Boon Island: including Contemporary Accounts of the Wreck of the Nottingham Galley (11 page)

Read Boon Island: including Contemporary Accounts of the Wreck of the Nottingham Galley Online

Authors: Kenneth Roberts,Jack Bales,Richard Warner

Tags: #Survival After Airplane Accidents; Shipwrecks; Etc., #Nottingham (Galley) - Fiction, #Transportation, #Historical, #Boon Island (Me.) - Fiction, #Boon Island, #18th Century, #Survival After Airplane Accidents; Shipwrecks; Etc - Fiction, #Survival After Airplane Accidents; Shipwrecks; Etc, #Shipwrecks, #Fiction, #Literary, #Sea Stories, #Historical Fiction, #Shipwrecks - Maine - Boon Island - History - 18th Century - Fiction, #test, #Boon Island (Me.), #General, #Maine, #History

BOOK: Boon Island: including Contemporary Accounts of the Wreck of the Nottingham Galley
11.08Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
 
Page 43
treated us barbarously both by Sea and Land, that he would misrepresent the Matter, as we now find he has done in a late Pamphlet by him publish'd, intituled
A Narrative of the Sufferings, Preservation, and Deliverance of Captain John Dean, and Company, in the Nottingham Galley of London, &c. London, Printed by R. Tooky, and Sold by S. Popping at the Raven in Pater-noster-Row, and at the Printing Press under the Royal-Exchange
.
Our Apprehensions of this made us refuse the Encouragement which was offered us in New England, and resolve to come home that we might have an Opportunity to lay before the World, and before those Gentlemen and others who have lost their Estates and Relations in this unhappy Voyage, the true Causes of our own and their Misfortunes, and how they might, humanely speaking, have been easily avoided, had Captain Dean been either an honest or an able Commander. This we think ourselves oblig'd to do in common Justice, and to prevent others from suffering by him in the like manner.
We cannot but in the first place take notice of a notorious Falshood he asserts in his Preface,
That he might have had the Attestation of several of his Fellow Sufferers now in Town to the Truth of what he has wrote,
since he very well knows that Two of us did positively refuse it in publick Company, after reading a part of it, and told him to his Face,
that it was not true
.
In the next place, as to what he says of the Encouragement his Narrative met with in New England and North Britain, where it appeared under much greater Disadvantages as to the Particulars and Dress, We think fit to reply, That the Acceptance it met with in New England was occasion'd by our being confined from appearing in publick during our Sickness, and that he compell'd us to sign what our Illness made us uncapable to understand; but when it pleas'd God that we recover'd our Health, and made our Affidavits here subjoin'd before Mr. Penhallow, a Justice of Peace, and Member of Council at Portsmouth
 
Page 44
in the Province of New Hampshire, New England, in the Presence of the said Dean, who had not the Face to deny it, his Character appear'd in a true Light, and he was cover'd with Shame and Confusion.
The Captain has reason indeed to commend the Charity of the Gentlemen of New England, which is no more than their due, both from him and us, tho' we were unhappily deprived of the chief Effects of it by the Captain's Brother; who being the Person that received it, took care not to be wanting to the Captain and himself, whereas we had nothing but what was fit for such miserable Wretches, who were glad of any thing, since we were then uncapable of working for better.
As to what he says in his Postscript about Insurance, we know nothing further of that matter than what we heard on Board, as will appear by our Narrative, viz.
That there were great Sums insured upon the Ship,
the truth of which is more proper for the Inquiry of others than us who are only Sailors.
We come now to the narrative, wherein we shall represent nothing but the Truth, of which we our selves had the Misfortune to be Witnesses, to our great Sorrow, and the manifest Danger of our Lives.
And since what we deliver is upon Oath, we hope it will obtain Credit sooner than the bare Word of Captain Dean, his Brother, and Mr. Whitworth, who were all Three interested Persons, and but One of them, acquainted with all the Matter of Fact, which for his own Reputation and Safety he has been obliged to set off in false Colours. Besides, Mr. Whitworth is since dead, so that the Captain has no Vouchers but himself and his Brother; and how little Credit they deserve, will sufficiently appear by what follows.
 
Page 45
The Narrative
The
Nottingham-Galley
of 120 Tons, 10 Guns, and 14 Men, John Dean Commander, took in part of her Lading in the River Thames, which was Cordage, and the rest in Butter and Cheese, at Killybags in Ireland. But Captain Dean in his Narrative has omitted to acquaint the World that 4 of the Guns were useless, and that not above 6 of the Men were capable to Serve in the Ship, in case of bad Weather. She Sail'd from Gravesend the 2d Day of August, 1710. to the Nore, and from thence on the 7th, with 2 Men of War, and several Merchant-Men under their Convoy, towards Scotland. When we came off of Whitby, the Fleet brought to, and several of the Ships were a-stern. We having a fine Gale, the Captain said he would Run it, and make the best of his way for Ireland, which we did. And when we were on that Coast, the 12th of August, we saw 2 Ships in a Bay, towards whom the Captain would have bore down, but the Men would not consent to it, because they perceiv'd them to be French Men of War. Upon this we stood off to Sea till 12 at Night when the Captain coming upon Deck, we Sail'd easily in towards the Shore, by the Mate's Advice, till Daylight, and came so near Land that we were forced to stand off. The next Day we saw the two Privateers again, and the Captain propos'd to stand down towards them, or to come to an Anchor; but the Mate and the Men oppos'd it. The Captain was seconded in this by Charles Whitworth the Merchant, who said in the hearing of the Boatswain, and others,
That he had rather be taken than otherwise, tho' he had an Eighth Part of the Ship, because he had Insured 200
£. And the Captain said,
He had rather run the Ship ashore than perform his Voyage, if he thought he could be safe with the Insurers, because his Brother had insur'd 300
£.
upon her
. Accordingly he put in towards the Shore to find out a proper Place for that purpose, and ordered
 
Page 46
the Boatswain to get the Tackle upon the Boat and hoist her overside, that she might be in readiness to go ashore. At the same time the Captain and Charles Whitworth went to the Cabbin to get out the best of their Goods in order to carry them with them; and putting them up in a Chest, commanded the Men to carry them into the Boat, which they did. The Captain promis'd that we should want for nothing, and resolv'd to go ashore; so that we all plainly saw he was resolv'd to lose the Ship. But he was opposed by the Mate Christopher Langman, who wrought the Vessel through between the Main and an Island, and she arrived safely at Killybags in Ireland that same Night.
We took in the rest of our Lading there the 25th of September, being 30 Tons of Butter, and above 300 Cheeses, and sail'd for Boston in New-England; which we were very uncapable to do, because the Captain, by his barbarous Treatment of our Men, had disabled several of 'em, and particularly two of our best Sailors were so unmercifully beat by him, because they oppos'd his Design above mention'd, that they were not able to work in a Month. This gave us a very melancholy Prospect of an unfortunate Voyage, since we perceiv'd he would either lose the Ship, or betray her to the French, because she was insured for much above the Value. Besides, he put us to short Allowance, so that we had but one Quart of Water per Head in twenty four Hours, and had nothing to eat but salt Beef, which made us so dry that we were forc'd to drink the Rain Water that run off the Deck. And the Captain was so barbarous that he knock'd down one of our Men for dead, because when he found the Hold open, he went and drew a Gallon of Water to quench our Thirst. In the mean time he wanted nothing himself, tho' he pretended to us that he confin'd himself also to short Allowance, yet we knew the contrary.
When we came to the Banks of Newfoundland we saw a Ship which made all the Sail she could towards us, and soon came up
 
Page 47
with us. The Captain and Mr. Whitworth hoping she was a Frenchman, put on their best Apparel, and gave us as much strong Beer and Brandy as we could drink: But it prov'd to be the
Pompey
Galley of London, Captain Den Commander, at which we rejoic'd, tho' our Captain was melancholy. We continu'd our Course towards New England; and the first Land we made was Cape Sables, which is about 50 Leagues from Boston in that Country.
We made the best of our way for that Port, but the Wind blew hard, so that we were several Days without sight of Land, and were forced to hand all our Sails, and lie under our Mizzen-Ballast till Daylight; when the Boatswain having the Morning Watch discover'd Land to the Leeward, with which he acquainted the Captain and the Mate, who both came upon Deck. The Captain said that was the first Land we had made; wherein he was justly contradicted by the Mate, which caus'd some Words between 'em: For in Truth we made Cape Sables a Week before; and if we had kept our Course then, according to the Opinion of the Mate and Ship's Company, we had, in all Probability, arriv'd safe the next Day at Boston, but the Master laying the Ship by, and the next Day proving moderate Weather, and the Wind coming to the West, we stood away to the North, and so it was a Week before we made Cape Porpus, which was the same Day we were lost; so untrue is it what the Captain says, that the first Land we made was to the East of Piscataqua. After those Words had pass'd with the Mate, the Captain went down to serve us with Water, according to Custom, and in the mean time the Captain's Brother took a Bottle of Water from the Mate, and struck him; upon which the Captain coming out of the Hold, he took up a Perriwig Block, with which he came behind the Mate, and struck him three Blows on the Head, upon which he fell down and lay as dead for several Minutes, all in Blood. This was very discouraging to the Seamen, who durst not speak to
 
Page 48
him for fear of the like treatment. Soon after this barbarous Action we perceiv'd the Ship in Danger by being so near Land; upon which the Boatswain being on the Watch call'd the Captain, and the Mate, who being scarce recovered came on the Deck all in Gore, and told the Captain he had no Business so near the Land, except he had a Mind to lose the Ship, and therefore desir'd him to hawl further off, or else he would be ashore that Night. The Captain answer'd, That he wou'd not take his Advice though the Ship should go to the Bottom, threatned to shoot the Mate with a Pistol, and told him, he would do what he pleas'd except they confin'd him to his Cabbin. It fell out according as the Mate had said; we run ashoar that Night, being the 11th of December, between 8 and 9 a Clock, when the Ship struck upon Boon Island, a Rock three or four leagues East from Piscataqua. And here the Captain is false again in his Narrative, when he says p. [25]
that he saw the Breakers ahead, upon which he call'd out to put the Helm bard on the Starboard;
for he was then undressing himself to go to Bed, according to his usual Custom. When the Ship struck the Boatswain told the Captain,
he had made his Words good, and lost the Ship on purpose, whereas had he taken the Mate's Advice, he might in all probability have been safe at Boston Ten Days before
. The Captain bid him hold his Peace,
He was sorry for what had happen'd, but we must now all prepare for Death, there being no Probability to escape it
. Upon this several of our Men went on the Deck, but cou'd not stay there, because the Sea broke in all over the Ship. Then the Captain, who had been Cursing and Swearing before, began to cry and howl for Fear of losing his Life. The Boatswain and another went into the Hold to see if there was any Water there, and finding there was, we went all into the Cabbin to Prayers, being in hopes the Ship would lie whole till Daylight. Soon after this the Mate, though hardly able, went with some others above Deck; for this Surprize made him forget his Pain. He spoke to the Captain, and told him,
It was his Business
 
Page 49
to encourage the Men, and not to disberten them:
Yet still he insisted it was impossible for us to save our Lives. However, the Mate with three others cut down the Main-Mast and Fore-Mast, which by God's Assistance prov'd the Means of our Preservation; for the Fore-Mast fell on the Rock with one End; and the other rested on the Ship. The Mate went afterwards into the Cabbin, and desired the Captain to use his Endeavours to save the Men, for the Ship would immediately sink, and it was not time to think of saving any thing, but to get ashore as light as we cou'd. By this Time the Water came out of the Hold, and the Sea beat over the Deck, so that there was no standing upon it. The Mate got first on the Mast, and with great Difficulty escap'd to the Rock. He was follow'd by two others, who likewise got on Shore, but were scarce able to stand on the Rock, from whence they hallow'd to us to follow them, and we not hearing them any more than once, were afraid they were wash'd off by the Waves. This put us into a mighty consternation, so that we knew not whether it were best to follow them, or to stay on board till it was Day. The Captain was for the latter; but it being dead low Water, the Tide of Flood coming on, and the Wind beginning to blow hard, the Sea beat into the Cabbin while we were at Prayers, which forced us to go upon Deck: Some more of our Men escap'd to the Shore by help of the Mast, as the others had done, and call'd us to make haste and follow them, which we did, and by the Blessing of God got safe to the Rock, though not without much Danger, being forced to crawl upon our Hands and Knees we were so heavy with water, and the Rock so slippery.
Here again the Captain is false in the second Page of his Narrative; for he neither call'd us down to Prayers, nor order'd us up again, nor did he either command or assist at cutting down the Mast. We know not whom he points at, where he says, several of the Company did so sink under Racks of Conscience, that they were not able to stir; for he himself had as great Reason to

Other books

Jennifer Needs a Job by Huck Pilgrim
Raine: The Lords of Satyr by Elizabeth Amber
Dangerous Defiance by Natasha Knight
The Wind From Hastings by Morgan Llywelyn
Dolly Departed by Deb Baker
Big Juicy Lips by Allison Hobbs
In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume