The World of Waters - Mrs. David Osborne
"Nay, dear mamma," said George; "your expectations are raised too
high. My paper only contains an account of a Yarmouth boatman; but
it interested me: and Yarmouth being a seaport on the shores of the
German Ocean, I thought it would be an agreeable termination to
this part of our voyage, and I took the trouble to put it into a
moderate compass for the occasion." George then unfolded two or
three sheets of closely written paper, while he enjoyed the amazed
looks of his sister; and so pleased was he at her expressions of
astonishment, that he was unable to resist the impulse of throwing
his arms around her neck, and kissing her affectionately. "You are
surprised, dear Emma," said he; "I only cared to please _you_ when I
wrote it, but now I will try to please _all_" He then, in a clear
distinct tone of voice read the following:--
#Narrative of Brock the Swimmer and Yarmouth Boatman.#
"Amongst the sons of labor, there are none more deserving of their
hard earnings than that class of persons, denominated Beachmen, on
the shores of this kingdom. To those unacquainted with maritime
affairs, it may be as well to observe, that these men are bred to
the sea from their earliest infancy, are employed in the summer
months very frequently as regular sailors or fishermen, and during
the autumn, winter, and spring, when gales are most frequent on our
coast, in going off in boats to vessels in distress in all weathers,
to the imminent risk of their lives; fishing up lost anchors and
cables, and looking out for waifs (i.e. anything abandoned or
wrecked), which the winds and waves may have cast in their way. In
our seaports these persons are usually divided into companies,
between whom the greatest rivalry exists in regard to the beauty and
swiftness of their boats, and their dexterity in managing them: this
too often leads to feats of the greatest daring, which the widow and
the orphan have long to deplore. To one of these companies, known by
the name of 'Laytons,' whose rendezvous and 'look-out' were close to
Yarmouth jetty, Brock belonged; and in pursuit of his calling, the
following event is recorded by an acquaintance of Brock's.
"About 1 P.M. on the 6th of October, 1835, a vessel was observed at
sea from this station with a signal flying for a pilot, bearing east
distant about twelve miles: in a space of time incredible to those
who have not witnessed the launching of a large boat on a like
occasion, the yawl, 'Increase,' eighteen tons burden, belonging to
Laytons' gang, with ten men and a London Branch pilot, was under
weigh, steering for the object of their enterprise. About 4 o'clock
she came up with the vessel, which proved to be a Spanish brig,
Paquette de Bilboa, laden with a general cargo, and bound from
Hamburg to Cadiz, leaky, and both pumps at work. After a great deal
of chaffering in regard to the amount of salvage, and some little
altercation with part of the boat's crew as to which of them should
stay with the vessel, J. Layton, J. Woolsey, and George Darling,
boatmen, were finally chosen to assist in pumping and piloting her
into Yarmouth harbor: the remainder of the crew of the yawl were
then sent away. The brig at this time was about five miles to the
eastward of the Newarp Floating Light, off Winterton on the Norfolk
coast, the weather looking squally. On passing the light in their
homeward course, a signal was made for them to go alongside, and
they were requested to take on shore a sick man; and the poor fellow
being comfortably placed upon some jackets and spare coats, they
again shoved off, and set all sail: they had a fresh breeze from the
W.S.W. 'There was little better,' said Brock, 'than a pint of liquor
in the boat, which the Spaniard had given us, and the bottle had
passed once round, each man taking a mouthful, till about half of it
was consumed: we all had a bit of biscuit each, and while we were
making our light meal, we talked of our earnings, and calculated
that by 10 o'clock we should be at Yarmouth.
"'Without the slightest notice of its approach a terrific squall
from the northward took the yawl's sails flat aback, and the ballast
which we had trained to windward, being thus suddenly changed to
leeward, she was upset in an instant.
"'Our crew and passenger were nine men--'twas terrible to listen to
the cries of the poor fellows, some of whom could swim, and others
who could not. Mixed with the hissing of the water and the howlings
of the storm, I heard shrieks for mercy, and some that had no
meaning but what arose from fear. I struck out to get clear of the
crowd, and in a few minutes there was no noise, for most of the men
had sunk; and, on turning round, I saw the boat still kept from
going down by the wind having got under the sails. I then swam back
to her, and assisted an old man to get hold of one of her spars.
The boat's side was about three feet under water, and for a few
minutes I stood upon her, but I found she was gradually settling
down, and when up to my chest I again left her and swam away; and
now, for the first time, began to think of my own awful condition.
My companions were all drowned, at least I supposed so. How long it
was up to this period from the boat's capsizing I cannot exactly
say; in such cases, there is _no time_; but now I reflected that it
was half-past six P.M. just before the accident occurred; that the
nearest land at the time was six miles distant; and that it was dead
low water, and the flood tide _setting off the shore_, making to the
southward; therefore, should I ever reach the land, it would take me
at least fifteen miles setting up with the flood, before the ebb
would assist me.'
"While Brock was making these calculations, a rush horse collar
covered with old netting floated close to him; he laid hold of it,
and getting his knife out, he stripped off the net-work, and putting
his left arm through, was supported until he had cut the waist band
of his _petticoat_ trousers which then fell off: his striped frock,
waistcoat and neckcloth, were also similarly got rid of, but he
dared not try to free himself of his oiled trousers, drawers, or
shirt, fearing that his legs might become entangled in the attempt;
he therefore returned his knife into the pocket of his trousers, and
put the collar over his head, which, although it assisted in keeping
him above water, retarded his swimming; and after a few moments'
thinking what was best to be done, he determined to abandon it. He
now, to his great surprise, perceived one of his messmates swimming
ahead of him; but he did not hail him. The roaring of the hurricane
was past; the cries of drowning men were no longer heard; the
moonbeams were casting their silvery light over the smooth surface
of the deep, calm and silent as the grave over which he floated, and
into which he saw this last of his companions descend without a
struggle or a cry, as he approached within twenty yards of him. Yes,
he beheld the last of his brave crew die beside him; and now he was
alone in the cold silence of night, more awful than the strife of
the elements which had preceded. Perhaps at this time something
might warn him that he too would soon be mingled with the dead; but
if such thoughts did intrude, they were but for a moment; and again
his mental energies, joined with his lion heart and bodily prowess,
cast away all fear, and he reckoned the remotest possible chances of
deliverance, applying the means,
"'Courage and Hope both teaching him the practice.'
"Up to this time, Winterton Light had served instead of a land-mark
to direct his course; but the tide had now carried him out of sight
of it, and in its stead 'a bright star stood over where' his hopes
of safety rested. With his eyes steadfastly fixed upon it, he
continued swimming on, calculating the time when the tide would
turn. But his trials were not yet past. As if to prove the strength
of human fortitude, the sky became suddenly overclouded, and
'darkness was upon the face of the deep.' He no longer knew his
course, and he confessed, that for a moment he was afraid; yet he
felt, that 'fear is but the betraying of the succors which reason
offereth,' and that which roused _him_ to further exertion, would
have sealed the fate of almost any other human being. A sudden short
cracking peal of thunder burst in stunning loudness just over his
head, and the forked and flashing lightning at brief intervals threw
its vivid fires around him. This, too, in its turn passed away, and
left the sea once more calm and unruffled: the moon (nearly full)
again threw a more brilliant light upon the waters, which the storm
had gone over without waking from their slumbers. His next effort
was to free himself from his heavy laced boots, which greatly
encumbered him, and in which he succeeded by the aid of his knife.
He now saw Lowestoft's high Lighthouse, and could occasionally
discern the tops of the cliffs beyond Garlestone on the Suffolk
coast. The swell of the sea drove him over the Cross Sand Ridge, and
he then got sight of a buoy, which, although it told him his exact
position, 'took him rather aback,' as he had hoped he was nearer the
shore. It proved to be the chequered buoy, St. Nicholas' Gate, off
Yarmouth, and _opposite his own door_, but distant from the land
_four miles_. And now again he held counsel with himself, and the
energies of his mind seem almost superhuman; he had been five hours
in the water, and here was something to hold on by; he could have
even got upon the buoy, and some vessel _might come near_ to pick
him up, and the question was, could he yet hold out four miles?
'But,' said he, 'I knew the night air would soon finish me, and had
I stayed but a few minutes upon it, and then _altered_ my mind, how
did I know that my limbs would again resume their office?' He found
the tide was broke; it did not run so strong; so he abandoned the
buoy, and steered for the land, towards which, with the wind from
the eastward, he found he was now fast approaching. The last trial
of his fortitude was now at hand, for which he was totally
unprepared, and which he considered (having the superstition of a
sailor) the most difficult of any he had to combat. Soon after he
left the buoy, he heard just above his head a sort of whiffing
sound, which his imagination conjured into the prelude to the
'rushing of a mighty wind,' and close to his ear there followed a
smart splash in the water, and a sudden shriek that went through
him,--such as is heard
"'When the lone sea-bird wakes its wildest cry.'
"The fact was, a large gray gull, mistaking him for a corpse, had
made a dash at him, and its loud discordant scream in a moment
brought a countless number of these formidable birds together, all
prepared to contest for a share of the spoil. These large and
powerful foes he had now to scare from their intended prey, and, by
shouting and splashing with his hands and feet, in a few minutes
they disappeared.
"He now caught sight of a vessel at anchor, but a great way off,
and to get within hail of her he must swim over Carton Sands (the
grave of thousands), the breakers at this time showing their angry
white crests. As he approached, the wind suddenly changed; the
consequence of which was that the swell of the sea met him. Here is
his own description:--'I got a great deal of water down my throat,
which greatly weakened me, and I felt certain, that, should this
continue, it would soon be all over, and I prayed that the wind
might change, or that God would take away my senses before I felt
what it was to drown. In less time than I am telling you, I had
driven over the sands into smooth water; the _wind and swell came
again from the eastward_, and my strength returned to me as fresh as
in the beginning.'
"He now felt certain that he could reach the shore; but he
considered it would be better to get within hail of the brig, some
distance to the southward of him, and the most difficult task of the
two, as the ebb tide was now running, which, although it carried him
towards the land, set to the northward; and to gain the object of
his choice would require much greater exertion. Here, again, are
Brock's reflections:--'If I gained the shore, could I get out of the
surf, which at this time was heavy on the beach? And, supposing I
succeeded in this point, should I be able to walk, climb the cliffs,
and get to a house? if not, there was little chance of life
remaining long in me: but if I could make myself heard on board the
brig, then I should secure immediate assistance. I got within two
hundred yards of her, the nearest possible approach, and, summoning
all my strength, I sung out as bravely as if I had been on shore.'
"'The seaman's cry was heard along the deep.'
"He was answered from the deck; a boat was instantly lowered; and at
half-past 1 A.M., having swam _seven hours_ in an October night, he
was safe on board the brig Betsey of Sunderland, coal laden, at
anchor in Corton Roads, fourteen miles from the spot where the boat
was capsized. The captain's name was CHRISTIAN!
"Once safe on board, 'nature cried enough:' he fainted, and
continued insensible for some time. All that humanity could suggest
was done for him by Christian and his crew: they had no spirits on
board, but they had bottled ale, which they made warm, and by
placing Brock before a good fire, rubbing him dry, and putting him
in hot blankets, he was at length, with great difficulty, enabled to
get a little of the ale down his throat; but it caused excruciating
pain, as his throat was in a state of high inflammation from
breathing (as a swimmer does) so long the saline particles of sea
and air, and it was now swollen very much, and, as he says, he
feared he should be suffocated. He, however, after a little time,
fell into a sleep, which refreshed and strengthened him, but he
awoke to intense bodily suffering. Round his neck and chest he was
perfectly flayed; the soles of his feet, hands, and other parts were
also equally excoriated. In this state, at about 9 A.M., the brig
getting under weigh with the tide, he was put on shore at Lowestoft
in Suffolk, and immediately despatched a messenger to Yarmouth, with
the sad tidings of the fate of the yawl and the rest of her crew.
Being safely housed under the roof of a relative, with good nursing
and medical assistance, in five days from the time of the accident,
with a firm step he walked back to Yarmouth, to confirm the
wonderful rumors circulated respecting him, and to receive the
congratulations of his friends. The knife, which he considers as the
great means of his being saved, is preserved with great care, and in
all probability will be shown a century hence by the descendants of
this man. It is a common horn-handle knife, having one blade about
five inches long. A piece of silver is now riveted on, and covers
one side, on which is the following inscription:--
"' BROWN, EMERSON, SMITH, BRAY, BUDDS, FENN, RUSHMERE,
BOULT:--BROCK, aided by this knife, was saved after being 7-1/2
hours in the sea. _October_ 6. 1835.'
"'It was a curious thing,' observed Brock when relating his story,
'that I had been without a knife for some time, and only purchased
this two days before it became so useful to me; and having had to
make some boat's tholes, it was as sharp as a razor. I ought to be a
good-living chap,' continued he, 'for three times I have been saved
by swimming. What I did on this night, I know I could not have done
of myself, but God strengthened me. I never asked for anything but
it was given me.'
"This man had great faith, and he had also other good traits in his
character. A large subscription was made for the widows and children
of Brock's unfortunate companions; and a fund being established for
their relief, the surplus was offered to him. This was his answer:
'I am much obliged to you, gentlemen, but, thank God! I can still
get my own living as well as ever, and I could not spend the money
that was given to the fatherless and widow.' In contemplating the
feat of this extraordinary man, it must appear to every one, that
his bodily prowess, gigantic as it is, appears as dust in the
balance compared with the powers of his mind. To think and to judge
rightly under some of the most appalling circumstances that ever
surrounded mortal man, to reject the delusive for the arduous, to
resolve and to execute, form such a combination of the best and
rarest attributes of our nature, that where are we to look for them
in the same man? Brock at the time of this disastrous affair was
thirty-one years of age, a fine, stout, athletic man, and as upright
in his life and conversation as he was in his very handsome person."
George read all this so clearly and distinctly, that he really
merited the praise bestowed upon him: even Grandy, generally too
partial, did not award him more than he deserved, for it was a great
work for a boy of his age.
"My dear boy." said Mr. Wilton, "I am quite delighted to find you
have been so industrious, as it proves most satisfactorily that you
are resolved to overcome all obstacles of weariness or difficulty in
order to accomplish the great end--the attainment of useful
knowledge. I am much, _very much_, pleased with you, my dear boy."
The color mounted to the cheeks of the happy child, and in those few
moments of heartfelt joy he was amply repaid for the previous
evening's toil.
"Where sail we next?" inquired Mrs. Wilton.
EMMA. "The North Sea is the track, dear mamma. I am sorry Mr.
Barraud has not come, as he, having been to Scotland, might have
helped us considerably. However, Dora is prepared with some
particulars, and we need not be idling because of the absence of one
member."
"No, indeed!" exclaimed Mr. Wilton, "for I have a few words to say
on that subject; so sail on, Dora, and 'I'll give thee a wind.'"
"And I another," added Charles; "for I have actually been along the
coasts that are washed by the blue waves of the North Sea, and can
say a _few words_ after our honored member in the chair."
DORA. "The North Sea washes the shores of Scotland, Denmark, and
Norway. There are a great many islands in this sea, many more than I
can enumerate. Near Scotland there are several little unimportant
places of trifling interest, of which I should be glad to gain some
information, as at present I know nothing more than that they are
there, are inhabited, and tolerably fertile."
CHARLES. "I believe I can enlighten you to a certain extent, Dora,
at least so far that you may acknowledge that there are interesting
places in the North Sea near Scotland. Ten leagues, or thirty
geographical miles, north of the ancient castle of Dunglass (once
the head-quarters of Oliver Cromwell) lies the Bell Rock: you can
see it in the map, just off the mouth of the Tay, and close to the
northern side of the great estuary called the Firth of Forth. Up to
the commencement of the present century, this rock was justly
considered one of the most formidable dangers that the navigators of
the North Sea had to encounter. Its head, merged under the surface
during greater part of the tide, at no time made much show above the
water. There was nothing for it, therefore, but to keep well clear
of the mischief, or, as seamen express themselves, to give the rock
a wide berth. Ships, accordingly, bound for the Forth, in their
constant terror of this ugly reef, not content with giving it ten or
even twenty miles of elbow room, must needs edge off a little more
to the south, so as to hug the shore in such a way, that when the
wind chopped round to the northward, as it often did, these
over-cautious navigators became embayed in a deep bight to the
westward of Fast Castle. If the breeze freshened before they had
time to work out, they paid dearly for their apprehensions of the
Bell Rock, by driving upon ledges fully as sharp and far more
extensive and inevitable. The consequence was that from three to
four vessels, or sometimes half a dozen, used to be wrecked each
winter. Captain Basil Hall in speaking of this place says, 'Perhaps
there are few more exciting spectacles than a vessel stranded on a
lee-shore, and especially such a shore, which is fringed with reefs
extending far out and offering no spot for shelter. The hapless
ship lies dismasted, bilged, and beat about by the waves, with the
despairing crew clinging to the wreck, or to the shrouds, and
uttering cries totally inaudible in the roar of the sea; while at
each successive dash of the breakers the number of the survivors is
thinned, till at length they all disappear. The gallant bark then
goes to pieces, and the coast for a league on either side is strewed
with broken planks, masts, boxes, and ruined portions of the goodly
cargo, with which, a few hours before, she was securely freighted,
and dancing merrily over the waters.' I am happy to add, in
conclusion, that this fatal Bell Rock, the direct and indirect cause
of so many losses, has been converted into one of the greatest
sources of security that navigation is capable of receiving. By
means of scientific skill, aided by well-managed perseverance, with
the example of the Eddystone to copy from, a lighthouse, one hundred
and twenty feet high, has been raised upon this formidable reef, by
Mr. Robert Stevenson, the skilful engineer of the 'Northern Lights;'
so that the mariner, instead of doing all he can to avoid the spot
once so much dreaded, now eagerly runs for it, and counts himself
happy when he gets sight of the revolving star on the top, which,
from its being variously colored he can distinguish from any other
light in that quarter. He is then enabled to steer directly for his
port in perfect security, though the night be never so dark."
Mr. Wilton remarked how much one man, by the right use of the
talents he possessed, might benefit his fellow-creatures, when he
was interrupted by the entrance of Mr. Barraud.
A welcome rose to every lip, and Mr. Barraud apologized for being so
late, adding that he had been detained by a friend who was about to
start for Scotland, and wished to have an hour's conversation with
him before his departure.
"How singular!" exclaimed Mr. Wilton; "we have been regretting your
absence particularly this evening, because we are navigating the
North Sea, where you have been so often tossed to and fro, and we
thought it quite possible you might have met with some amusing or
instructive incidents in your travels along the coast, which would
agreeably relieve the tedium of our voyage. Now I see no reason why
you should not accompany your friend to Scotland, and charm us with
a soul-stirring narrative of real life."
"Oh! I perceive the state of affairs clearly," said Mr. Barraud;
"the young folks are getting weary of the monotony of a sea voyage,
and desire to step ashore again."
"No! no! we are not tired," anxiously exclaimed the little group.
"But," said Charles, "it makes a voyage so much more pleasant when
we drop anchor now and then, to look around on the beauties of other
lands; and more profitable also, if we learn something of the
customs, laws, and peculiarities of the inhabitants of those lands."
MR. BARRAUD. "Very true, Charles; and to gratify you I will relate a
story written by Colonel Maxwell, the well-known author of many
pleasing and instructive works, which will serve the purpose better
than any other I can think of just now--besides, to heighten its
interest, it is all true."
#JOCK OF JEDBURGH#
"During a tedious passage to the North, I remarked among the
steerage passengers a man who seemed to keep himself apart from the
rest. He wore the uniform of the foot artillery, and sported a
corporal's stripes. In the course of the afternoon, I stepped before
the funnel, and entered into conversation with him; learned that he
had been invalided and sent home from Canada, had passed the Board
in London, obtained a pension of a shilling a-day, and was returning
to a border village, where he had been born, to ascertain whether
any of his family were living, from whom he had been separated
nineteen years. He casually admitted, that during this long interval
he had held no communication with his relations; and I set him down
accordingly as some wild scapegrace, who had stolen from a home
whose happiness his follies had compromised too often. He showed me
his discharge--the character was excellent,--but it only went to
prove how much men's conduct will depend upon the circumstances
under which they act. He had been nineteen years a soldier--a man
'under authority,'--one obedient to another's will, subservient to
strict discipline, with scarcely a free agency himself, and yet,
during that long probation, he had been a useful member of the body
politic, sustained a fair reputation, and as he admitted himself,
been a contented and happy man. He returned home his own master, and
older by twenty years. Alas! it was a fatal free agency for him, for
time had not brought wisdom. The steward told me that he had ran
riot while his means allowed it, had missed his passage twice, and
had on the preceding evening come on board, when not a shilling
remained to waste in drunken dissipation. I desired that the poor
man should be supplied with some little comforts during the voyage;
and when we landed at Berwick, I gave him a trifling sum to assist
him to reach his native village, where he had obtained vague
intelligence that some aged members of his family might still be
found.