The World of Waters - Mrs. David Osborne
"'When I got on the main topsail halyard block, I saw the admiral's
baker in the shrouds of the mizen-top-mast, and directly after that,
the woman, whom I had pulled out of the port-hole, came rolling by:
I said to the baker, who was an Irishman, named Robert Cleary, "Bob,
reach out your hand, and catch hold of that woman; that is a woman I
pulled out of the port-hole: I dare say she is not dead." He said,
"I dare say she is dead enough; it is of no use to catch hold of
her." I replied, "I dare say she is not dead." He caught hold of the
woman, and hung her head over one of the ratlines of the mizen
shrouds, and there she hung by the chin, which was hitched over the
ratlin; but a surf came and knocked her backwards, and away she went
rolling over and over. A captain of a frigate which was lying at
Spithead came up in a boat as fast as he could. I dashed out my left
hand in a direction towards the woman as a sign to him. He saw it,
and saw the woman. His men left off rowing, and they pulled the
woman aboard their boat, and laid her on one of the thwarts. The
captain of the frigate called out to me, "My man, I must take care
of those who are in more danger than you." I said, "I am safely
moored, now, sir." There was a seaman named Hibbs, hanging by his
two hands from the main-stay, and as he hung, the sea washed over
him every now and then, as much as a yard deep over his head; and
when he saw it coming, he roared out: however, he was but a fool for
that; for if he had kept himself quiet, he would not have wasted his
strength, and he would have been able to take the chance of holding
on so much the longer. The captain of the frigate had his boat rowed
to the main-stay; but they got the stay over part of the head of the
boat, and were in great danger, before they got Hibbs on board. The
captain of the frigate then got all the men that were in the
different parts of the rigging, including myself and the baker, into
his boat, and took us on board the "Victory;" where the doctors
recovered the woman, but she was very ill for three or four days. On
board the "Victory," I saw the body of the carpenter lying on the
hearth before the galley fire: some women were trying to recover
him, but he was quite dead.
"'The captain of the "Royal George," who could not swim, was picked
up and saved by one of the seamen. The lieutenant of the watch, I
believe, was drowned. The number of persons who lost their lives, I
cannot state with any degree of accuracy, because of there being so
many Jews, women, and other persons on board who did not belong to
the ship. The complement of the ship was nominally 1000 men, but she
was not full. Some were ashore; sixty marines had gone ashore that
morning.
"'The Government allowed 5_l._ each to the seamen who were on board,
and not drowned, for the loss of their things. I saw the list, and
there were only seventy-five. A vast number of the best men were in
the hold stowing-away the rum-casks: they must all have perished,
and so must many of the men who were slinging the casks in the
sloop. Two of the three brothers belonging to the sloop perished,
and the other was saved. I have no doubt that the men caught hold of
each other, forty or fifty together, and drowned one another; those
who could not swim catching hold of those who could; and there is
also little doubt that as many got into the launch as could cram
into her, hoping to save themselves in that way, and went down in
her altogether.
"'In a few days after the "Royal George" sunk, bodies would come up
thirty or forty nearly at a time. A body would rise, and come up so
suddenly as to frighten any one. The watermen, there is no doubt,
made a good thing of it: they took from the bodies of the men their
buckles, money, and watches, and then made fast a rope to their
heels, and towed them to land.'
CHARLES. "That is all I have copied, as the remaining part of the
narrative is too full of nautical terms for us to understand; and,
as it only relates to the state of the weather, the condition of
the vessel, and the perverseness of the lieutenant, it is of no
particular advantage to us in the explanation of the wreck, for we
already know the why and wherefore of the disastrous event. But Mr.
Ingram does not precisely state the number of persons lost. Was it
not ascertained soon after?"
MR. WILTON. "Yes; I believe the number of persons who perished on
this sadly memorable occasion was upwards of 800, out of whom 200
were women."
GEORGE. "And was the taking out the water-cock the original cause of
the sinking of the 'Royal George'?"
MR. WILTON. "No doubt it was, because, to effect this, the vessel
was hove on one side, and while in that situation, a sudden squall
threw her broadside into the water, and the lower deck ports not
having been lashed down, she filled, and sunk in about three
minutes."
DORA. "Dear me! how very sudden; what an awful scene it must have
been, so many poor creatures hurried, with scarcely a moment's
warning or time to cry for mercy, into the presence of their
Creator! Were the bodies all washed ashore? Oh! what a mourning and
lamentation there must have been at Spithead, when the fatal truth
was borne to their sorrowing friends."
MR. WILTON. "They were not _all_ washed ashore, Dora, for the good
old Admiral Kempenfeldt was never found. Vast portions of the wreck
have been recovered, and many of her stores; but they are
comparatively worthless when we think of the widows and orphans left
to pine in poverty and wretchedness."
EMMA. "Cowper has written some touching-lines on this awful
calamity, with which we shall wind up the subject:--
"'Toll for the brave!
The brave that are no more!
All sunk beneath the wave,
Fast by their native shore!
"'Eight hundred of the brave,
Whose courage well was tried,
Had made the vessel heel,
And laid her on her side.
"'A land breeze shook the shrouds,
And she was overset;
Down went the Royal George,
With all her crew complete.
"'Toll for the brave!
Brave Kempenfeldt is gone;
His last sea-fight is fought:
His work of glory done.
"'It was not in the battle;
No tempest gave the shock;
She sprang no fatal leak;
She ran upon no rock.
"'His sword was in its sheath
His fingers held the pen,
When Kempenfeldt went down,
With twice four hundred men!
"'Weigh the vessel up,
Once dreaded by our foes!
And mingle with our cup
The tear that England owes.
"'Her timbers yet are sound,
And she may float again,
Full charged with England's thunder,
And plough the distant main.
"'But Kempenfeldt is gone,
His victories are o'er;
And he and his eight hundred
Shall plough the main no more!"
MRS. WILTON. "I fear we are prolonging this evening's discussion
beyond the customary bounds; but I should not be satisfied to quit
the Channel without a peep at rocky Eddystone."
GEORGE. "Mamma is very anxious to see the Lighthouse, and so am I.
It appears to me a most wonderful building, standing as it does,
surrounded by foaming waves, and in constant danger from winds and
storms. Who knows anything about it?"
EMMA. "I do! the Eddystone Lighthouse is built on a rock in the
Channel, about fifteen miles south-south-west from the citadel of
Plymouth. It is, as George remarked, exposed to winds and waves, for
the heavy swells from the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean send
the waves breaking over the rock with prodigious fury. The first
Lighthouse erected on these rocks was the work of a gentleman named
Winstanley; it stood four years, when he was so confident of its
stability that he determined to encounter a storm in the building
himself. He paid for his temerity with his life, and found how vain
it was to build houses of brick and stone to resist the mighty
waters, which can only be controlled by the power of the most high
God. Three years afterwards another Lighthouse was built which
sustained the attacks of the sea for the space of forty-six years,
but, strangely enough, was destroyed by fire in August, 1755. The
fire broke out in the lantern, and burning downwards, drove the men,
who in vain attempted to extinguish it, from chamber to chamber;
until at last, to avoid the falling of the timber, and the red hot
bolts, they took refuge in a cave on the east side of the rock,
where they were found at low water in a state little short of
stupefaction, and conveyed to Plymouth. The present Lighthouse was
erected by Mr. Smeaton on an improved plan: no expense was spared to
render it durable and ornamental; the last stone was placed on the
25th of August, 1759, and the first night the light was exhibited a
very great storm happened, which actually shook the building; but it
stood,--and it still stands,--a glorious monument of human
enterprise, perseverance, and skill."
GRANDY. "We have done so much to-night, and have been so much
interested, that I may venture to offer an apology for not having
prepared _my_ portion. It is now time for supper; and I think you
have heard as much to-night as you can well remember. Shall I ring
the bell, my dear?" Mrs. Wilton replied in the affirmative, and John
quickly appeared with the tray. Some nice baked apples soon smoked
on the table, with cakes of Grandy's own making, intended expressly
for the children, and which gave universal satisfaction. The meeting
dispersed about half-past ten, and all felt the wiser for their
evening's amusement.
CHAPTER III.
There lives and works
A soul in all things,--and that soul is God!
For a few minutes we will quit the "Research," and take a peep into
Mr. Wilton's drawing-room. There is a bright, blazing fire; the
crimson curtains are closely drawn; pussy is curled up in a circle
on the soft rug; and Grandy, with her perpetual knitting, is still
in the old leather chair.
"But where are all the others?" I fancy I hear my readers'
inquiries. Look again. Who sits at the table writing so busily, and
every instant turning over the leaves of a large book? It is George.
Emma has gone with her papa and mamma to the Colosseum; but George
was obliged to remain a prisoner at home, having been much
inconvenienced by a severe cold. He is now working diligently to
create a surprise for his sister on her return; and anxiety to
please her gives such impetus to his exertions, that he accomplishes
more than he even ventured to anticipate.
Grandy perseveres in her knitting: she silently commends her darling
for his thoughtful affection, and occasionally pauses to cast a
glance of deep earnest love, not unmixed with a degree of pride, on
the beaming countenance of her favorite grandchild.
George completes his task, and causes his working apparatus to
vanish before ten o'clock; then, twining his arms around the beloved
grandmother's neck, he quietly whispers all the secret in her ear,
and awaits her approval.
She suggests that he preserve it until the next evening, and then
astonish the assembly by reading his extensive notes, the result of
the last two hours' labor.
George is delighted, and amuses himself with imagining Emma's
astonishment when he makes his grand display; and, with his mind
vigorously engaged in picturing the pleasures of the surprise, he
retires to rest.
Our young friends, Emma and George, were too sensible of the value
of time to waste it in idleness or trifling pursuits; consequently,
whenever you called at Mr. Wilton's, you might be sure to find them
occupied with some work, profitable either to themselves or their
fellow-creatures; and Mrs. Wilton in her daily instructions had so
combined practice with theory, that her pupils almost unconsciously
imitated her in the paths of industry and perseverance, no longer
feeling (as heretofore) the sad effects of procrastination; but
"whatsoever their hands found to do, they did it with their might."
Continually engaged, with no cares to harass, no troubles to
distress them, their hours and days flew on the wings of
hope,--laden only with fond recollections of the past, glowing with
the bright realities of the present, and wafting the perfume of a
glorious future crowned with the everlasting garlands of love, joy,
and peace.
There was not much time lost in arranging their books and papers on
the evening of this meeting; but they were obliged to commence
without waiting Mr. Barraud's arrival, for the clock had struck
seven, and their business admitted of no delay.
They were soon seated. "Which way are we to get out of the British
Channel?" was the first question.
MR. WILTON. "There are two convenient ways for us to sail out of the
Channel: the one through the Straits of Dover into the German Ocean;
the other past Land's End, Cornwall, into the wide waters of the
North Atlantic. We will take the former direction, and anchor off
Yarmouth while we examine into the wonders connected with this
division of the mighty sea."
CHARLES. "The German Ocean is the eastern boundary of England, and
many of our most beautiful streams fall into its waters. I am not
aware of the existence of any islands in this ocean; and the only
fact I have to state concerning it is, that _here_ the French first
tried their strength with the English by sea. This happened in the
reign of King John, in the year 1213, and the account is as
follows:--'The French had previously obtained possession of
Normandy, and thereby become a maritime power, which qualified them,
as they thought, to contend with the English: they intended,
therefore, to seize the first opportunity of trying their skill;
but the English were too sharp for them, and came upon them when
they were least expected. Five hundred sail were despatched by John
to the relief of the Earl of Flanders; and on approaching the port
of Daunne, in Flanders, they saw it crowded with an immense forest
of masts; upon which they sent out some light shallops to
reconnoitre, and bring tidings of the enemy's condition. The report
was, that the ships had not hands to defend them, both soldiers and
sailors having gone on shore for plunder. Upon this the English
pressed forward and captured the large ships without difficulty,
while the smaller ones they burnt after the crews had escaped.
Having thus mastered the ships outside the harbor, the English
advanced to attack those within it; and here the full rage of battle
commenced. The port was so narrow, that numbers and skill were
unavailing, while the dispersed French, perceiving the tokens of
conflict, came running from every quarter to assist their party. The
English upon this, after grappling with the nearest ships, threw a
number of their forces on land; these arranging themselves on both
sides of the harbor, a furious battle commenced on land and water at
the same instant. In this desperate _melee_ the English were
victorious: three hundred prizes, laden with corn, wine, oil and
other provisions were sent to England: one hundred other ships, that
could not be carried off, were destroyed; and the French king,
Philip II. (surnamed Augustus), during the temporary retreat of the
English, perceiving the impossibility of saving the rest of his
fleet in the event of a fresh attack, set it on fire, that it might
not fall into the enemy's hands. Thus the _first_ great naval
victory of the English destroyed the _first_ fleet that had been
possessed by France."
GRANDY. "My opinions are no doubt at variance with the world; but it
does seem to me, that many of these warfares by sea and land are the
most unjust, wanton sacrifice of life and property, recorded in the
annals of history. I know that there are times and occasions when it
is necessary to do battle with foreign powers in self-defence, or to
relieve the oppressed and defenceless of other nations; such was the
glorious object of the battle of the Nile: but many, many battles
are fought with ambition for their guiding star, and high hopes of
honor and reward in this life to urge on the combatants, while their
zeal in the performance of the work of destruction is dignified with
the title of 'Patriotism.'
"We read continually of _great victories_; that, related by Charles,
is designated a '_great naval victory_,' and throughout, it breathes
nothing but cruelty and unwarranted oppression. It does not appear
that the stratagems used to win a battle are ever taken into
consideration: it is evidently of no consequence _how_ it is won, so
long as it _is_ won; and battles are more frequently decided by
resorting to means which are dishonorable, to say the least of them,
than by fair and open trials of strength. The discomfiture of the
French, in this instance, was most assuredly owing to the _cunning_
exercised by their enemies, and not, as stated, to their
superiority of skill or power: they were not permitted to try
either, but were attacked when unprepared, mercilessly robbed, and
slaughtered. And this was _a victory_. A victory over people who
were not allowed the chance of defending themselves. 'Tis true the
French had been tyrannizing over the people of Normandy; but a bad
example ought to be avoided, not imitated, as in this case.
Retaliation is no part of a Christian's duty, and was not required
at the hands of the English. What right has any nation,
deliberately, and for no other purpose than gain, to invade the
territories of another, to burn their houses, to destroy their
inhabitants, and to plunder them of all their possessions? Is this a
fulfilling of the law? Is this our duty to our neighbor? Surely not;
and yet such are the principal features in a _great victory_, from
which the conquerors return to be honored of all men--for which
bonfires blaze, guns are fired, cities are illuminated, and every
voice is raised to shout victory! victory! Such victories, my dear
children, are abominations in the sight of God. He bid us live in
love and charity with all men. His Son says, 'By this I know that ye
are my disciples, because ye have love one toward another;' and St.
Paul further desires us to 'love one another with pure hearts,
fervently;' adding, 'for love is the fulfilling of the law.' Much
more might be said on this subject; but I will detain the meeting no
longer than merely to repeat a few verses from a poem of Southey's,
written on the battle of Blenheim; which, as they coincide with my
opinions, afford me much satisfaction, because they testify that I
do not differ in sentiment from all mankind:--
"'With fire and sword the country round
Was wasted far and wide,
And many a childling mother then,
And new-born infant died.
But things like these, you know, must be
At every _famous victory!_
"'They say it was a shocking sight
After the field was won,
For many thousand bodies here,
Lay rotting in the sun.
But things like that, you know, must be
At _every famous victory!_'
"'Great praise the Duke of Marlbro' won,
And our good Prince Eugene."
"Why, 'twas a very wicked thing!"
Said little Wilhelmine.
"Nay, nay, my little girl," quoth he,
"It was a _famous victory!_"
"'And everybody praised the Duke,
Who such a fight did win."
"But what good came of it at last?"
Quoth Little Wilhelmine.
"Why that I cannot tell," said he,
"But 'twas a _famous victory!_" '"
GEORGE. "If I were an admiral, I would never fight for gain, and I
would not allow any of the men under my command to be cruel to the
poor people in their power."
"If you had the opportunity, my son," said Mr. Wilton, "I fear
that, like many others, you would be unable to resist the temptation
to show your authority over the vanquished; for great and wise men
have often found themselves unequal to the task of schooling their
hearts, to listen to the dictates of humanity, when surrounded by
the turmoil and excitement of a battle. But now, Charles. I must set
you right with respect to the islands, and inform you that there are
two well known islands in the German Ocean,--the Isle of Thanet and
Sheppey Isle. I refer you to Mrs. Wilton for their description."
MRS. WILTON. "The Isle of Thanet forms the north-east angle of the
county of Kent: from north to south it is five miles, and rather
more than ten from east to west. It contains many beautiful watering
places,--Margate, Ramsgate, and Broadstairs on the sea; St.
Lawrence, Birchington, and St. Peter's, inland. The whole of the
district is in a very high state of cultivation, and remarkable for
its fertility; the first market-garden in England was planted in the
Isle of Thanet There is a little place called Fishness, not far from
Broadstairs, which derived its name from the following
circumstance:--On the 9th of July, 1574, a monstrous fish shot
himself on shore, where, for want of water, he died the next day;
before which time, his roaring was heard above a mile: his length
was twenty-two yards, the nether jaw opening twelve feet; one of his
eyes was more than a cart and six horses could draw; a man stood
upright in the place from whence his eye was taken; his tongue was
fifteen feet long; his liver two cart-loads; and a man might creep
into his nostrils.' All this, and a great deal more, is asserted by
Kilburne, in his 'Survey of Kent;' and Stowe, in his Annals, under
the same date, in addition to the above, informs us, that this
'whale of the sea' came on shore under the cliff, at six o'clock at
night, 'where, for want of water beating himself on the sands, it
died about the same hour next morning.'"
CHARLES. "The size and other particulars seem probable enough, with
the exception of the eye, which certainly must be an exaggeration;
_one_ such an eye would be large enough for any animal, were he as
monstrous as the wonderful Mammoth of antediluvian days. Do not you
think, madam, that the account is a little preposterous?"
MRS. WILTON. "I think it is very likely, my dear, because there were
so few persons to write descriptions of these wonderful creatures,
that those who undertook the task were seldom content with the bare
truth, no matter how extraordinary, but generally increased the
astonishment of their readers by almost incredible accounts, which
they were quite aware would never be contradicted. We live in a more
inquiring age, and do not so readily give credence to all we hear,
without ascertaining the probabilities of such descriptions; and
exaggerated accounts are now merely regarded as 'travellers'
wonders,' and only partially believed.
"About seven miles south of the Isle of Thanet lies Deal, and
immediately opposite Deal is that part of the sea called the
'Downs,' which has long been a place of rendezvous for shipping,
where as many as 400 sail have been anchored at one time. The
southern boundary of the Downs is formed by the Goodwin Sands, so
often fatal to mariners. They were, originally, an island belonging
to Earl Goodwin, when a sudden and mighty inundation of the sea
overwhelmed with light sand, 'where-with,' as an old writer hath it,
'it not only remayneth covered ever since, but is become withall a
most dreadful gulfe and shippe swallower.'
"We will now bestow a little consideration on Sheppey Isle."
GRANDY. "I should like you to be aware, before quitting this
luxuriant Isle of Thanet, that it was here the precious truths of
the Gospel were first set forth in England: it is supposed, on very
just grounds too, that the apostle Paul was the preacher, who, in
the middle of the first century, spread the doctrines of
Christianity far and wide; and, from Rome, travelled to the isles of
the far west, in which is included this lovely little spot, where he
was received by the noble of the land. Instead of being persecuted
as at Rome, he was eagerly followed, and the peaceful precepts he
endeavored to inculcate were willingly obeyed.
"After St. Paul, came Augustine, who, in 597, landed in the Isle of
Thanet, was welcomed by the king of Kent, Ethelbert, then holding
his court at Canterbury. He, the second apostle, came to convert the
people who were again sunk into barbarism and idolatry; he came in
the name of the Most High, and his mission was successful. Ethelbert
at once appointed St. Augustine a suitable residence at Canterbury,
and gave him every facility of effecting his object, by permitting
him to hold free converse with his subjects. Thus you see Canterbury
thence became the 'nursing mother' of religion throughout the land.
The greatest ornament in the Isle of Thanet is its church at
Minster, built on the site of a convent founded by the princess
Domneva, granddaughter of Ethelbald, king of Kent. Now we will
travel on to Sheppey."
MRS. WILTON. "We shall not be detained there long with my
description. It is a little island lying north of Chatham, and
separated from the Isle of Grain by the river Medway. Both these
isles may be considered as situated at the mouth of the Thames. The
principal place in Sheppey is Sheerness."
GEORGE. "Now, dear mamma, I suppose we have done with the German
Ocean?"
MRS. WILTON. "So far as I am concerned, my dear; but I have a notion
that you are in possession of some wonderful story which will
astonish us all. Is it so, my boy? Those sparkling eyes and flushed
cheeks betray your secret. I am not deceived. Permit me then to
request, in the name of the assembled members, that you will favor
us with the contents of the paper in your hand."