drawn every

  one of them completely out of the solid wood.

  We had scarcely time to draw breath after the violence of this

  shock, when one of the most tremendous waves I had then ever known

  broke right on board of us, sweeping the companion-way clear off,

  bursting in the hatchways, and firing every inch of the vessel with

  water.

  ~~~ End of Text of Chapter 8 ~~~

  CHAPTER 9

  LUCKILY, just before night, all four of us had lashed ourselves

  firmly to the fragments of the windlass, lying in this manner as flat

  upon the deck as possible. This precaution alone saved us from

  destruction. As it was, we were all more or less stunned by the

  immense weight of water which tumbled upon us, and which did not roll

  from above us until we were nearly exhausted. As soon as I could

  recover breath, I called aloud to my companions. Augustus alone

  replied, saying: "It is all over with us, and may God have mercy upon

  our souls!" By-and-by both the others were enabled to speak, when

  they exhorted us to take courage, as there was still hope; it being

  impossible, from the nature of the cargo, that the brig could go

  down, and there being every chance that the gale would blow over by

  the morning. These words inspired me with new life; for, strange as

  it may seem, although it was obvious that a vessel with a cargo of

  empty oil-casks would not sink, I had been hitherto so confused in

  mind as to have overlooked this consideration altogether; and the

  danger which I had for some time regarded as the most imminent was

  that of foundering. As hope revived within me, I made use of every

  opportunity to strengthen the lashings which held me to the remains

  of the windlass, and in this occupation I soon discovered that my

  companions were also busy. The night was as dark as it could possibly

  be, and the horrible shrieking din and confusion which surrounded us

  it is useless to attempt describing. Our deck lay level with the sea,

  or rather we were encircled with a towering ridge of foam, a portion

  of which swept over us even instant. It is not too much to say that

  our heads were not fairly out of the water more than one second in

  three. Although we lay close together, no one of us could see the

  other, or, indeed, any portion of the brig itself, upon which we were

  so tempestuously hurled about. At intervals we called one to the

  other, thus endeavouring to keep alive hope, and render consolation

  and encouragement to such of us as stood most in need of it. The

  feeble condition of Augustus made him an object of solicitude with us

  all; and as, from the lacerated condition of his right arm, it must

  have been impossible for him to secure his lashings with any degree

  of firmness, we were in momentary expectation of finding that he had

  gone overboard -- yet to render him aid was a thing altogether out of

  the question. Fortunately, his station was more secure than that of

  any of the rest of us; for the upper part of his body lying just

  beneath a portion of the shattered windlass, the seas, as they

  tumbled in upon him, were greatly broken in their violence. In any

  other situation than this (into which he had been accidentally thrown

  after having lashed himself in a very exposed spot) he must

  inevitably have perished before morning. Owing to the brig's lying so

>   much along, we were all less liable to be washed off than otherwise

  would have been the case. The heel, as I have before stated, was to

  larboard, about one half of the deck being constantly under water.

  The seas, therefore, which struck us to starboard were much broken,

  by the vessel's side, only reaching us in fragments as we lay flat on

  our faces; while those which came from larboard being what are called

  back-water seas, and obtaining little hold upon us on account of our

  posture, had not sufficient force to drag us from our fastenings.

  In this frightful situation we lay until the day broke so as to

  show us more fully the horrors which surrounded us. The brig was a

  mere log, rolling about at the mercy of every wave; the gale was upon

  the increase, if any thing, blowing indeed a complete hurricane, and

  there appeared to us no earthly prospect of deliverance. For several

  hours we held on in silence, expecting every moment that our lashings

  would either give way, that the remains of the windlass would go by

  the board, or that some of the huge seas, which roared in every

  direction around us and above us, would drive the hulk so far beneath

  the water that we should be drowned before it could regain the

  surface. By the mercy of God, however, we were preserved from these

  imminent dangers, and about midday were cheered by the light of the

  blessed sun. Shortly afterward we could perceive a sensible

  diminution in the force of the wind, when, now for the first time

  since the latter part of the evening before, Augustus spoke, asking

  Peters, who lay closest to him, if he thought there was any

  possibility of our being saved. As no reply was at first made to this

  question, we all concluded that the hybrid had been drowned where he

  lay; but presently, to our great joy, he spoke, although very feebly,

  saying that he was in great pain, being so cut by the tightness of

  his lashings across the stomach, that he must either find means of

  loosening them or perish, as it was impossible that he could endure

  his misery much longer. This occasioned us great distress, as it was

  altogether useless to think of aiding him in any manner while the sea

  continued washing over us as it did. We exhorted him to bear his

  sufferings with fortitude, and promised to seize the first

  opportunity which should offer itself to relieve him. He replied that

  it would soon be too late; that it would be all over with him before

  we could help him; and then, after moaning for some minutes, lay

  silent, when we concluded that he had perished.

  As the evening drew on, the sea had fallen so much that scarcely

  more than one wave broke over the hulk from windward in the course of

  five minutes, and the wind had abated a great deal, although still

  blowing a severe gale. I had not heard any of my companions speak for

  hours, and now called to Augustus. He replied, although very feebly,

  so that I could not distinguish what he said. I then spoke to Peters

  and to Parker, neither of whom returned any answer.

  Shortly after this period I fell into a state of partial

  insensibility, during which the most pleasing images floated in my

  imagination; such as green trees, waving meadows of ripe grain,

  processions of dancing girls, troops of cavalry, and other

  phantasies. I now remember that, in all which passed before my mind's

  eye, motion was a predominant idea. Thus, I never fancied any

  stationary object, such as a house, a mountain, or any thing of that

  kind; but windmills, ships, large birds, balloons, people on

  horseback, carriages driving furiously, and similar moving objects,

  presented themselves in endless succession. When I recovered from

  this state, the sun was, as near as I could guess, an hour high. I

  had the greatest difficulty in bringing to recollection the various

  circumstances connected with my situation, and for some time remained

  firmly convinced that I was still in the hold of the brig, near the

  box, and that the body of Parker was that of Tiger.

  When I at length completely came to my senses, I found that the

  wind blew no more than a moderate breeze, and that the sea was

  comparatively calm; so much so that it only washed over the brig

  amidships. My left arm had broken loose from its lashings, and was

  much cut about the elbow; my right was entirely benumbed, and the

  hand and wrist swollen prodigiously by the pressure of the rope,

  which had worked from the shoulder downward. I was also in great pain

  from another rope which went about my waist, and had been drawn to an

  insufferable degree of tightness. Looking round upon my companions, I

  saw that Peters still lived, although a thick line was pulled so

  forcibly around his loins as to give him the appearance of being cut

  nearly in two; as I stiffed, he made a feeble motion to me with his

  hand, pointing to the rope. Augustus gave no indication of life

  whatever, and was bent nearly double across a splinter of the

  windlass. Parker spoke to me when he saw me moving, and asked me if I

  had not sufficient strength to release him from his situation, saying

  that if I would summon up what spirits I could, and contrive to untie

  him, we might yet save our lives; but that otherwise we must all

  perish. I told him to take courage, and I would endeavor to free him.

  Feeling in my pantaloons' pocket, I got hold of my penknife, and,

  after several ineffectual attempts, at length succeeded in opening

  it. I then, with my left hand, managed to free my right from its

  fastenings, and afterward cut the other ropes which held me. Upon

  attempting, however, to move from my position, I found that my legs

  failed me altogether, and that I could not get up; neither could I

  move my right arm in any direction. Upon mentioning this to Parker,

  he advised me to lie quiet for a few minutes, holding on to the

  windlass with my left hand, so as to allow time for the blood to

  circulate. Doing this, the numbness presently began to die away so

  that I could move first one of my legs, and then the other, and,

  shortly afterward I regained the partial use of my right arm. I now

  crawled with great caution toward Parker, without getting on my legs,

  and soon cut loose all the lashings about him, when, after a short

  delay, he also recovered the partial use of his limbs. We now lost no

  time in getting loose the rope from Peters. It had cut a deep gash

  through the waistband of his woollen pantaloons, and through two

  shirts, and made its way into his groin, from which the blood flowed

  out copiously as we removed the cordage. No sooner had we removed it,

  however, than he spoke, and seemed to experience instant relief-

  being able to move with much greater ease than either Parker or

  myself- this was no doubt owing to the discharge of blood.

  We had little hopes that Augustus would recover, as he evinced no

  signs of life; but, upon getting to him, we discovered that he had

  merely swooned from the loss of blood, the bandages we had placed

  around his wounded arm having been torn off by the water; none of the

  ropes which held him to th
e windlass were drawn sufficiently tight to

  occasion his death. Having relieved him from the fastenings, and got

  him clear of the broken wood about the windlass, we secured him in a

  dry place to windward, with his head somewhat lower than his body,

  and all three of us busied ourselves in chafing his limbs. In about

  half an hour he came to himself, although it was not until the next

  morning that he gave signs of recognizing any of us, or had

  sufficient strength to speak. By the time we had thus got clear of

  our lashings it was quite dark, and it began to cloud up, so that we

  were again in the greatest agony lest it should come on to blow hard,

  in which event nothing could have saved us from perishing, exhausted

  as we were. By good fortune it continued very moderate during the

  night, the sea subsiding every minute, which gave us great hopes of

  ultimate preservation. A gentle breeze still blew from the N. W., but

  the weather was not at all cold. Augustus was lashed carefully to

  windward in such a manner as to prevent him from slipping overboard

  with the rolls of the vessel, as he was still too weak to hold on at

  all. For ourselves there was no such necessity. We sat close

  together, supporting each other with the aid of the broken ropes

  about the windlass, and devising methods of escape from our frightful

  situation. We derived much comfort from taking off our clothes and

  wringing the water from them. When we put them on after this, they

  felt remarkably warm and pleasant, and served to invigorate us in no

  little degree. We helped Augustus off with his, and wrung them for

  him, when he experienced the same comfort.

  Our chief sufferings were now those of hunger and thirst, and

  when we looked forward to the means of relief in this respect, our

  hearts sunk within us, and we were induced to regret that we had

  escaped the less dreadful perils of the sea. We endeavoured, however,

  to console ourselves with the hope of being speedily picked up by

  some vessel and encouraged each other to bear with fortitude the

  evils that might happen.

  The morning of the fourteenth at length dawned, and the weather