Boon Island: including Contemporary Accounts of the Wreck of the Nottingham Galley (16 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
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Sail; the Swede, being an excellent Swimmer, soon recover'd the Shore, and little regarded it; but the other, unskill'd in that Art, continued a while under Water, and upon his Appearance being dragg'd to Land by the Master, was too much discouraged to make a second Essay. The Master then desir'd the Swede to assist in getting the Raft out of the Water, in Order to wait a more favourable Opportunity; but the Swede, persisting in his Resolution, tho' unable to stand upon his Feet, and, as he was kneeling on the Rock, caught hold on the Master's Hand, and, with much Vehemency, beseeching him to accompany him, said, I am sure I must die; however, I have great Hopes of being the Means of preserving your Life, and the rest of the Peoples; if you will not go with me, I beg your Assistance to turn the Raft, and help me upon it, for I am resolutely bent to venture, even, tho' by myself alone. The Master us'd further Dissuasives, representing the Impossibility of reaching the main Land in twice the Time they might have done before they were disarm'd of their Mast and Sail; but the Swede remain'd inflexible, affirming, with Imprecation, I had rather perish in the Sea, than continue one Day more in this miserable Condition. By this Time another, animated by his Example, offering to go with him, the Master consented, and giving them some Money; that accidentally was in his Pocket, fix'd them on the Raft, and help'd to launch them off from the Rock, committing them to the Mercy of the Seas, under the Care of Divine Providence. Their last Words at parting were very Moving, and deliver'd in a Pathetic Accent: Pray Sir oblige all the People to join in Prayers for us as long as you can see us. All to a Man crept out of the Tent at this doleful Separation, and perform'd their request with much Devotion. About Sunset they judg'd them half Way to Land, and hop'd they might gain the Shore by two in the Morning; but in the Night the Wind blew very hard, and two days after the Raft was
 
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found on Shore, about a Mile distant from the other Man, having his Paddle still fast to his Waist, but so much worn, as shew'd he had labour'd hard, but the bold Swede was never seen more.
The Master had appointed these Adventurers to procure a Fire be made in the Woods, on a certain Hill, within Ken of this desolate Island; as a Signal of their getting alive on Shore, and the other expeditious Relief, and two Days after a Smoke arising from that Quarter, and daily continuing, tho' upon a different Occasion, was yet, with Reason, interpreted by them as a Token of speedy Deliverance. This Flush of Hope, under God, subserv'd for a Time to support them, accounting for the Delay by the Difficulty of procuring a Vessel, and the Freezing up of the Rivers, common in such an Inclemency of this Season of the Year; but, at last, Famine, deaf to all Remonstrances, began a new to excite Impatience.
The Spring Tide, so justly dreaded, was now, God be thanked, safely over; however, one Inconvenience follow'd; the Waters, not falling so low as before, depriv'd 'em, in a good Measure, of the Advantage of taking Muscles, a principal Branch of their daily Aliment. This irksome Employment, others refusing, fell to the Master's Lot, who ran a great Hazard of losing both Hands and Arms by so frequently exposing them in the cold Water, altho, when taken, his Stomach rejected them as offensive thro' excessive Coldness, preferring Rockweed, of much easier Digestion, yet, either the Quality of the Herb, or the Effects of Hunger, render'd the Eaters very Costive. At their first Arrival they saw, and even stumbled upon, several Seals on the Rock; the Master thence inferring, it was their nightly Harbour, took frequent Walks at Midnight in View of intercepting them, but they had intirely forsaken the Island. Multitudes of Sea-Fowl also appear'd, but observing Men daily there, refus'd to lodge on the Rock.
Their Necessities, in Regard to fresh Water, were indiffer-
 
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ently well supplied all the Time by Rain, and melted Snow, lodging in the concavities of the highest Part of the Rock, though the Taste was something brackish by the Spray of the Sea, at Spring-tides, breaking over it, tho' God, of his infinite Mercy, by restraining the High Winds, prevented a total Inundation. During the Frost they preferr'd the eating of Ice, which is fresh, though congel'd from Salt-water; this the Master brought in great Lumps to the Side of the Tent, and every Man took what he pleased. They drank their Water out of a Powder-horn, and applied another to the Use of the diseased in the Tent.
At this Time the Master set the Infirm, and otherwise useless Hands, to open Junk, and with the Rope Yarn, drawn from thence, thatch'd the Tent, according to the best of his Skill in that science; this serv'd to turn off 2 or 3 Hours Rain, and skreen them, from the Asperities of the cold cutting Winds. Of this Oakum likewise the Master made Swathing Bands, in which he swath'd up himself at Night, when he threw off his wet Cloaths, and obliging his Boy, swath'd in the same Manner, to lie upon him; this Device contributed much to the Conservation of his Health.
About the latter End of December, the Carpenter, a fat Man, naturally of a dull, heavy, phlegmatic Constitution, and aged about 47; always very III from his first coming on Shore, and had since lost the Use of his Feet, now, in particular, complain'd of an excessive Pain in his Back, and stiffness in his Neck; and, moreover, was almost suffocated with an Inundation of Phlegm. He soon grew Speech'less tho' retaining his Senses, and drawing near to his End, in all Apprehension, they pray'd over him; and in all Things, to the Best of their Power, were serviceable to him in his last Moments. Dying that Night, his Body remain'd in the Tent 'till the Morning, when the Master, as usual, going out in quest of Provisions, order'd the People to remove the Corps to some distance. Finding Part of a green Hide, fasten'd to a Piece
 
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of the Main yard, newly thrown up by the Sea; he first endeavour'd to eat it, but his Teeth made no Impression; at Noon returning, the Men importuned him to bring it into the Tent, and mincing it small, it was soon swallow'd down with a voracious Appetite. The Master, then observing the Carcass not carried off, began to expostulate warmly, demanding the Reason of their Disobedience: They excus'd themselves on the Score of Inability; he, imputing this to their Want of Spirit and Resolution, already the Cause of much Chagrin and Fatigue to him, and Mischief to themselves; he gave them a Rope, bidding them, make it Fast to the Corps, and his Spirits being still in a Ferment, he essay'd to draw it out himself, but was soon convinc'd of the Decay of his Strength, by not being able to stir it: Another however assisting, the dead Body, at length, was haul'd a few Paces from the Tent. The Master, afterwards, returning into the Tent, with his Powers enervated by this violent Exertion of himself, and his Mind oppressed with the most acute Sense of the various Miseries they were involv'd in, occasionally reinforced by the present melancholic Instance, was ready to expire with Faintness and Anguish; and placing himself so as to receive some Refreshment by Sleep, he observ'd an unusual Air of Intentness in the Countenances of all the People, when, after some Pause, Mr. Whitworth, a young Gentleman, his Mother's darling Son, delicately educated, amidst so great an Affluence, as to despite common Food, as he then, with Remorse of Conscience, acknowledg'd, began, in the Name of the Assembly, to court the Master's Concurrence in converting the Humane Carcase into the Matter of their Nourishment; and was immediately seconded by a great Majority, three only opposing, on account of their esteeming it a heinous Sin. This affair had been thus consulted, and concluded upon in the Master's Absence, and the present Method concerted of making it known by a Gentleman reputed to be much in his Favour. The Master remain'd in his former
 
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Posture, observing an invincible Silence, whilst they were urging their Desires with irresistible Vehemence, for nothing that ever befel him from the Day of his Birth, no not the Dread and Distress of his Soul upon quitting the Wreck, when he did not expect to live a Minute, was so amazingly Shocking as this unexpected Proposal; but, after a short Interval, resuming his Reason, and concealing his infirmity for Decency Sake, he maturely weighing all Circumstances, pronounc'd in Favour of the Majority, arguing the Improbability of its being a Sin to eat Humane Flesh in a Case of such necessity, provided they were no ways accessary to the taking away of Life. The Master then acquiesing, on Condition of throwing into the Sea the Skin, and all parts discovering it to be Humane; and receiving from Time to Time their respective Portions, according to his Prescription, the People appear'd in a Transport of Joy; but all to a Man excused themselves from engaging in so odious a Work; alledging their Inability of abiding so long in the Cold, and therefore most humbly implor'd the Continuance of his good Offices, even in this very disagreeable Instance. The Master took this extremely ill, and refus'd a good while to comply; but, at last, their incessant Prayers and Tears prevail'd, and by close of the Day, with another's Assistance, he had dispatch'd this very nauseous and difficult Task. A few thin Slices, wash'd in Salt-water, were brought into the Tent, and given to every one, with a good Quantity of Rockweed to supply the Place of Bread. The First the Master eat, was Part of the Grissels that compose the Breast, having the Flesh scraped clean off, for his Stomach, as yet, abominated the loathsome Diet, though his importunate Appetite had, more than once, led him to survey with a longing Even the Extremities of his fore Fingers, and a Day or two before compell'd him to taste his own Excrements. The Mate, and the two other Opposers, refus'd to partake of the Flesh that Night, but were the first next Morning to beg an equal Share in the common
 
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Allowance. The Mater, to prevent Dispute, distributed it by Lot, with the utmost Impartiality; and to take off any Aversion, enjoin'd them to call it Beef; tho' this last Precaution was needless, since they devour'd it in a rapacious Manner, and crav'd greater Quantities than consisted with health, and the Extent of their small Stock; and, in a few Days, Lame and Infirm as they were, he found himself oblig'd to remove the Pieces and Quarters to a craggy Eminency of difficult Access, as likewise to hold a stricter Hand, and exercise all the Authority he had taken at their Request, over them, which their present Impotence, and his comparative Strength, empower'd him to maintain; for on a sudden, he perceiv'd an Alteration on their Dispositions, infinitely to the worse, from a quiet, peaceable, affectionate Temper, a resign'd, submissive, religious Frame of Mind; the Majority grew fierce, brutish, barbarous, Impatient in their Afflictions, and Refractory to Command, using ill Language, Oaths and Imprecations, so that the Master almost repented he had not turn'd the dead Carcass adrift in the Sea, instead of reserving it for Food, since attended with such detestable Effects; however, this Deportment convinc'd him of the absolute Necessity of keeping a strick Watch over the Remainder of the Body, since he had Reason to apprehend future Want would drive them to sacrifice one another's Lives to their inexorable Hunger, and the Prolongation of their miseries a few Days would infallibly have terminated in this dreadful Event. This Nutriment had also an ill Effect upon their Ulcers and Sores, endangering a Mortification more than ever; and herein the Master incurr'd as great a Risque as any, having the Ends of his Fingers torn, and his Nails dislocated, on his first Recovering the Rock, and they had ever since been constantly employ'd in Building the Tent, Boat, and Raft, and a daily Acquisition of Victuals, without either Ease of Medicine to supple and heal them. To remedy this Inconvenience, the Master tried an Experiment of his own Conception, that suf-
 
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ficiently answer'd the Intention, viz. He applied Plaisterwise to the distemper'd Part, first cleansed and wash'd in Salt-water, the Fat taken off from the Kidneys of the Deceased, reduc'd to a proper Consistence, by working it with a Stone on a smooth Place of the Rock; and this proved a cooling, mollifying Medicament, giving much Ease to the Patient, and, peradventure, from something of this kind, improved by the Hands of the Learned, may be prepar'd an excellent Digestive.
The Close of the old Year left them in a most forlorn Condition; the Master's Brother attack'd with Convulsive Fits, and frozen in several Fingers; Mr. Whitworth, his Friend, in both his Feet, so that he oft, express'd himself willing to compound for Life with the Loss of a Limb, the Master, through Sympathy with them, and Concern at the ill Success of every Enterprize for Deliverance, together with the daily Care and Fatigue unavoidably revolving upon him, became diminish'd in his Strength, and dissipated in the Faith and Resolution of his Mind; the rest of the People, half frozen, more than half famish'd, distemper'd, ulcerous, dispairing, unable to help themselves; yet Murmuring, Prophane, and Blasphemous. In a Word, labouring under a Complication of the greatest Evils, Cold, Diseases, Famine, Prospect of Death, and Dread of Damnation.
But the Almighty, whose Mercies endure for ever, was graciously pleas'd to extend his undeserv'd Favour, for on the 2d of January, in the Morning, as the Master was creeping out of the Tent, he saw a Shallop half Way from Shore, standing directly towards the Rock, under a brisk Gale of Wind, and immediately crying out, a Sail, a Sail, unable to utter more thro' an Ecstacy of Joy; not a Soul amoungst them, how Weak and Infirm soever, but instantly thrust out his Head to see so desirable a Sight, and to express the Raptures diffus'd throughout the whole Company, upon the Prospect of so sudden and unexpected a Deliverance, outstrips the Powers of Tongue and Mind; 'twas Life from the

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