Narratives of Shipwrecks of the Royal Navy; between 1793 and 1849 by William O. S. Gilly

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At eight P.M. the watch was mustered, and the men placed at their
stations to keep a vigilant look-out, while the officer of the watch
went forward himself to see that the sails were well trimmed, and that
every one was on the alert. At half-past eight, when the captain had
retired to his cabin, and was waiting for the usual evening report
from the master, a midshipman entered with the startling intelligence
that land had been seen close ahead, the ship at the time going at
the rate of eight or nine miles an hour.

Captain Burgess was on deck in a moment; he ordered the helm to be put
'hard a-port,' and was told it had been done. The next instant the
jib-booms and bowsprit were heard to crash; the captain hastened to
the gangway, and was just in time to see the foremast go. Scarcely had
he called to the men to stand clear, when all the three masts fell
aft, one after the other, covering the deck with masts, yards, sails,
and rigging, and in their fall killing some and dreadfully mangling
others. Within a few feet of the ship rose a stupendous black rock,
against which the surf was raging violently. The rock was so
perpendicular, that both the fore and main yardarms were (before they
fell) scraping against the granite cliff. The hull, however, did not
appear to come in contact with the rock; but, as if answering the
helm, her head turned off shore, and as she swung round, the larboard
quarter boat was completely smashed between the ship's side and the
rock. Nothing could exceed the alarm that prevailed on board for a few
minutes after the sudden crash. The decks were covered with spars and
rigging, lying pell-mell upon the bodies of those who had been injured
by their fall. The man at the helm had been killed at his post, and
the wheel itself was shivered to atoms; whilst the darkness of the
night, and the roar of the breakers against the cliff, added to the
horrors of a catastrophe of which the suddenness alone was sufficient
to paralyse the energies of the men.

Captain Burgess saw that everything depended upon promptitude and
decision: he quickly rallied his people, and order was soon restored:
he then gave directions that the well should be sounded, and that the
men should stand by the small bower anchor.

A sentinel was placed to guard the spirit-room, and two small sails
were run up the fore and main-masts, the stumps of which were from
twelve to fifteen feet above the deck, and the helm was put to
starboard. The winches were next manned, and guns, rockets, and blue
lights let off in rapid succession.

The well was reported dry; orders were given for the small bower
anchor to be let go, but it was found covered with the wreck of the
bowsprit, and it was necessary to cut away the best bower in order to
keep the ship off shore; and for the same purpose every spar that
could be obtained was made use of to bear her off the rocky cliffs,
but in vain, for from the depth of the water, the anchor did not reach
the bottom, and the stern tailed upon a shelving rock in spite of all
their efforts. The men were next ordered to clear away the boats and
get them ready--but they were found totally destroyed. Those on the
quarters had been smashed by the rocks, and those on the booms and
stern by the falling of the masts. During the whole of this anxious
period, the conduct of the men was most exemplary. Aware that all
depended upon individual exertion, each one appeared to emulate the
example set by his officers, and worked with hearty good will; not a
single instance of anything like bad conduct occurred.

Their condition was most disheartening; the boats were no longer
available; the water was gaining on the vessel; and the rockets and
blue lights, as they darted into the air, served but to show them the
rugged face of the high rocks, which appeared to afford no footing by
which the summit could be gained, even if they should be so fortunate
as to reach them at all.

Whilst all on board were weighing these chances of destruction or of
safety, the vessel's head had gone round off, and a few succeeding
heavy surfs threw her again with her starboard quarter upon the rock,
and whilst she was in this position, there appeared a possibility of
getting some of the people on shore. Captain Burgess, therefore,
ordered Lieutenant Hamilton to do everything in his power to
facilitate such a proceeding, and shortly afterwards that officer, Mr.
Mends, midshipman, and about seventy others, effected a landing by
jumping either from the broken end of the mainyard, which was lying
across the ship, or from the hammock netting abaft the mizenmast;
several others who attempted to land in the same way were less
fortunate; some were crushed to death, and some drawn back by the
recoil of the surf and drowned.

From the time the ship first struck, the current had been carrying her
along the cliffs at the rate of at least a quarter of a mile an hour;
it now carried her off the rock, and she drifted along shore, a
helpless wreck, at the mercy of the winds and waves. The captain saw
that nothing more could be done for the vessel, and therefore he
directed all his energies to the preservation of the crew. The marine
who had been appointed to guard the spirit-room still remained at his
post, and never left it till commanded to do so by his superior
officer, even after the water had burst open the hatch. We mention
this as an instance of the effect of good discipline in times of the
greatest peril.

The vessel, or rather the wreck, was now carried towards a small cove,
into which she happily drifted; she struck heavily against the rocks,
then gave some tremendous yauls, and gradually sunk until nothing was
left above water but the bows, the broken bowsprit, and the wreck of
the masts as they laid on the booms.

All on board deemed that the crisis of their fate had arrived,--and
they prepared for the final struggle between life and death. There
were some moments of awful suspense, for every lurch the ill-fated
vessel gave, was expected to be the last; but when she seemed to sink
no deeper, there came the hope that her keel had touched the bottom,
and that they should not all he engulfed in a watery grave.

Before she sunk, the frigate's bows had gone so close into the rocks
as to enable some sixty or seventy people to jump on shore; and a
hawser was got out and fixed to a rock, by which several others were
saved; but by a tremendous surge, the piece of rock to which the
hawser was fastened was broken away, and for a time all communication
with the land was suspended. They tried every means that could be
devised to convey a rope from the ship to the land, but for a long
time without success, until Mr. Geach, the boatswain, swung himself on
the stump of the bowsprit, and by making fast two belaying pins to the
end of a line, he succeeded in throwing it on shore. To this a
stronger cable was bent, and it was dragged through the surf by the
people on the rocks, who then kept it taut.

Although a few words only are required to describe the mode by which a
communication was established between the ship and the shore, yet it
had been a work of toil, time, and danger. The boatswain had more than
once nearly lost his life by being washed away by the waves as they
swept over the wreck; the captain, who directed his proceedings, was
standing up to his middle in water, upon one foot only, frequently
losing his hold, and with great difficulty regaining his position.

The boatswain, when the preparations were completed, suggested that,
in order to test the strength of the cable, a boy should be the first
to make a trial of it; accordingly, a young lad was firmly secured to
a sort of cradle or bowling knot, and drawn on shore in safety. The
success of the attempt was announced by a loud cheer from the strand,
and the captain then took upon himself to direct the landing of the
rest of the crew by the same means. He stationed himself on the knight
head, so as to prevent a general rush being made; he then called each
man separately, and one by one they slung themselves upon the rope and
were swung on shore. Nothing could exceed the good conduct displayed
by the whole of the ship's company, every order was promptly obeyed,
and the utmost patience and firmness exhibited by every individual.

When the greater part of the people had quitted the wreck, there
still remained several who could not be induced even by the earnest
and repeated entreaties of their commander to leave their _dry_
position on the yards. The strength of the captain and boatswain was
almost exhausted, and as they could not persuade any more of the men
to avail themselves of the proffered means of safety, they were
obliged, though very reluctantly, to leave them on the wreck, and they
themselves joined the crew on the rocks.

In the course of an hour or two, however, the party who had stayed by
the wreck, took courage and ventured upon the rope; but as the stump
of the bowsprit, which was over the larboard cathead, rendered it
extremely hazardous to come forward, they did not all get on shore
till daylight. In the morning, Captain Burgess's first care was to
muster his men, and a melancholy spectacle presented itself. Sixteen
were missing, and of those who were gathered around him, many had been
dreadfully bruised and lacerated in their efforts to reach the shore.
Amongst those who perished was a fine spirited lad, the son of Captain
Bingham, late commander of the Thetis. But a few months before,
Captain Bingham himself had been drowned in the Guayaquil: thus father
and son lay far from their native land, beneath the western flood.

The warlike of the isles,
The men of field and wave,
Are not the rocks their funeral piles,
The seas and shores their grave?
Go, stranger! track the deep--
Free, free, the white sail spread;
Wind may not rove, nor billows sweep,
Where rest not England's dead.

The crew of the Thetis had now time to look around them, and to
consider what was next to be done. The prospect was a sad one. Before
them, and almost hidden by the white foam, lay the once noble frigate,
now a complete wreck; the cove into which she had drifted was bound by
lofty and precipitous crags, arising abruptly from the sea, and
varying in height from 80 to 194 feet. The men and officers were
perched in groups on points of the rocks; few of them had clothing
enough to cover them, and scarcely any had shoes. There seemed to be
no means of ascending the precipice; but to do so must be their first
object; and anxiously they sought for some part which might offer a
surer footing, and a less perilous and perpendicular ascent. At last
they succeeded in casting a rope round one of the projecting crags,
and by help of this some of the strongest of the party climbed the
giddy height, and then assisted in hauling up their weaker comrades.

To give some idea of the difficulties which they had to surmount, and
their almost miraculous escape, we subjoin the following description
of the place from the pen of Captain Dickenson:--

'The coast is formed of rugged and almost perpendicular rocks, varying
from 80 to 194 feet in height, a peak rising at each point, and
another in nearly the centre of the north-eastern side.

'On viewing this terrific place, with the knowledge that at the time
of the shipwreck the wind was from the southward, I was struck with
astonishment, and it appeared quite a mystery that so great a number
of lives could have been saved; and indeed it will never cease to be
so, for that part on which the crew landed is so difficult of access,
that (even in fine weather) after being placed by a boat on a rock at
the base, it required considerable strength and agility, with the
assistance of a man-rope, to climb the precipitous face of the cliff,
and I am certain that in the hour of extreme peril, when excess of
exertion was called forth, there must have been a most extraordinary
display of it by a few for the benefit of the whole.'

When the party were all safely landed on the top of the rocks, they
perceived that they were on an island without inhabitants, and
affording no shelter, except a few huts, that had been erected for the
convenience of the natives curing fish. Fortunately these huts
contained a considerable quantity of salt fish and farina. This was
placed in charge of the purser, and immediately distributed amongst
the ship's company, who stood in great need of refreshment. As soon as
the men were sufficiently recovered from their fatigues, they were
despatched in parties in all directions, to discover means of
communicating with the mainland, from which the island was a few miles
distant. Most of them soon returned with the tidings that no means of
transport could be procured. This was a very disheartening
announcement; but its effects were quickly dispelled by the appearance
of a canoe coming into the little cove where the huts were situated.

The seamen made signals to the men in the canoe, inviting them to
approach, which they did; and when they came up, they communicated the
welcome intelligence, that round a point to the left, on the mainland,
there was a village which afforded all kinds of accommodation.

Captain Burgess then ordered Lieutenant Hamilton to go in a canoe,
with two or three of his men, to this village, and there to make
arrangements for proceeding to the commander-in-chief at Rio Janeiro,
and to send off as many canoes as he could procure to convey the
ship's company to the mainland.

In a short time several canoes arrived at the island, and Mr. Drake,
the purser of the Thetis, was amongst the first sent off to the
village, with directions to despatch a sufficient quantity of
provisions for the people on the rock; but after making two or three
trips between the parties, Mr. Wilson, the master's assistant,
returned in one of the canoes to say, that the natives refused to come
again without being paid. In this dilemma, Captain Burgess went across
himself, and by dint of persuasion and promises of payment, he at last
induced some of the natives to go to the assistance of his people; and
in the course of a few hours as many were conveyed to the village as
was deemed prudent. It was necessary to leave some men to look after
the wreck; and to this duty Lieutenant Otway, Mr. Mends, midshipman,
the gunner, carpenter, four marines, and thirty-three seamen, were
appointed: they therefore remained on the island; and before night
Captain Burgess had the satisfaction of seeing all the rest of his
crew, if not very comfortably lodged, at least safe and under shelter.
In the evening, Lieutenant Hamilton set out overland to Rio Janeiro to
apprise the commander-in-chief of the loss of the Thetis, and the
distressing situation of her men.

The following morning the people had great difficulty in hiring
canoes, and only one could be obtained, in which Lieutenant West and
the boatswain went off to the wreck, where they were for several days
actively employed. None of the men were allowed to be idle, for they
had full occupation in carrying wood and water, which were only to be
found at a great distance.

The behaviour of the local authorities was disgraceful in the extreme;
although fully aware of the destitute condition of the Englishmen who
had been cast upon their shores, they denied them the most trifling
assistance, and turned a deaf ear to every entreaty and remonstrance.

Money! money! was the constant cry. In vain Captain Burgess assured
them that the little he had saved was almost expended; but that as
soon as assistance should arrive from his countrymen, every article
should be paid for. All his arguments and promises were thrown away
upon the natives, whose rapacity knew no bounds; they would give
nothing without payment, and their charges were exorbitant.

Captain Burgess was so exasperated at one of these natives, who had
agreed to let the crew have a small bullock, but, upon finding there
was no money to pay for it, had driven it away, that he thought it
almost justifiable to desire his men to help themselves. There was,
however, one bright exception to this universal hard-heartedness. A
sergeant, named Antonio das Santos, who commanded a small fort of
three guns, seeing the unwillingness of the natives to render any aid
to the strangers, came forward and asked if anything was wanted that
he could supply. Captain Burgess replied, that both his officers and
men stood in great need of food, and that a loan of money for present
use would be very acceptable. The sergeant immediately placed in the
captain's hands forty milreas in copper, and most generously put at
his disposal everything he possessed. The example of this
noble-hearted fellow had no effect on the conduct of the rest; their
great object seemed to be to make as much gain as possible by the
misfortunes of their fellow-creatures, and they went so far as to
plunder the wreck, breaking open the chests, and taking possession of
their contents whenever an opportunity occurred.

In order to attract the notice of vessels passing near, two
flag-staffs had been erected upon the heights, with the ensign
downwards; but day after day passed on, and no friendly sail appeared.
The cupidity of the natives was insatiable, and provisions became more
and more scarce. It was not until the 15th of December, ten days
after the loss of the Thetis, that a vessel was seen in the offing.
She proved to be the Algerine, which arrived most opportunely, when
they were almost reduced to extremity, and brought them the articles
of which they were in greatest need.

The next day, just after the Algerine had entered the harbour of Cape
Frio, Admiral Baker arrived with a necessary supply of money. He had
attempted the sea-passage from Rio Janeiro, for three days, in his
barge, but had been obliged to put back on account of the current, and
had then performed the journey of seventy miles overland in
forty-eight hours. From the admiral, Captain Burgess had the
satisfaction of hearing that the Druid, Clio, Adelaide, and a French
brig of war might be hourly expected.

These all arrived in due course, and took on board the officers and
men of the late Thetis, who were safely landed at Rio Janeiro on the
24th of December.

In conclusion, we cannot refrain from noticing the firmness and
presence of mind evinced by Captain Burgess under the most appalling
circumstances. After having adopted every available means for saving
the ship without effect, he superintended for many hours the
disembarkation of the crew, and during all that tedious process he was
standing in a heavy surf up to the middle in water; nor could he be
persuaded to quit the wreck until not one more of his officers or men
would consent to go before him. Respecting the conduct of the officers
and men, we cannot do better than lay before our readers Captain
Burgess's own estimate of its merits.

'I owe,' he says, 'to the whole of my officers and men (and which most
sincerely and unreservedly I render,) the meed of praise due to the
conduct of every one, without exception. It was their prompt obedience
to all my orders, and the firmness, fortitude, and alacrity which
they perseveringly as well as patiently displayed amidst their great
perils, sufferings, and privations, through the whole of this trying
scene, that contributed, under Providence, to the saving of so many of
their lives.

'Their subsequent orderly and excellent conduct on shore as much
bespeaks my approbation; and, in truth, the general character of their
conduct throughout has induced an esteem in me which it is impossible
can ever cease but with my life.'[18]

Captain Samuel Burgess entered the navy in 1790, and served on board
the Impregnable at the victory of the 1st of June, 1794. He was almost
constantly employed from that time until the year 1804, when he was
appointed a lieutenant on board the Prince, of 98 guns, in which ship
he was present at the battle of Trafalgar.

He next served on board the Dreadnought, 98, and subsequently was
appointed to the command of the Pincher, a 12-gun brig, employed in
the North Sea and Baltic. Whilst in command of this vessel, Lieutenant
Burgess distinguished himself on many occasions, particularly in
assisting Lord George Stuart in reducing the batteries of Cuxhaven and
Bremerleke. His next appointment was to the Vixen gun-brig; and
although he might well have expected promotion for his services, he
remained lieutenant until the year 1816, when he was appointed to the
Queen Charlotte, in which ship he served as flag-lieutenant to Lord
Exmouth at the bombardment of Algiers. Upon the arrival of the
dispatches in England, Lieutenant Burgess was promoted to the rank of
commander. He received his post rank on the 27th November, 1830, when
he took the command of the Thetis. A more lengthened statement of the
services of this officer will be found in O'Byrne's _Naval Biography_,
to which work we are indebted for the above sketch.

FOOTNOTES:

[18] The greater part of the treasure lost with the Thetis (806,000
dollars) has subsequently been recovered. An interesting description
of the means used for raising it will be found in a volume published
by Captain Dickenson.

THE FIREFLY.

The Firefly, a small schooner, with a crew of about fifty men, was
proceeding on her voyage from Belize to Jamaica, on the 27th of
February, 1835. The wind had been moderate during the day, and as they
were steering a course laid down in the chart, no danger was
anticipated.

Between nine and ten o'clock at night, the greater part of the crew,
with the exception of those whose duty it was to be upon deck, had
retired below, when the seaman in charge of the watch reported to the
commander, Lieutenant Julius McDonnell, that it was very dark ahead.
He instantly went upon deck, when the sound of surf breaking upon
rocks was distinctly heard. The helm was put down, under the hopes of
staying the vessel, but as the wind was light, and a heavy swell
setting in at the time, she did not come round, but getting stern-way,
struck with a shock which made every timber vibrate, and appeared to
threaten instant destruction to the vessel. All were in a moment upon
deck; the sweeps were got out on the larboard side, the best bower
anchor let go, and the boats hoisted out, and ordered to sound, whilst
the cutter was sent to carry out the stream anchor. The cable was then
held taut, but snapped almost immediately: the best bower came home,
and the small bower was let go. In the meantime, the wind had shifted
to the northward, and was blowing in heavy squalls, and their small
bower anchor, which was their sole dependence, came home.

Everything that could be done was put into practice to save the
vessel, but all in vain; and when daylight broke, her commander saw
that there was nothing now left him but to take measures for
preserving the lives of the crew.

For this purpose, all the officers and men were set to work to
construct rafts, as the boats were not sufficient to contain the whole
of the crew. Between six and seven o'clock in the morning, one raft
was completed, and the cutter and gig prepared to receive the men. The
vessel was all this time rapidly breaking up; the bolts of her keelson
and the stempost had started; the deck was broken in, and there was
but little hope of her holding together many hours.

One officer, Mr. Nopps, the master's assistant, had been placed in the
cutter, to prevent the men from taking away anything save the clothes
they had on. Eighteen were already in the boat, including Captain West
(an engineer officer) and his son, and fifteen were mustered in the
raft, which was lashed to the larboard of the wreck, when from some
accident the raft got adrift, and was carried away by the current.
This proved most unfortunate, as the raft was their great resource;
and all on board of her would inevitably have perished, had not the
cutter pushed out to their assistance. A rope was fastened to the
raft, and they attempted to tow her back to the schooner; but as the
cutter had only four oars, and the wind set so strong to the
southward, they were unable to reach the schooner.

Those who remained upon the wreck had only the gig left; and as this
could contain but a few, Lieutenant McDonnell thought it advisable to
direct an officer to take on board the sick, and proceed for
assistance to Belize, and if he fell in with the cutter to send her
back to the schooner. The gig accordingly shoved off, but again
returned, in consequence of an accident having happened to the mast;
this being remedied, she again pulled away from the wreck and having
fallen in with the cutter, communicated the orders of Mr. McDonnell
for her return. This, as has before been shown, was impossible, and
the gig having taken on board Captain West and his son, parted from
the cutter, with the intention of proceeding to Belize.

When Lieutenant McDonnell saw that the cutter did not return, he
directed and assisted the men who remained upon the wreck to construct
a second raft. This, after considerable labour, was completed by the
following morning: it was then launched overboard, and made fast to
the rocks within the reef. As the wreck still held together, Mr.
McDonnell considered it prudent to remain by her as long as possible,
in the hope that some assistance might arrive from Belize: but in this
he was disappointed. In the meantime, another and stronger raft had
been formed from the after part of the quarter-deck, which had been
broken up by the sea; this also was launched, and brought forward
under the bows. The men almost hoped against hope, but yet no
assistance arrived. Fortunately, the weather was partially moderate,
but still the sufferings, from exposure to the weather, and the
deprivation of proper food, were severely felt; and Lieutenant
McDonnell determined, under all these circumstances, to wait no
longer, and on the 4th of March everything was in readiness to quit
the wreck. A small barrel of bread was placed on the raft, but this
was immediately washed off into the sea. A beaker one-third full of
rum was then fastened more securely, and this was the only thing that
they could take with them.

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