THE 
 
 LOSS OF THE AUSTRALIA: 
 
 A NARRATIVE OF 
 
 THE LOSS OF THE BRIG AUSTRALIA, BY FIRE, 
 
 ON HER VOYAGE FROM LEITH TO SYDNEY. 
 
 WITH AN ACCOUNT OF 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS, RELIGIOUS EXERCISES, AND FINAL 
 RESCUE OF THE CREW AND PASSENGERS. 
 
 EDITED BY THE 
 
 REV. JAMES R. M'GAVIN, 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, 
 
 285 BROADWAY. 
 
 1853. 
 
^97 M3Z 
 
 
 tfbrtY 
 
 NOV 2 2 196; 
 
I 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 PREFACE, - - - - - - ' - -5 
 
 LIST OP THE CREW AND PASSENGERS, - 7 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE VOYAGE AND CATASTROPHE, - - - - 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS IN THE BOATS, - - - - 28 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE FORLORN LANDING, 47 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE MELANCHOLY MARCH THROUGH THE WILDER- 
 NESS, 60 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 • THE RESCUK, ------ 78 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 The Library of Congress 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/lossofaustralianOOmgav 
 
PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 The short and simple narrative which is introduced to 
 public notice in the following pages, is a plain statement 
 of facts ; and is submitted with unaffected diffidence, as 
 an humble memorial of "the loving kindness of the 
 Lord, and his great goodness, 7 ' in a season of extremity. 
 The only preface which can be necessary in a publication 
 so inconsiderable, is to certify its authenticity, by avow- 
 ing the name and affixing the responsibility of the 
 author. 
 
 The following simple history of the narrative will, it 
 is presumed, be sufficient to remove all scruples as to its 
 truthfulness and reality. In the summer of 1844, Cap- 
 tain Adam Yule, of Dundee, committed into my hands a 
 large manuscript, containing the substance of the follow- 
 ing pages, with a request that I would use my utmost 
 freedom with the materials, and give them to the world 
 in any form that was most agreeable to myself. I learn- 
 ed that he had drawn up his account at the Cape of Good 
 Hope, immediately after the occurrences detailed had 
 happened, and that he had consigned it on his return to 
 this country, into the hands of a venerable friend, who 
 had retained it for two years, without finding the leisure 
 necessary to correct and prepare it for publication. In 
 the execution of the trust reposed in me, I considered it 
 proper to reconstruct the narrative out of the materials 
 1* 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 with which I was furnished ; retaining, at the same time, 
 every important incident in its place, and in no case sup- 
 pressing the utterance of the devout experience of the 
 writer. For the fidelity with which I have adhered to 
 the original facts, I hold myself responsible alike to Cap- 
 tain Yule and to the Christian public ; and I am happy 
 to acknowledge that I have received, both from himself 
 and from several of his fellow-survivors in that disastrous 
 voyage, the most pleasing assurances of the truthfulness 
 of the statements. It is necessary that, in such circum- 
 stances, I should exonerate Captain Yule from all res- 
 ponsibility as to the manner in which these facts are now 
 submitted to the public, — as I must be content, undivi- 
 dedly, to bear whatever censure criticism may conde- 
 scend to offer on the literature of this publication. 
 
 The Editor dismisses his humble labours with satisfac- 
 tion, that he has been permitted to aid in rearing this 
 simple tribute on behalf of a class of men who must 
 always hold a warm place in his interest and affections ; 
 and whose perilous sacrifices of personal comfort and of 
 religious opportunities, in their calling, entitle them to 
 the cordial sympathy of all Christians. He accompanies 
 the brief narrative with his prayers, that it may be the 
 instrument of spiritual benefit to many souls, and may 
 fulfil the only design in its publication, in promoting 
 piety among sailors, and confirming the promise of God, 
 " that He' is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all 
 that call upon him in truth." 
 
 JAMES R. M'GAVIN. 
 Dundee, December. 1845. 
 
9 LTST OF THE CREW AND PASSENGERS. 
 
 Adam Yule, master ; Alexander Wallace, mate ; John 
 Yule, second mate: William Yule, carpenter; George 
 Young, stewai'd ; Thomas Bisset, cook ; George David- 
 son, Thomas Souter, William Hay, John Allan, seamen ; 
 Benjamin Aitken, Alexander Matthew, and James Hill, 
 apprentices. 
 
 CABIN PASSENGERS. 
 
 Mr. Thomas Hams, London. 
 
 Mr. , surgeon. 
 
 Miss Margaret Brown, Fife. 
 Miss Ann Sim, Edinburgh. 
 Miss Ann Kniffht, Turrif. 
 
 STEERAGE PASSENGERS. 
 
 John Henderson, miller. 
 
 Robert Elphinston. 
 
 James Elphinston. 
 
 •lames M'Lauchlan, farmer. 
 
 George Peat. 
 
 John Chisholm, 
 
 George Chisholm, 
 
 Jean Chisholm, )■ An orphan family. 
 
 Agnes Chisholm, 
 
 Margery Chisholm, 
 
LOSS OF THE AUSTRALIA. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE VOYAGE AND CATASTROPHE. 
 
 " They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business 
 in great waters, these men see the works of the Lord, 
 and his wonders in the deep." 
 
 The life of a sailor, beyond the lot of most 
 other men, discloses to a reflecting mind an 
 impressive series of divine mercies and judg- 
 ments. In a calling so singularly chequered 
 by varying scenes and changing incidents, 
 life is spent amidst remarkable adventures 
 and romantic deliverances, so as to invest its 
 course with an unusual interest, and to crowd 
 its experience with the most solemn and 
 memorable instructions of Heaven. 
 
 The individual by whom the materials of 
 the following narrative were contributed, is 
 
10 THE VOYAGE 
 
 himself a sailor ; and has borne a prominent 
 part in the painful scenes which are here 
 depicted. His life has been prolonged by 
 divine mercy through almost every scene of 
 sea-faring experience, and it has been pre- 
 served by scarcely less ihan miracle, amidst 
 perils to which not many sailors have been 
 exposed. The following story, in all its facts 
 and experience, is properly his own ; and, 
 therefore, throughout he is preserved as the 
 speaker. Only in the matter of construction 
 and expression, another party must be held 
 responsible, into whose hands the full mate- 
 rials were committed to give them form. It 
 was the devout desire of the original party 
 not to forget Jehovah's benefits ; having, 
 like the Psalmist (Psalm lxvi. 12,) "gone 
 through fire and through water," he felt 
 solicitous to say with the same holy minstrel, 
 (verse 16,) " Come and hear, all ye that fear 
 God, and I will tell you what he hath done 
 for my soul." 
 
 In the autumn of 1840, I accepted the 
 command of the Australia, of Dundee, bound 
 
AND CATASTROPHE. 11 
 
 for Sydney, New South Wales. On the 2d 
 October, our vessel set sail from Leith, having 
 on board a general cargo of merchandize. 
 Our ship's company consisted of twenty-eight 
 persons, being thirteen of a crew, and fifteen 
 passengers. My heart was buoyant with 
 hope arid pleasing anticipations as I bade my 
 family farewell, and weighed anchor for my 
 destination. Everything gave promise of a 
 propitious voyage. Our vessel was new and 
 well found in every necessary, the crew were 
 able, and well selected, and the passengers 
 were agreeable, all being full of hope and 
 fearless of evil. Indeed, if we could have an- 
 ticipated results, my company were most 
 unlikely and ill selected for enduring the 
 hardships that awaited us ; three of the crew 
 being but apprentice lads, and of the passen- 
 gers, five being females, besides two boys and 
 a girl of very tender years. But who has not 
 seen, that while the helpless are sometimes 
 the first to be visited by the storm, they fre- 
 quently are found, also, to survive its fury; 
 when the strong, who were the most likely to 
 
12 THE VOYAGE 
 
 brave its blast, are borne down and destroyed 
 before it? "I returned and saw under the 
 sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the 
 battle to the strong — for man also knoweth 
 not his time : as the fishes that are taken in 
 an evil net, so are the sons of men snared, 
 when it falleth suddenly upon them." 
 
 The commencement of our voyage was 
 sufficiently prosperous. We rounded Cape 
 Wrath by an easy progress, and were in the 
 latitude of Madeira in seven days from Cape 
 Clear. Nothing remarkable occurred till after 
 our departure from Rio de Janeiro, where we 
 touched for a few days in the beginning of 
 December. We were then baffled with 
 boisterous weather and contrary winds, till 
 the 27th of that month, when the wind became 
 fair, and the weather improved. On the 
 evening of the 29th, December, we had all 
 sails set, with a strong fair wind, and a heavy 
 sea. At this time, by recent observations, I 
 found that we must have been in latitude 
 35° 51' south, and longitude 8° 8' east of 
 Greenwich, or, in round numbers, about 600 
 
AND CATASTROPHE. 13 
 
 miles from the nearest land, which was the 
 Cape of Good Hope. Our passengers had as 
 usual walked the deck after tea, until about 
 eight o'clock, when, feeling it cold, they had 
 gone below. In less than half an hour, I 
 followed them to the after-cabin, having 
 given the chief mate his orders for the night. 
 We were all in excellent spirits, and speculat- 
 ing how soon, and how safely we should 
 reach our destination with so good a wind. 
 Alas ! how little did we know the horrors 
 that awaited us : destruction even then had 
 begun its frightful work, and was silently, 
 but too surely consuming our solitary and 
 sea-girded habitation. Soon after entering 
 the cabin, I was affected with a sense of 
 something burning ; supposing that the ladies 
 might have set something in their bed-rooms 
 on fire, I ran forward in the dark to their 
 cabins, but found everything safe. The 
 sense of burning, however, became more 
 strong and decided. I therefore snatched a 
 light, and found, to my dismay, that smoke 
 was issuing from the fore bulk-head on the 
 2 
 
14 THE VOYAGE 
 
 starboard side of the mainmast. It was but 
 the work of an instant to clear away the 
 goods with which that untenanted berth had 
 been filled, if possible to reach the seat of the 
 fire. My brother William, and four or five 
 seamen withstood resolutely the suffocating 
 smoke that surrounded them in this labour, 
 while others stood arranged and ready with 
 buckets full of water, to dash upon the first 
 appearance of fire. But what was our horror 
 to find, on emptying the berth, that the evil 
 lay deeper, and was every moment on the in- 
 crease ; in short, that the ship's hold was on 
 fire ! This was too soon apparent, for, on re- 
 moving a plank from the bulk-head, we saw 
 the whole interior of the vessel like the womb 
 of a volcano, and the entire cargo of coals 
 and combustible goods in a blaze. It was 
 impossible, from the superincumbent and in- 
 tervening goods, to pour in water in sufficient 
 qnantity to extinguish so extensive a confla- 
 gration ; this I perceived at first glance, and 
 therefore at once drove in the board to con- 
 fine the flames, feeling, in the agony of des- 
 
AND CATASTROPHE. 15 
 
 pair, that the ship was irrecoverably to be 
 consumed. 
 
 It was an awful moment to every one of 
 us. To die on so sudden summoning, and 
 to be summoned to such a death, were suffi- 
 cient to appal the stoutest heart. What were 
 we to do ? — beneath us was a burning bier, 
 and all beyond was a black and angry abyss. 
 We could not abide where we were, and to 
 go forth scarcely promised a better fate, for' 
 no little boat could live long in such a sea. 
 I saw in the countenances of the haggard 
 beings around me, that they were fully alive 
 to either fate. Some, frantic with terror, sent 
 forth cries, which found no echo from our 
 shoreless and surrounding solitude ; others 
 clung around me, tormenting me with ques- 
 tions which I could not answer; while the 
 remainder stood silent and trembling, as if 
 the presence of death had smitten them 
 dumb. It was easy to discern their emotions 
 in their demeanour— but why should I dilate 
 on others' feelings, when I can but faintly 
 recall my own ? I have a confused recollec- 
 
16 THE VOYAGE 
 
 tion of a tumultuous throng of momentous 
 interests rushing upon me with an over- 
 powering rapidity, and of a certain effort of 
 self-possession seeking to stem, while it re- 
 ceived the tide. Visions of danger — of self- 
 protection — of death, mingled with thoughts 
 of duty — of home — of a probably widowed 
 wife and fatherless family — all flashed wildly 
 through my brain. I felt that I stood in im- 
 mediate contact with death, and the solemni- 
 ties of a judgment to come rose in array 
 before me. It is not for me to reveal the 
 secrecies of such a situation ; but I can only 
 say as one who has been "in deaths oft," and 
 with all the solemnities of that hour before 
 me, that I know but one confidence that has 
 proved unfailing and infallible in such a 
 crisis, and that is, a personal interest in the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, and an implicit reliance 
 on his perfect ivork. 
 
 As I looked around upon the shivering 
 group that had enclosed me, I became filled 
 with one solemn conviction, — it was my 
 official responsibility; and I was fired with 
 
AND CATASTROPHE. 17 
 
 one desperate effort — the effort of rescue, 
 Without a moment's delay, therefore, the 
 plan of arrangements was fixed, and the 
 orders were given. The mate was instructed 
 to ease sail, and heave the ship to, in order 
 to draw the fire forward, and clear the after- 
 part of the ship from smoke, so as to allow us 
 to labour with efficiency. A hole was then 
 cut in the deck, above the strongest seat of 
 the fire, and an uninterrupted stream of water 
 poured down through the opening; but the 
 rapid increase of smoke and flame soon con- 
 vinced us that all idea of subduing the fire, 
 and saving the ship, was impracticable. We 
 then covered the deck with the loose sails, to 
 smother, as far as possible, the smoke and 
 flame ; for by this time the deck-plank was 
 blistering beneath our feet, and it was im- 
 possible to breathe amidships. Our next 
 efforts were directed to launching the long- 
 boat, whichj as usual, was secured on deck. 
 This proved to be a work of great difficulty, 
 and occasioned considerable delay, not un- 
 mixed with danger. The boat had been 
 2* 
 
18 THE VOYAGE 
 
 converted into a stall for two live bulls, and 
 in attempting to get them over the side, one 
 of them, in the confusion, unfortunately got 
 out of the slings, and ran frantic along the 
 deck. This accident, as may be supposed, 
 greatly increased the general consternation, 
 and much invaluable time was lost ere the 
 ferocious animal could be secured and des- 
 patched ; so that when the tackles were 
 hooked on to the boat, it was impossible to 
 breathe in that part of the ship. The men 
 could only take a hasty pull and then rush 
 aft to breathe ; and it was only after repeated 
 efforts, and great perseverance, that we got 
 the bow of the long-boat sufficiently high for 
 launching. We then manned the after-tackle, 
 but, unfortunately, it unhooked aloft, and it 
 required enormous exertions to get it repla- 
 ced ; however, by fastening some guys round 
 the rigging, and through the blessing of God 
 on our efforts, we at length got the boat 
 launched, and two good hands into her. To 
 pass her aft, and preserve her from swamp- 
 ing, were matters of great labour ; for the 
 
AND CATASTROPHE. 19 
 
 roll of the sea was so heavy, and the smoke 
 was so dense over the lee-side, that we could 
 not see what we were doing. While these 
 things were going on, I had ordered the 
 steward to prepare some bread, and small 
 stores, to put into the boat ; and I now went 
 down to see what progress he had made for 
 our supply, leaving the mate on deck to roll 
 some water casks aft, and after slinging them 
 well, to drop them over the quarter to the 
 long-boat. Every moment, by this time, was 
 invaluable ; for the flames had now made 
 their appearance up the fore-hatch, and very 
 soon caught the rigging and sails. 1 can 
 never sufficiently commend the energy of the 
 mate, and the steadiness and good behaviour 
 of the men during these exertions. There 
 was no swearing, no inclination to fly to 
 spirits ; every man was obedient to orders, 
 and anxious to do his* utmost. Even the 
 passengers revealed the same excellent spirit ; 
 I heard no screams from the females, and 
 even the children ceased to cry. All seemed 
 to feel that every effort was making for their 
 
20 THE VOYAGE 
 
 safety, and they silently acquiesced in the 
 arrangements. 
 
 Our preparations were soon made. Two 
 small bags of bread, two hams, two cheeses, 
 two or three canisters of preserved meat, and 
 a few bottles of wine, with a sextant, some 
 charts, an almanac, my Bible and Psalm- 
 Book, and some flannel shirts and blankets, 
 <fec, were all that we could secure amid the 
 suffocating smoke. These were immediately 
 carried on deck, and secured in the skiff, 
 which still hung in the stern-davits. The 
 mate, in the meantime, had rolled two casks 
 of rain-water aft, which was all that he 
 could obtain. To secure their safe transmis- 
 sion to the long-boat in such a sea, was no 
 easy matter. I therefore confided to the mate 
 to lift them into the boat, and he left the 
 ship for this purpose. The first cask was 
 well directed, but in lifting it over the gun- 
 wale of the boat, it fell upon the mate and 
 another seaman, who were dreadfully bruised ; 
 it was a marvel, indeed, that they were not 
 killed. In consequence of their being disa- 
 
AND CATASTROPHE. 21 
 
 bled, the second cask got out of the slings, 
 and we lost it. This was a very serious 
 matter, but it was irreparable, as the whole 
 front part of the ship was now on fire, and 
 quite impassable for any purpose. Finding 
 that I could make no further provision for 
 the people, I put the ladies and three children 
 in the skiff, with two seamen, who were or- 
 dered to cut the faulds, so soon as she touched 
 the water, while we lowered them from the 
 davits. This was done in safety, which was 
 a special mercy, as the boat was greatly over- 
 loaded ; having, besides the stores, and the 
 above company, two of the passengers, who, 
 unknown to me, had concealed themselves 
 under the thafts. There were now left on 
 board the ship five or six persons, together 
 with myself. These immediately launched 
 the small boat, which hung on the main- 
 deck, and got safely into it, so that, for a little 
 season, I stood the last living thing amid the 
 burning mass. My position was alike novel 
 and awful ; two horrid deaths were before 
 me — one on either hand — and I stood but 
 
22 THE VOYAGE 
 
 upon a point between them. At that mo- 
 ment the flame was playing fearfully over all 
 the rigging; the topping-lifts had been burnt 
 through, and the trysail-boom came swinging 
 clown on the taffrail ; the trysail itself was 
 on fire as high up as the third reef, and the 
 mainmast every moment was expected to fall 
 above me. With a heavy heart I felt that 1 
 must quit for ever the ship and property, of 
 which I could no longer retain the charge. 
 Another and a still more sacred trust was 
 beneath me ; and as I looked down upon the 
 twenty-seven hapless beings, ghastly amid 
 the glare of the burning ship, and tossed 
 above the billows that soon might be our mu- 
 tual tomb, I felt — oh, how I felt — that the 
 charge of such beings was not mine. Calm- 
 ly as my momentary solitude would permit, 
 I lifted my soul to Him who "rules the rag- 
 ing of the sea,'' and cast myself and com- 
 pany into his everlasting arms. If ever fer- 
 vent prayer was productive of immediate 
 peace, my heart felt it at that moment ; for 
 the words of God thrilled through me at the 
 
AND CATASTROPHE. 23 
 
 instant, as if his own finger had inscribed 
 them upon my bosom, — " Call upon me in 
 the day of trouble, I will deliver thee." I 
 was recalled, however, from my reverie by the 
 mate imploring- me to come into the boat, and 
 as 1 could do no more, I obeyed the summons : 
 so, sliding down the tackles, I got safely into 
 the boat, among my wretched companions. 
 At that instant the mainmast fell with a tre- 
 mendous crash over the side, and the flames 
 shot up with frightful fury from the cabin- 
 skylight, as if to intimate that the work of 
 destruction was nearly completed, and that 
 our ill-fated vessel was no longer fit to be a 
 refuge for living beings. 
 
 •''One woe was past;" and although we 
 knew well that others were awaiting us, it 
 was still an act of marvellous mercy that so 
 many persons had a come out of the midst of 
 the fire" with "not a hair of any of our 
 heads singed." It is needless to speculate as 
 to the cause of our disaster ; but, as it un- 
 doubtedly began in the lower hold among the 
 coals, it was most probably produced by 
 
24 THE VOYAGE 
 
 spontaneous combustion. When the last per- 
 son left the ship, it must have beep about 
 eleven o'clock, so that in less than three hours 
 we had been cast forth from security and 
 comfort, amidst cold, and nakedness, and 
 watching, to face dangers and deaths in their 
 most dismal aspect. It was my design to 
 have remained by the wreck till dawn, in the 
 hope — a hope, alas, that was not to be realiz- 
 ed — that some friendly ship might be attract- 
 ed by the burning to our rescue. But the 
 boats were in danger of being stove, it being 
 impossible at all times to prevent their cha- 
 fing ; and, ere long, the rope by which we 
 were made fast to the wreck became burnt 
 through, so that we were compelled to part 
 even from the desolate companionship of the 
 burning vessel, and were cast adrift at mid- 
 night, upon the black and boundless solitude 
 of ocean. Still clinging to the hope of rescue, 
 I sought to keep the boats as close to the 
 wreck as possible, and made the best distri- 
 bution of our company that I could. I took 
 charge of the long-boat with other sixteen 
 
AND CATASTROPHE. 25 
 
 souls in it ; seven were in the skiff, and four 
 in the small-boat, and there we drifted till 
 morning came. 
 
 It would be impossible to describe the gran- 
 deur and horrors of that night. Let fancy 
 paint, if it may, so many hapless beings 
 huddled together unpreparedly, exposed with- 
 out shelter to the cold night sky, and ex- 
 pecting every moment to be swallowed up. 
 Ocean was ever fretting, and curveting, and 
 plunging beneath us, as if it had wrathfully 
 resolved to cast us from its "crested mane." 
 The sky all above and around was one scene 
 of -blackness, unbroken by one opening in its 
 cloud, and unblest by the radiance of one sol- 
 itar}^ star. Behind the boats — in the region 
 whither we were drifting, every thing was 
 dark as the grave. Light indeed attended us 
 throughout that lone midnight, but it was 
 ihe glare of destruction, which, as it contend- 
 ed with the surrounding darkness, only in- 
 creased its horror. The flames long played 
 in magnificent grandeur, kindling the dark 
 sky above, and reflecting their lurid gleam 
 3 
 
26 THE VOYAGE 
 
 from the ridge of every billow, as if they 
 mocked our misery by their majestic triumph. 
 And ever and anon came some terrific explo- 
 sion — probably of the ship's spirits — which 
 struck like a death-knell upon our hearts, 
 proclaiming that the work of ruin was well 
 nigh accomplished. 
 
 In this condition of extremity, one only 
 hope remained to us — one last grand anchor- 
 hold to preserve us from despair. We re- 
 membered Him " who maketh darkness his 
 secret place, his pavilion round about him 
 dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies f 
 We thought of Him as " the confidence of 
 all the ends of the earth, and of them that 
 are afar off upon the sea, who stilleth the 
 noise of the sea, and the noise of their waves." 
 And there, " out of the depths we cried unto 
 Him." Mingling with the voice of the wind 
 and waters, and rising above their murmurs, 
 the sound of our praise and supplications 
 ascended on the midnight air, and was heard 
 
 fne the throne. It was a sacred relief to 
 iMif heavy hearts to feel that the eye of God 
 
AND CATASTROPHE.. 55? 
 
 still watched over us in our misery, and that 
 his ear was open to our cry : and although 
 we knew not the dark path that lay before 
 us, yet we sought it with His words on our 
 lips, — " The floods have lifted up, O Lord, 
 the floods have lifted up their voice; the 
 floods lift up their waves. The Lord on 
 
 HIGH IS MIGHTIER THAN THE NOISE OF 
 MANY WATERS, YEA THAN THE MIGHTY 
 
t£S THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS IN THE BOATS. 
 
 • : They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to 
 the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble." 
 
 u Joy cometh in the morning ;" but it was 
 not so with our forlorn company. Daylight 
 of the 30th December dawned only to reveal 
 our mutual wretchedness, and to aggravate 
 our distress. Our hapless vessel vanished in 
 the distance as daylight appeared, and our 
 hearts fainted to discover that no friendly sail 
 was visible within the range of the horizon, 
 for our rescue. Left alone in that vast soli- 
 tude of sea and sky, it only now remained for 
 us to seek our safety by making for the near- 
 est land, or to die in the endeavour. We 
 were but " in the beginning of sorrows, and 
 our first business was to commit ourselves tn 
 
IN THE BOATS. 29 
 
 God. Gathering our boats as closely as pos- 
 sible together, we joined in singing the 38th 
 Psalm, 1 — 5th verses, and by prayer " pour- 
 ed out our complaint before God, and show- 
 ed before him our trouble." Being comforted 
 by this exercise, we immediately thereafter 
 commenced active preparations for our mel- 
 ancholy voyage. Our first object was to rig 
 a mast and sail in each boat. We had only 
 oars to form our masts, and a top-gallant 
 studding sail and royal fore sails. With some 
 small lines, shrouds and stays were made ; 
 and by six o'clock in the morning all the 
 three boats were under sail for our destina- 
 tion. I then commenced to overhaul our 
 stock of supplies, and found that we had two 
 small cheeses, two hams, only about twenty- 
 four gallons of water, and seventy or eighty 
 pounds of bread, which was damaged by salt 
 water, with a half gallon of rum, a half gal- 
 lon of brandy, and a few bottles of wine. 
 This supply was by no means adequate to 
 sustain life among such a company for many 
 days. I therefore called the boats together, 
 
30 THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 and told the people that we could not expect 
 to make the land in less than ten or twelve 
 days, and it might take a day or two more ; 
 that our stock of water and provisions was 
 far short, and that therefore we must come at 
 once on short allowance. I am happy to 
 say tli at all acquiesced with the proposition, 
 and, indeed, showed throughout the happiest 
 spirit of subordination and harmony. Our 
 small allowance was then distributed, which 
 gave a little bread, which was repeated in the 
 evening, and only three table spoonfuls of 
 water to each per day. At noon I got an 
 observation for the latitude, and found it 35 
 (leg. 37 sec. south, and longitude 9 deg. 15 
 sec. east of Greenwich. We again engaged 
 in the worship of God, and sought to keep 
 the boats in close company. But as day de- 
 dined the weather looked wild; and the 
 men in the small boat, being afraid of her 
 capsizing during the night, I had to divide 
 her company between the long-boat and 
 skiff, and cast her adrift. Nine persons were 
 thus in the skiff, and nineteen in the long- 
 
IN THE BOATS. 31 
 
 boat, which sank us very deep in the water, 
 and uncomfortably overcrowded us. The 
 long-boat was particularly uncomfortable, be- 
 ing lumbered with our small stock of provi- 
 sions ; and, having been used as a stall for 
 cattle, we were not only soaked with sea- 
 water, but smeared with filth. Our distress- 
 ing situation may easily be supposed, with a 
 promiscuous company of ladies and children 
 crowded together without the means of sepa- 
 ration, and exposed night and day to the 
 action of all the rudest elements. We how- 
 ever washed our boat, which served somewhat 
 to improve our condition. At the close of 
 day we again sang praise to God, and implor- 
 ed his protection and blessing. The regular 
 performance of this duty was a great comfort 
 to us in our misery, and I was Avell assisted 
 in its discharge by Mr. Wallace the mate, my 
 brother William, and nephew John, as well 
 as by some of the passengers, all of whom 
 occasionally conducted the devotions. We 
 made it our endeavour to unite both boats in 
 one exercise of daily praise and prayer, and 
 
32 THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 when this was impracticable, service was 
 separately conducted in the skiff by George 
 Davidson and Thomas Souter, seamen. In 
 no case, to the best of my knowledge, was 
 this duty omitted from being performed three 
 times a day, so that we could say, with the 
 Psalmist, " Evening, and morning, and at 
 noon, we pray and cry aloud, and he shall 
 hear our voice.' r 
 
 During the night the wind blew freshly 
 from the south, and the sea was so heavy, 
 that I was obliged to deviate to the north of 
 my course a little, in the hope of regaining 
 my leeway by a future and more favourable 
 wind and sea. But although it would have 
 been hard work to fetch the Cape of Good 
 Hope even with a fairer wind, we could not 
 help ourselves, as our little boats could not 
 breast the billows, and yet we hauled them 
 as close to the wind as we dared. The moon 
 shone on us during a part of that night, and 
 enabled us to keep the boats together ; but 
 when she set, we were greatly distressed by 
 the danger of separating. At length day 
 
IN THE BOATS. 33 
 
 light came to the relief of our sleepless and 
 anxious watching, but only to the increase 
 of our other sorrows. This day the people 
 pleaded with tears for an increase to the al- 
 lowance of water, and my soul yearned for 
 the petitioners ; but although I felt the 
 strength of their craving in my own fevered 
 frame, I dared not accede to their request. 
 I knew that our distance from land rendered 
 it certain destruction for us to increase our 
 expenditure, unless, indeed, some friendly 
 bark should cross our path, which we could 
 not certify, and which certainly never occur- 
 red. I therefore earnestly exhorted them to 
 make the best use of the small quantity al- 
 lowed, by dividing it into three daily distribu- 
 tions. This was done in the long-boat, and 
 we felt the benefit of it, in the more frequent 
 moistening of our palate, and the easier mas- 
 tication of our bread. At noon I obtained an 
 observation, and found the latitude 34 deg. 49 
 min. south, and calculated our longitude at 11 
 deg.40 min. east. A little wine was distributed 
 this day along with the usual allowance 
 
34 THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 of water, which was greedily swallowed- 
 Towards evening another earnest appeal 
 came from the people in the skiff for an addi- 
 tional allowance of water, which I was com- 
 pelled to refuse. Contrary to my injunctions, 
 they had swallowed their allowance at one 
 draught, and were therefore in agony till the 
 time for next day's supply. I learned, also, 
 that some of them had begun to drink salt 
 w r ater, which I sought in vain to prevent. I 
 told them that if they persisted they would 
 become delirious, which, alas ! was soon too 
 painfully realized. 
 
 The wind lulled a little about midnight, 
 but the darkness greatly distressed Us, and 
 about four o'clock we lost sight of the skifT. 
 We immediately lowered our sail, and with 
 difficulty got a light in the lantern, awaiting 
 the result with intense anxiety. For half an 
 hour this distressing suspense continued, 
 when, to our great relief, the boat re-appear- 
 ed. Night ere long again departed, but with 
 each returning day we found the sufferings 
 of our company on the increase ; cold and 
 
IN THE BOATS. 35 
 
 thirst were making shocking inroads among 
 us. Up to this time we had never been able to 
 stretch our stiffened limbs, and we had all the 
 while been thoroughly drenched by the con- 
 stant action of the sea. This day, however, 
 being more favourable, we got our clothes 
 partially dried, and managed to erect a tem- 
 porary bulwark of blankets on the weather- 
 side, which afforded some additional shelter 
 from the elements. This enabled us to per- 
 form our worship " with a little reviving," 
 and we partook of our scanty allowance with 
 increasing appetite. My observation for this 
 day was latitude 34 deg. 30 min. south, and 
 longitude 12 deg. 49 min. east. Towards 
 evening the wind and sea increased from the 
 south-west, and as I could not make my 
 course good, I allowed the boats to run, so as 
 to make all the easting possible. At mid- 
 night the moon went down, and as the sea 
 ran very high, we had difficulty to preserve 
 the boats in company during the darkness. 
 Our candles were scanty, so that we could 
 not burn constant light, and we longed ex- 
 
36 THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 ceedingly for the coming 1 of day. By this 
 time our distresses were very grievous ; the 
 midnight sea had thoroughly soaked every 
 one of us, and several of our people gave de- 
 cisive symptoms of insanity, especially two 
 of the passengers in the skiff, who had per- 
 sisted in drinking the salt water. In the 
 morning the weather became more moderate ; 
 at noon we were in latitude 34 deg. 34 min. 
 south, and longitude 14 deg. 37 min. east, so 
 that I concluded, if the weather should keep 
 favourable, that in three days' sail we might 
 make the land. The wretched condition ot 
 our company towards evening constrained me 
 to administer a little wine, and an additional 
 half of a wine glassful of water to each ; I 
 exhorted them to use it sparingly, as I dread- 
 ed a stormy night ; but the people in the skiff 
 consumed it on the instant. Milder weather 
 succeeded in the morning, which enabled us 
 to dry our clothes. In the afternoon we rig- 
 ged a temporary jib, with a sheet for a stud- 
 ding-sail, and the crew of the skiff did the 
 same. I tried for an observation, and found 
 
IN THE BOATS. 37 
 
 the latitude 34 cleg. 12 min, but my chrono- 
 meter by this time was nearly useless for the 
 calculation of longitude, and I guessed it to 
 be 15 deg. 47 min. east. The cry for water 
 at this time became heart-rending, especially 
 from the children in the skiff; their piercing 
 screams went to my inmost soul, and yet I 
 durst not be subdued by them ; therefore, 
 with a feigned sternness, which my heart dis- 
 allowed, I was compelled to order the skiff to 
 shear off, so that I might at least be released 
 from listening to their anguish, which I could 
 neither bear nor brave. 
 
 Again evening and morning came, and 
 still as our course lengthened our woes in- 
 creased. The night and morning were in- 
 tensely cold, and a hollow sea again had 
 drenched us to the skin. The people seemed 
 to have reached a state of utter exhaustion, 
 not unmingled with the indifference of des- 
 pair. They appeared to have lost all relish 
 for food, and water was the only cry ; several 
 of them had persisted in taking salt water, 
 which it was impossible to prevent, as there 
 4 
 
38 THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 were but eight or nine inches of free side 
 from the sea. so that they put out their hand 
 through the night and took it. The conse- 
 quence was, that two in our boat, and the 
 same number in the skiff, were quite delirious, 
 while several others in both boats gave symp- 
 toms of the same distressing state. The la- 
 dies throughout behaved with magnanimity, 
 and even the endurance of the children was 
 admirable. The best arrangements were 
 indeed made for them which we could com- 
 mand. We appropriated the stern sheets to 
 the ladies, as the most comfortable ; and for 
 their accommodation I had to sit upon the 
 gunwale, while steering the boat. This post 
 was only filled by the mate and myself, as 
 there was no other to whom I could confide 
 it ; but he, being very unwell, from having 
 been crushed by the w T ater-cask, the heaviest 
 share of the duty devolved upon me. The 
 skiff was managed by Thomas Souter and 
 George Davidson, whose excellent seaman- 
 ship was beyond all praise. The people 
 seemed to be so depressed and inclined to 
 
IN THE BOATS. 39 
 
 sleep, that in the evening I mixed a little rum 
 with their allowance of water, which partially 
 revived them. The night was setting in 
 very gloomily, and as our evening song min- 
 gled with the rising tempest, I am sure that 
 our hearts sympathized with its plea. It was 
 Psalm vi. 
 
 Lord, in thy wrath rebuke me not ; 
 Nor in thy hot rage chasten me, &c. 
 
 Our chapter this evening was Acts xxvii., 
 and we prayed that the God who stood by 
 Paul, in his perils and shipwreck, would pre- 
 serve the lives of all who sailed with us. 
 The night was very dark and stormy, with a 
 heavy sea ; every wave was broken on the 
 top, and we were nearly smothered by the 
 spray. It required all our skill to keep the 
 sea from breaking on board of us. I gave 
 orders to the men to stand ready with our 
 three buckets, in case, amid the darkness, 
 any wave should make a breach on us. At 
 length, about midnight, one frightful billow 
 rose close to the boat, and broke right over 
 
40 THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 us. A slight scream rose from our company 
 at the instant, and I thought our fate was 
 sealed, as the boat was nearly filled with wa- 
 ter, and staggered under the stroke, as if set- 
 tling in the trough of the sea. I, however, 
 got her right before the wind, and during a 
 short smooth which providentially succeeded, 
 she was bailed with all despatch, and righted. 
 The skiff had been in no better condition, 
 and nothing but the most masterly seaman- 
 ship could have preserved her afloat. Fre- 
 quently we lost sight of each other during 
 the darkness, and our matches being wet, we 
 could no longer hold out a signal-light as for- 
 merly. " By the good hand of our God upon 
 us," however, we were mutually preserved, 
 and kept together during that dismal night. 
 
 A frowning morning succeeded, and found 
 our companions worse than ever. I immedi- 
 ately served a small allowance, which revived 
 us all ; indeed I was at this time myself 
 greatly exhausted, having kept the helm with- 
 out stirring for thirty-six hours, on account 
 of the illness of the mate. My sextant hav- 
 
IN THE BOATS. 41 
 
 ing been spoiled by the loss of its top, I was 
 now no longer able to keep our reckoning 
 except by guess. I was in hopes that the gale 
 would subside at noon, and permit us to take 
 a more southerly course, so as to fetch the 
 Cape, but I was unhappily disappointed. 
 The storm only increased in severity, and 
 the sea broke around us with redoubled fury, 
 driving in the temporary bulwarks, which we 
 had re-erected after the night's disaster. I 
 calculated that at this time we were about 
 seventy miles from land, but the brackish co- 
 lour of the water led me to suppose that we 
 might be nearer, and, being afraid to make 
 the coast in the night, I resolved to stand to 
 the nosth till midnight, it being impossible to 
 ride the boats by bridle or otherwise in such 
 a sea. To this all parties gave consent, and 
 I issued orders accordingly. I confess that I 
 ,had almost no hope of seeing morning, and 
 therefore told the skiff's crew that if anything 
 happened to us through the night, they must 
 stand in for the land, and do the best they 
 could. My gloomy forebodings were shared 
 '4* 
 
42 THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 by all, except those — to the number of six or 
 seven — who were by this time insensible to 
 everything around them. After partaking of 
 our allowance with thanksgiving, we commit- 
 ted ourselves to the Lord of life and death? 
 and took leave of each other without the 
 hope of meeting again in this world. In the 
 early part of the night our little boats behaved 
 admirably in their conflict with the tremen- 
 dous sea, and at eleven o'clock we shifted our 
 small sail, and stood directly in for the land. 
 The skifT followed, but at midnight the wind 
 and waves increased in fury, and a tremen- 
 dous billow broke close astern of us, which 
 seemed to swallow up our dear companions. 
 We strained our aching vision to catch the 
 re-appearance of their little mast, but in vain ; 
 with trembling anxiety we then lowered down 
 our sail, and, after great difficulty, got a light 
 in the lantern, but it was soon extinguished, 
 and, after long and anxious waiting, no trace 
 of the skirl was visible, and we gave them 
 up as lost, believing "that the deep had 
 covered them." The sea was breaking so 
 
IN THE BOATS. 43 
 
 heavily over the stern, while there was no way 
 on our boat, that we were in danger of foun- 
 dering, so that we were compelled, with deep 
 4istress, again to make sail, and pursue our 
 course. Life was now faint within me, and 
 I felt as if " the bitterness of death was past." 
 A cold shiver had seized my frame, and I was 
 inclined to resign all further effort. By the 
 administration of a tea-spoonful of wine, 
 however, I rallied a little, and maintained 
 my post at the helm throughout the night. 
 
 Morning at length broke, but there was no 
 appearance of our companions, and all hope 
 of their restoration departed. Our morning 
 meal was consumed in melancholy silence, 
 and our " grief was heavier than our groan- 
 ing" in our morning prayers. Four persons 
 in our boat were in extreme exhaustion, and 
 one of them — a passenger — named George 
 Peat, was evidently in a dying state. The 
 weather looked more mild, and I sought to 
 rally their spirits : with three of them I par- 
 tially succeeded, but Peat took no notice of 
 anything, save to suck greedily his allowance 
 
44 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 of water. In the forenoon the sun broke 
 through the clouds, and shed an agreeable 
 warmth to which we had long been stran- 
 gers, so that we took off our wet clothes, and 
 hung them up to dry. The hope of seeing 
 land revived the love of life within us, and, 
 with the former exceptions, our company, in 
 spite of the absence of our other boat, were 
 in better spirits. At eleven o'clock a.m. the 
 mate relieved me from the helm, and all were 
 intent in looking out for the land. In this 
 we were disappointed ; but the mate thought 
 he descried something ahead like a mast or a 
 sail. All eyes were turned in the direction 
 with eagerness, but for a considerable time 
 we could see nothing. At last another per- 
 son saw something on the top of a heavy 
 wave, and, as we drew nearer, a mast without 
 a sail became distinctly visible. Could it be 
 our brethren ? was anxiously inquired by 
 every one ; and indeed it was. Poor fellows ! 
 they had tasted nothing for more than twen- 
 ty-four hours. At the time when they dis- 
 appeared they were overwhelmed in the belly 
 
IN THE BOATS. 45 
 
 of a tremendous broken sea, and their boat 
 was nearly rilled. Their little mast was car- 
 ried away, and one of them was washed 
 overboard, but catching hold of the boat, they 
 had hauled him in again. By extraordinary 
 exertions they then bailed their boat, got their 
 mast replaced, and, pursuing our course, in 
 their anxiety to overtake us, had actually 
 passed us before daylight. How we ever met 
 again w T as a mystery to all; but " it was the 
 Lord's doing, and it was marvelous in our 
 eyes." I shall not attempt to describe the 
 scene of our remarkable greeting. It was 
 not joyous, for alas, we had now 7 become 
 strangers to every emotion of gladness ; but 
 we grasped each other's hands, and our full 
 hearts found vent in silent tears. Our souls 
 had become knit together in the fellowship of 
 suffering, and in the midst of deaths, we ce- 
 lebrated their restoration as a deliverance 
 from the grave. Of course they received im- 
 mediate refreshment and a little wine was 
 distributed to the whole company on the 
 occasion. Our noontide worship, which was 
 
40 THE SUFFERINGS IN THE BOATS. 
 
 mutually conducted, arose from overflowing 
 hearts ; and although our common woes were 
 nothing abated, we caught something of the 
 spirit of our hymn while we sung. 
 
 Let troubles rise, aud terrors frown, 
 
 And days of darkness fall, 
 Through Him all dangers we'll defy, 
 
 And more than conquer all. 
 
THE FORLORN LANDING. 47 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE FORLORN LANDING. 
 
 " They are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the 
 Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of 
 their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so 
 that the waves thereof are still. Then ive they glad 
 because they be quiet." 
 
 So soon as our heartfelt congratulations 
 had blended and been breathed out in prayer, 
 hope became faintly rekindled in each yet 
 conscious bosom of our distressed company ; 
 and with all our lingering energies of life, we 
 made for the yet invisible shore. " The wrath 
 of God lay hard upon us," and, for so many 
 days "we had been afflicted with all his 
 waves, that we felt as if all safety consisted 
 only in escape from ocean's "deeps." And 
 yet I was not without apprehension, that 
 what we so fondly anticipated as the occasion 
 
48 THE FORLORN 
 
 of deliverance, might prove the fatal scene of 
 our doom. The imminent danger of ap- 
 proaching a comparatively unknown coast, 
 especially amid the heavy roll of Cape seas, 
 and in such small boats as ours, demanded 
 the exercise of every possible precaution, and 
 suggested forebodings of no very pleasing 
 issue. By my calculations we had been 
 driven to the north of St. Helena Bay. which, 
 by its bend, gave us forty miles more of sea 
 to traverse than if we had been able to keep 
 a more southerly course. On consulting a 
 small fragment of chart — which one of the 
 ladies had preserved for us, from the action 
 of the sea, in her bosom, — I found, to our 
 great relief, that the coast for which we were 
 making was free of any outside shoals, and 
 appeared favourable for our landing. We 
 therefore made all speed to reach the shore if 
 possible before nightfall ; in this, however, we 
 were disappointed ; and a dense fog ahead 
 hid the object of our solicitude from view, 
 until night descended, and shrouded the sur- 
 rounding landscape in darkness. The weath- 
 
LANDING. 49 
 
 er being moderate I resolved to prosecute our 
 course throughout the night, and endeavour 
 to effect our landing at daylight. The eve- 
 ning proved intensely cold, and we endured 
 more acute suffering from the wind and 
 spray, during those hours of darkness, than 
 we had ever done before. This was probably 
 caused by our preserving a more southerly 
 course, and keeping the sheet hauled aft, 
 which exposed us to the action of the sea, 
 and sent the wind right down on us from the 
 sail. Ere morning came a cold shiver had 
 consequently seized every frame, and several 
 persons in both boats were quite unable to 
 stir. 
 
 About five o'clock the skiff hailed us, and 
 communicated the melancholy tidings that 
 the lad John Chisholm was dead. This was 
 the first breach made among us, and it fell 
 among our wasting company like a forerun- 
 ner of our own fate. We were all closely 
 "round the grave's devouring mouth," and 
 now that it had found its first victim, we felt 
 assured that others would follow. George 
 5 
 
50 THE FORLORN 
 
 Peat, in our boat, was only in life, and several 
 persons in both boats were visibly sinking 
 fast into the same unconscious state. I felt 
 this visitation bitterly, as I was in full hope 
 of reaching land in a few hours, and was 
 sustained — by the signal mercy hitherto en- 
 joyed — in the pleasing expectation that "God 
 would have given us the lives of all who 
 sailed with us." But "He who doeth accord- 
 ing to his will" had deemed it otherwise, and 
 our hearts smote us to think that we had 
 been preserved amid many perils, possibly 
 only to perish on the threshold of deliverance. 
 Visions of land floated before our aching 
 and anxious gaze throughout that weary 
 night, and often we supposed that we could 
 detect the dim outline of the headlands 
 between the sea and sky. Still we trembled 
 in uncertainty until morning came ; but 
 when the sun arose, it looked clown upon us 
 from behind the African hills, which stood in 
 distinct outline before us at the distance of 
 twelve miles. Then every heart bounded 
 with hope, and the fading energies of life re- 
 
LANDING. 51 
 
 vived within us. We greeted the glad spec- 
 tacle with our morning incense, and poured 
 out our thanksgiving to God our Ebenezer. 
 There was a beautiful propriety in the sub- 
 ject of our song, which then rose on the 
 morning air, from the margin of that mighty 
 ocean. It was Psalm xlvi., 
 
 In straits a present aid ; 
 Therefore although the earth remove, 
 We will not be afraid. 
 
 Though hills amidst the seas be cast, 
 
 Though waters roaring make 
 And troubled be ; yea, though the hill 
 
 By swelling seas do shake." 
 
 Scarcely had these sublime words passed 
 our lips, ere we felt the awful importance 
 and value of the holy sentiment. Our eyes 
 could now detect a long line of frowning and 
 iron-bound coast, fringed only with foam, and 
 hoary with tremendous breakers. No friend- 
 ly opening was visible, along that fearful bar- 
 rier, and we looked in vain for some quiet 
 
52 THE FORLORN 
 
 creek amid the strife, where ocean might 
 peacefully surrender the helpless charge 
 which longed for escape from its horrors. 
 As if to increase the solemnity of our condi- 
 tion, the wind at this time began to rise, and 
 a heavy ground swell rolled in from the 
 south-west, so that it needed no ordinary 
 faith to prepare with calmness for the ap- 
 proaching crisis. But our only course was to 
 face the danger, and trust to God for deliver- 
 ance. I sent the small boat, ahead, to exa- 
 mine the coast, if possible to find a creek for 
 convenient landing, it being lighter than our 
 boat, and having thafts for easy rowing, 
 which we had not. I then sought to rally 
 the spirits of my crew by a little exertion : 
 getting out the oars, I exhorted them to try 
 the exercise of rowing a little, and took a 
 spell myself. With great difficulty I succeed- 
 ed in inducing the most of them to make the 
 attempt, and we felt the benefit of the effort, 
 in a freer circulation of our blood, which 
 served to relax our stiffened joints, and re- 
 lieved us of the cold shivering. 
 
LANDING. 53 
 
 The breeze continued strong, and the sea 
 was very heavy, until we approached within 
 half a mile of the shore ; when God — as if 
 in sympathy with our situation, and prepar- 
 ing our way — subdued the wind, and made 
 the strife of waters partially to subside. This 
 gracious interposition made a deep impression 
 upon us all. and we felt animated by it, in 
 our very critical circumstances, as a foretaste 
 of deliverance. At this time, a small rock 
 which appeared to windward, presented to our 
 eager eyes for a season the likeness of a sail ; 
 and we were delighted for the moment with 
 the idea, that the coast which we were ap- 
 proaching might be inhabited ; but a nearer 
 view soon dispelled the illusion, and left us 
 to a scene only of wild and desert solitude. 
 Our small boat had now gone close in with 
 the shore, in search of a landing-place, while 
 we remained at a short distance on the out- 
 side, to wait for instructions. Our compan- 
 ions, in their eagerness to execute their survey, 
 had unfortunately got themselves embayed, 
 and in attempting to weather a projecting 
 
54 THE FORLORN 
 
 point, they failed ; so that, in their extremity, 
 one course only remained to them — for life or 
 death they had to run for the beach. We, 
 seeing this sudden movement, and supposing 
 that our friends had discovered a favourable 
 landing-place, bore up, and followed closely 
 in their track. By signs and cries they at- 
 tempted to warn us off; but we, mistaking 
 their signals for encouragement, only pursued 
 with increasing speed. It was a moment of 
 intense and trembling interest to us all ; death 
 or deliverance hung upon the instant, and 
 our hearts were fully alive to the immediate 
 and awful alternative. Every faded and 
 haggard countenance became flushed with 
 eager excitement ; every eye was strained to 
 watch on either hand the impending fate ; 
 every hand grasped the gunwale with con- 
 vulsive and trembling energy, and we held 
 our breath in awe, as we dashed among the 
 breakers, and plunged amid those fearful 
 rocks and shoals. Surely the eye of heaven 
 was watching over us in that unchosen and 
 accidental landing-scene ; for amidst many 
 
LANDING. DO 
 
 perils, it presented favourable opportunities 
 for us — in a narrow channel among a cluster 
 of small rocks, which was crowned with a 
 sand beach — that no human foresight could 
 have detected, and that was rare on that 
 coast. Our small boat, indeed, was in ex- 
 treme jeopardy ; for in the midst of the break- 
 ers it struck upon a sharp rock, and some of 
 the crew were thrown overboard by the shock. 
 The sail, however, being still set, the next 
 wave lifted it over, and the wind and sea 
 being dead in shore, drove them right up to 
 the beach, where, amid many difficulties, they 
 effected a landing, and rescued their comrades 
 in a state of great exhaustion. We in the 
 larger boat were somewhat more fortunate ; 
 for "by the good hand of God upon us," we 
 made our way safely through a narrow chan- 
 nel, among the small rocks, without touching, 
 until we came within a boat's length of the 
 beach, where we stuck fast upon a rock. 
 There being deep water between us and the 
 shore, we were all plunged overhead in our 
 attempts to escape ; but the ladies and chii- 
 
56 THE FORLORN 
 
 dren being assisted by the mate and seamen, 
 were soon placed in safety ; and " so it came 
 to pass, that we escaped all safe to land.'" 
 
 This signal deliverance — alike so gracious 
 and remarkable — revealed in all its course 
 and accomplishment, the direct and immedi- 
 ate agency of God, and could be attributed 
 solely to his marked interposition and care. 
 No human foresight or management could 
 have availed to preserve so helpless a com- 
 pany in such extremities. With boats so 
 frail, and means of sustenance so slender, 
 nothing less than Omnipotent kindness could 
 have sustained us throughout a voyage so 
 disproportionate to all our preparations, and 
 so encompassed with exceeding dangers. If 
 our course, indeed, revealed no miracles, it 
 was at least replete with special mercies ; for 
 had we been visited by a few days of head 
 winds, or been overtaken by any of the fear- 
 ful squalls so common in Cape seas, or even 
 made our landfall on a bold and unbroken 
 coast, not one of us would have survived in 
 such a case to tell the tale of our disasters. 
 
LANDING. 57 
 
 and our last struggles would have been hid 
 in the dark and terrible secrets of ocean, 
 which, like the grave, gives no revelations. 
 We had been led to look to God in all our 
 way : even the good order and discipline 
 which had been maintained, we felt we owed 
 to his grace ; and while we had used our best 
 endeavours for our preservation, yet without 
 his blessing, we were conscious that every 
 exertion must have been without avaih 
 Therefore, when God had " been better to us 
 than our fears," and "redeemed our lives 
 from destruction," our utmost gratitude was 
 due to him. and we invite men " to see his 
 hand," and " to praise the Lord for his good- 
 ness, and for his wonderful works to the chil- 
 dren of men." 
 
 If it had been possible, at that solemn 
 hour, to have forgotten or overlooked the 
 signal kindness of heaven, even the continu- 
 ous manifestations of Divine goodness to us 
 must have, on the instant, rebuked such base 
 ingratitude. Scarcely had the feet of our 
 forlorn company been permitted to touch the 
 
58 THE FORLORN 
 
 shore, when the storm, which had lulled pre- 
 viously to our landing, burst forth with redou- 
 bled fury, and raged without intermission 
 during the whole time that we remained in 
 that place. The sea arose in ungovernable 
 wrath, and as it lashed the shore, lifted our 
 little boats upon its billows to a height of 
 forty or fifty feet upon the beach. The nar- 
 row channel through which we had reached 
 the shore in safety instantly became one scene 
 of boiling surge, which would have shattered 
 to pieces the proudest bark, and engulphed 
 every living thing on board of her. Who 
 could fail to discover the striking proof of a 
 special and gracious Providence in this occur- 
 rence ? If it be said that such sudden storms 
 frequently occur in these latitudes, still the 
 question arises, — why did that storm come at 
 the precise moment when we were immedi- 
 ately out of the reach of its fury ? There 
 can be but one answer to this inquiry, — it 
 was the good pleasure of him " who gave to 
 the sea its decree, that it cannot pass, and 
 who compasseth its waters with bounds. 
 
LANDING. 59 
 
 Our company stood awe-stricken at the sight. 
 We looked back upon the scene of destruc- 
 tion, from which we had so recently escaped, 
 with mingled feelings of dismay and grati- 
 tude. Our deliverance, indeed, was not yet 
 complete. Alas ! who could tell whether, — 
 '' having escaped the sea, — vengeance might 
 yet suffer us to live ?" " The perils of the wil- 
 derness" lay before us in all their unknown 
 horrors of toil, and thirst, and frightful fa- 
 mine. Still we had been delivered from "the 
 floods that affrighted us," — our bosoms swelled 
 with the full sense of our rescue, and while 
 we raised our song of deliverance and poured 
 out our grateful prayers to God, there were 
 many devout hearts in our circle who could 
 appropriate the sentiment of the poet : — 
 
 Thus far on life's perplexing path, 
 Thus far the Lord onr steps hath led ; 
 Safe from the flame's pursuing wrath, 
 Unharmed though floods hung o'er our head. 
 Here let us pause — look back — adore, 
 Like ransom'd Israel from the shore. 
 
60 MARCH THROUGH 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE MELANCHOLY MARCH THROUGH THE 
 WILDERNESS. 
 
 •' They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way, 
 they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, 
 their soul fainted in thern. Then they cried unto the 
 Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of 
 their distresses." 
 
 The first view of our solitary landing- 
 place revealed to us a wild and barren re- 
 gion. Neither traces of cultivation, nor marks 
 of human abode, nor even tracks of living 
 creature, met our eye in all the adjacent land- 
 scape ; and my heart misgave me at the pros- 
 pect, lest we had only exchanged the scene 
 of our miseries, but not escaped from them 
 The idea of delay in obtaining succours was 
 too painful to indulge, for every hour only 
 added to the horrors of our situation. 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 61 
 
 Our scanty supplies were rapidly wasting 
 away, and the strength of the people was al- 
 ready well nigh spent by fatigue and famine. 
 I dared not to anticipate the consequences of 
 even a short continuance of such a state of 
 things, and felt that our utmost efforts must, 
 be directed to urgent measures for immediate 
 deliverance. 
 
 Meanwhile, every arrangement was made 
 for present exigencies. A small refreshment 
 was distributed immediately after landing, 
 and our weary men set about the erection of 
 tents, which were soon reared, by lashing a 
 few spars together and overlaying them with 
 sails and blankets. This shelter was pecu- 
 liarly seasonable to persons, who, for nine 
 days and nights had not known the luxury 
 of lying down, or resting their exhausted 
 frames ; especially as an African sun was 
 blazing in noon-tide brilliancy, and with in 
 surTerable fierceness over our heads. Om 
 wasted people soon betook themselves to 
 repose and I was pleased to find that the 
 greater number of them were soon lost in 
 6 
 
62 MARCH THROUGH 
 
 sweet forgetfulness of all their woes. As for 
 myself, sleep had so long been a stranger to 
 my aching frame, that it refused at first to 
 revisit me, and my mind was too anxiously 
 concerned for the future to court its present 
 approach. So soon, therefore, as I found the 
 others asleep, Mr. Wallace the mate, and I — 
 who had lain down together, and were alike 
 wakeful — rose up and went forth to consult 
 as to our future course of proceeding. We 
 were agreed in thinking that the parched and 
 desolate appearance of the place gave little 
 hope of finding water, or of obtaining relief; 
 and that our whole and instant efforts must 
 be directed to discover succours by sea or 
 land. Two courses only presented them- 
 selves : the first, which was to re-enter the 
 boats, and endeavour to reach tbe Cape colo- 
 ny by sea, was plainly impracticable from the 
 severity of the weather; the sea at that 
 moment being visible below us in its wildest 
 majesty, as it thundered its mountainous bil- 
 lows against the base of the rocks, and scat- 
 tered its angry foam over the cliffs to a hun- 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 63 
 
 dred and twenty feet above its bed. Besides, 
 we were conscious that even in calmest wea- 
 ther, our company could not possibly survive 
 for twenty-four hours, under a renewed expo- 
 sure and crowding in the boats, without a 
 fresh supply of water and provisions. We 
 were shut up, therefore, to the only available 
 alternative of seeking succour by a land 
 journey, and by keeping a southerly course 
 in the direction of the Cape, we hoped that 
 we might soon reach some human habita- 
 tion. I proposed that w T e should remain till 
 the expiry of the following day, in order to 
 recruit our people for the journey, and to 
 complete the necessary preparations for our 
 departure. Meanwhile a search could be 
 made for water, and I would endeavour to 
 obtain an observation at noon, in order to 
 certify our exact latitude, and ascertain our 
 distance from the Cape. This course was 
 afterwards submitted to the whole company, 
 and as it met their approval, it was adopted. 
 
 We had carried George Peat ashore from 
 (he boat in a dying state. Every thing was 
 
f>4 MARCH THROUGH 
 
 done for his comfort which our circumstances 
 would permit, but the poor lad was beyond 
 the reach of relief. He lingered in painful 
 unconsciousness till the following morning, 
 when he died. The body ol John Chisholm 
 was also brought on shore in the skiff, and 
 covered with the Union Jack, until we had 
 leisure to dig a grave. The two youths were 
 respectfully buried on the successive after- 
 noons, divine service being performed at their 
 interment. They lie side by side on that de- 
 sert shore where they met their fate, and their 
 pilgrimage ceased, — where no footstep of 
 friendship shall ever trace the unknown 
 ?cene of their last repose, and only the mur- 
 murs of ocean disturb its solitary stillness. 
 
 After evening service had been conducted 
 in the tent, we kindled a fire to preserve us 
 from any attacks of wild beasts, and com- 
 mitted ourselves to rest. I enjoyed a few 
 hours of sweet sleep that evening, for the first 
 time after my long watching, and awoke con- 
 siderably refreshed and invigorated. By four 
 o'clock in the morning our whole party were 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 65 
 
 astir, and went off in detachments at da} T - 
 light, to seaich for water ; but after wander- 
 ing for two hours, in survey of all the sur- 
 rounding coast, they returned, as we feared, 
 dispirited and unsuccessful. A vegetable was 
 found in great abundance which was full of 
 sap, but on tasting it we discovered that it 
 was saturated w T ith salt, and unfit for use. 
 The only supply which the region afforded 
 was shell-fish, which for the same reason. 
 with our scanty allowance of water, could 
 only be sparingly used. The situation of our 
 tent in the low grounds was now found to be 
 insufferable on account of the intense heat, 
 so that I proposed to shift it to the rising 
 ground behind, in order to obtain a freer cir- 
 culation of air. But our people were so fee- 
 ble as to be unfit for the exertion, and it was 
 only after great labour, and by bribing them 
 with a tea-spoonful of wine, that this mea- 
 sure of relief was accomplished. The ladies 
 meanwhile were employed, in preparations 
 for our journey of the following day, by 
 making canvass bags to hold our provisions : 
 6* 
 
66 MARCH THROUGH 
 
 and the precious remainder of water was 
 emptied from the cask into bottles and jars, 
 so as to be easy of carriage on the road. T 
 could only get an overhead observation for 
 the latitude at noon, in consequence of the 
 sun being over the land. My calculation 
 agreed with my previous conjecture, that we 
 were north of the Oliphant (or Elephant's) 
 River, about eleven miles; but as Node's 
 Epitome, which was my only book of refer- 
 once snatched from the burning ship, gave 
 me no example for working such an altitude, 
 I could not certify the accuracy of the reck- 
 oning. However, my repeated trials con- 
 vinced me that I could not be more than a 
 mile or two from the truth, and we deter- 
 mined, therefore, to start in that direction on 
 the morrow, in the hope of finding some set- 
 tlement on the river's banks. 
 
 Our preparations for departure being com- 
 pleted, we lay down to sleep, under the same 
 precautions as on the previous night, and 
 were aroused at four o'clock to pursue our 
 journey. Previous to starting, I distributed 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 67 
 
 among the ladies and cabin passengers, so 
 far as they would go, seven of my white 
 shirts to serve as change of linen, they having 
 been discovered in the boat on our landing. 
 We had at this time six days' allowance of 
 water, at the rate of three bottles a day to 
 our twenty-six persons, or scarcely three 
 table-spoonfuls to each, which, in our already 
 fevered and maddening thirst, and under a 
 broiling tropical sun, was not nearly sufficient 
 to sustain life. A small surplus, however, 
 was found in the water-cask after all our 
 bottles were filled, which was distributed 
 among the company, and served to refresh us 
 at departure. We broke some oars for carry- 
 ing-poles, and distributed the stores among 
 the responsible persons in the company, with 
 strict injunctions that they should restrict 
 themselves to the general allowance, as any 
 breach of fidelity might sacrifice the lives of 
 the whole party. After the celebration of 
 divine worship, in which we committed our 
 way to God, we set out on our melancholy 
 journey. Our road lay before us through " a 
 
68 MARCH THROUGH 
 
 waste howling wilderness," and we "went 
 out, not knowing whither we went ;" but our 
 trust was in that God, "who had found Israel 
 in a desert land, and kept him as the apple 
 of his eye," and we hoped that he would lead 
 us also forth "by a right way, that we might 
 q-o to a place of habitation." 
 
 Our company presented a most wretched 
 appearance in the march, and we soon proved 
 ourselves to be indeed miserable travellers. 
 Our limbs had swelled to an inordinate size 
 in consequence of our confinement and ex- 
 posure in the boats, and they were so stiffen- 
 ed with inactivity as only to be dragged 
 along with difficulty. The ground over 
 which we toiled our way was unfavourable 
 for progress in our faint condition, being, for 
 the most part, loose and sandy, and occasion- 
 ally tangled with small shrubs : and as we 
 went our way. struggling, and staggering 
 beneath our light loads, we bore a striking 
 resemblance to the last remnant of a famished 
 garrison, or the latest fugitive survivors of a 
 siege We accomplished about a mile, when 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 69 
 
 we sat down to rest, and stripped ourselves of 
 all our upper clothing, on account of the op- 
 pressive heat. After a short pause we again 
 resumed our journey, and with great difficulty 
 reached a similar distance. It was only after 
 much persuasion that I induced them again 
 to stir ; but there was no shelter in the place 
 from the fierce rays of the sun ; and I was 
 extremely anxious, in our desperate circum- 
 stances, which were every moment growing 
 darker, to make all the progress possible. 
 About noon we discovered two huts under 
 the cliff, and were of course anxious to reach 
 them ; but they were inaccessible to us, in our 
 weak condition. We halloed, however, with 
 all our might, to find if they had any inmates ; 
 but as " there was no voice that answered, 
 neither any that regarded," we justly concluded 
 that they were uninhabited, and could furnish 
 no relief to us, so that we turned mournfully 
 away, and pursued our journey. I afterwards 
 learned that these huts belonged to a fishing 
 company, and were deserted ; a few casks of 
 water were kept there, for the supply of their 
 
70 MARCH THROUGH 
 
 vessels, but these were kept under ground, so 
 that we would have found no relief by visiting 
 the place, and most probably would have 
 perished in the attempt. Soon after we like- 
 wise descried traces of a path which led into 
 the interior, which some of our people were 
 inclined to follow ; but I dissuaded them from 
 the attempt, as the coast was the coolest 
 legion, as well as the most likely to lead us 
 to water ; whereas we might only wander in 
 the wilderness to die the most horrid death. 
 We accomplished altogether about six miles 
 by this day's journey, and halted at last, in 
 utter exhaustion, on a promontory, where we 
 were exposed to the sea breeze. 
 
 On collecting our party, to overhaul onr 
 stock, I found that one of the cabin passen- 
 gers, who had been quite delirious for some 
 days, having fallen behind us on the day's 
 march, on account of weakness, had cast 
 away his coat, containing two bottles of 
 water, from anxiety to overtake his party. 
 Every search was made for this lost treasure 
 and valuable supply, but to no purpose. To 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 71 
 
 add to the misfortune, another cabin passen- 
 ger, from whose education I might have ex- 
 pected better conduct, alone, of all the people, 
 proved himself unworthy of trust. Of the 
 two bottles committed to his charge, one was 
 found empty. He had stolen from his party 
 during the day, under pretence of tracking 
 the path into the interior, and the temptation 
 proving too strong for him, he had consumed 
 a whole bottle for his own use. This I con- 
 cealed from our people, for I am certain that ; 
 if they had known it, they would have taken 
 his life on the spot. But I was deeply grieved 
 to find that a whole day's supply of this 
 scarce and vital commodity had been lost to 
 us through the imbecility and profligacy of 
 our companions. To prevent the recurrence 
 of such a calamity, which would have endan- 
 gered the lives of all of us, I put the water, 
 henceforth, under the charge of my confiden- 
 tial seamen; and after our evening's repast 
 and prayers, we betook ourselves to sleep. 
 
 During night a heavy dew fell, mingled 
 with a few drops of rain, which roused us 
 
72 MARCH THROUGH 
 
 from our slumbers, and our people commenced 
 greedily to suck the moisture from the blan- 
 kets ; but they having been soaked by sea 
 water, and only dried in the sun, were so 
 impregnated with salt that we soon desisted 
 from an endeavour which brought us no re- 
 lief. As morning dawned our pleasing expec- 
 tation of rain departed, and with heavy hearts 
 we prepared to pursue our course. The con- 
 dition of our people at this time was extreme- 
 ly distressing, their faces had become bloated 
 and disfigured, and their lips were rent and 
 chapped, while the painful swelling in the 
 arms and legs was rapidly on the increase, 
 so that I apprehended some of them would 
 not be able to hold on till night. I sought to 
 rally their downcast spirits, by feigning a 
 cheerfulness which I did not feel, and point- 
 ing to some mountains in the south-east, I 
 prompted them to proceed, by assuring them, 
 that wherever mountains appeared, water 
 was always to be found. I was certain, 
 moreover, by the calculations which I had 
 made, that we could not be more than five 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 73 
 
 miles from Oliphant River, where 1 felt as- 
 sured that relief would be afforded. We 
 made indeed most wretched progress in that 
 morning's journey ; ere three quarters of a 
 mile had been accomplished, we were com- 
 pelled to halt, and after receiving our allow- 
 ance and singing a hymn, we proceeded on 
 our way. Scarcely another mile had been 
 overtaken ere we were again forced to rest 
 ourselves, and here I felt alarmed lest some 
 of the company should never be able to re- 
 sume the march. The old gentleman, who 
 had lost his coat on the previous day, was 
 especially overcome ; he seemed so thoroughly 
 exhausted in spirit, and so worn out in frame 
 — being covered over with sores in face and 
 limbs — that it seemed impossible to rouse him 
 to any further effort, and others were inclined, 
 with him, to resign themselves to despair. I 
 was greatly perplexed how to act in this 
 extremity. I could not bear to leave the 
 wretched alone to die; and to detain the 
 others on their account, would be certain de- 
 struction to us all. In this painful crisis I 
 7 
 
74 MARCH THROUGH 
 
 secretly sought direction from God, and had 
 resolved to remain with the desperate, leaving 
 the others to press on, and send back for us 
 if they should find succour. This purpose I 
 only communicated to my brother William, 
 and urged him to use every exertion to reach 
 a place of safety, and in case of my death, 
 to be kind to my dear wife and family. He, 
 however, sternly refused to accede to my 
 wishes, and declared his resolution, if I per- 
 sisted, to abide and die with me. By his per- 
 suasion I was shaken in my purpose, and by 
 dint of great exertion, we managed to assist 
 our invalids on through another stage. 
 
 On looking out for our next halting-place, 
 I observed a rising ground a little in advance 
 of us, and urged our people to reach it ere 
 they rested. This was done, because I 
 thought something like the entrance of a 
 river appeared beyond, and I was resolved to 
 ascertain the fact by crowning the hill. We 
 had nearly reached the place, when the mate, 
 who was a little in advance, cried out, 
 " There is the river." I ran forward at the 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 75 
 
 transporting tidings, and by advancing a few 
 paces, a scene of overpowering interest burst 
 upon my view. Not only was the river dis- 
 tinctly visible as it rolled its broad waters 
 through a fertile valley, until they mingled 
 with ocean at our feet ; but I could also dis- 
 tinctly descry a settlement, with its dwelling- 
 houses and offices, on the opposite bank. 
 Never did scene more sweet open upon 
 human vision, than met my ecstatic gaze in 
 that landscape. I had no eye — no heart for 
 its natural beauties ; but thoughts of life and 
 of rescue arose within me in that glance. It 
 seemed to me an opening paradise: visions 
 of home — of happiness — rushed back upon 
 my desolate soul. The tide of sorrow, in a 
 heart ready to perish, was turned within me, 
 and joy rose in such sudden revulsion from 
 recent wretchedness, that I was completely 
 overpowered. The same excess of emotion 
 filled every heart that now crowded around 
 at the tidings. We grasped each other's 
 hands in convulsive silence ; our hearts were 
 too full for utterance, and, for a considerable 
 
76 MARCH THROUGH 
 
 time, tears were the only expression that 
 came from our overcharged bosoms. Rap- 
 ture was in our glance when we saw human 
 beings moving about on the opposite bank, 
 and we became rivetted in delighted gaze 
 upon the neat white-washed house, with its 
 clear blue smoke curling up into the sky, and 
 all the accompaniments of European com- 
 fort around it. I was the first to break the 
 interesting silence, by saying, " Now, my 
 dear friends, the Lord has led us by a way 
 that we knew not, to a land inhabited." 
 We then gave thanks to God, who had done 
 so great things for us, and we served out a 
 little of our remaining stock of water. As 
 we were still a mile from the river, I preserved 
 a small portion, in case the river water should, 
 prove salt, which, on reaching it, Ave found 
 to be the case. We had carried our English 
 ensign as a signal in case of meeting any 
 vessel, and now, by tying two broken oars 
 together, we elevated it to attract the notice 
 of the persons on the opposite bank. They 
 evidently had descried us ; for we observed a 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 77 
 
 boat push off from the shore, and advance 
 straight toward us across the stream. This 
 was to us a gracious token that the season 
 of succour was at hand. We immediately 
 thereupon drank off our last remaining bottle 
 of water, and prepared to greet our deliverers. 
 The moment of our rescue was especially 
 interesting and solemn. While the boat ap- 
 proached, we all joined hands and united in 
 singing the 23d Psalm, and, as the faint con- 
 cert arose from our famished group, it seemed, 
 to our overflowing hearts, to ascend to hea- 
 ven, alike as the devout dirge of our depart- 
 ing sorrows, and the joyous anthem of our 
 coming deliverance. 
 
78 THE RESCUE. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE RESCUE. 
 
 " When the poor and needy seek water, and there is 
 none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord 
 will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake 
 them. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, 
 and the dry laud springs of water." 
 
 The boat, which seemed to our view like 
 a messenger of mercy, approached within 
 hail, when, with due precaution, it halted, 
 and to our delightful surprise a voice in the 
 English language demanded to know who 
 we were, and what was our business. We 
 immediately declared our doleful story, when 
 the party landed without farther ceremony, 
 and told us that we had come among a 
 Christian people. The meeting was most 
 affecting on either side ; it was with difficulty 
 that our people, in the ecstasy of rescue, could 
 refrain from falling down at the feet of their 
 
THE RESCUE. 79 
 
 deliverers ; and the strangers, as they sur- 
 veyed our emaciated and wretched company, 
 were quite unable to suppress their tears. 
 Our first appeal to them was for water, and 
 they communicated the joyful intelligence to 
 us, that there was an excellent fountain on 
 the other side, where our wants would be 
 abundantly supplied. I immediately em- 
 barked, in company with the ladies, and by 
 three successive trips, the whole of our people 
 were safely landed on the other side, where 
 we were all received with unbounded affection 
 and hospitality. We instantly repaired, with 
 incontrollable avidity, to the fountain, where 
 we sought to satiate our maddening thirst by 
 deep and frequent draughts, until we had 
 gorged ourselves with the exquisite supply, 
 and felt life reflow in cooler currents through 
 our parched and fevered frames. A princely 
 meal was also provided for us on the instant 
 consisting of a whole sheep, and part of a 
 wild buck, which had been shot on the farm 
 in the morning ; but our hearts were too full 
 to possess a keen appetite, and we could only 
 
80 THE RESCUE. 
 
 taste of the bounteous provision amid many 
 tears, when we contrasted the scantiness and 
 misery of our morning repast with our present 
 profusion, and the hearts of many of us rose 
 in silent gratitude to " God, who had done so 
 great, things for us, whereof we were glad." 
 
 We found that the settlement which we 
 had reached belonged to a warm-hearted 
 Dutch farmer, named Mynheer Low, of 
 whose unbounded generosity and kindness it. 
 is impossible for me to speak in excessive 
 terms. His family consisted of an amiable 
 wife and daughter, w T ho shared in all his own 
 benevolence, and loaded us with attentions, 
 which can never be forgotten, and it would 
 be impossible to repay. 
 
 The Englishman, who had accompanied 
 our host in the* boat which ferried us over the 
 river, and who acted as our interpreter during 
 our stay, was a sailor belonging to a whale 
 and seal fishing company. He had been left 
 by his employers, in company with another 
 person, to reside during the fishing season, on 
 a neighbouring island, in order to preserve 
 
THE RESCUE. 81 
 
 the fishing grounds, which were rented from 
 the colonial government. He and his partner 
 were obliged to visit the settlement very fre- 
 quently for supplies of water, which they re- 
 quired to keep, alike for their own use, and in 
 case of their schooner running short during 
 her voyage. I learned from this person that 
 the coast to the north of Oliphant River is 
 entirely destitute of water, and without in- 
 habitants ; and I mention this in case any 
 persons who peruse this narrative should be 
 driven on this coast, that they may know 
 where to obtain succour. Mr. Low's farm is 
 situated on the south bank of the Oliphant 
 River, about four miles from the sea, and two 
 hundred miles from the Cape of Good Hope. 
 
 Soon after our arrival I communicated with 
 Mr. Low as to the necessary provision for our 
 future accommodation. It was impossible 
 with his limited resources, that he could lodge 
 and sustain twenty-six persons for many 
 days ; and it was plain from the distressing 
 condition of our people, that they would re- 
 quire several days of careful nursing and 
 
82 THE RESCUE. 
 
 rest, before they could bear removal by land 
 journey. 
 
 Having learned that an English gentleman 
 kept a store at Donkin's Bay, twenty -four 
 miles distant, I immediately despatched a 
 messenger to solicit his assistance. This per- 
 son, whose name was Mr. R Fryer, proved 
 to us to be indeed " a brother born for adver- 
 sity." No language can adequately express 
 his unremitting kindness and unceasing ex- 
 ertions for our welfare, and for which he 
 would never listen to any proposals of remu- 
 neration whatever. He came down on horse- 
 back immediately on receiving notice of our 
 condition, and despatched a message to the 
 nearest field cornet, to make provision for our 
 succour. On his arrival he proposed to take 
 the ladies at once to his house, they being 
 the only parties fit to be removed. It may 
 seem strange that the most delicate members 
 of our company should have borne the hard- 
 ships of our situation with greater hardihood 
 than men of robust frame ; and yet it was 
 remarkable throughout the whole of our af- 
 
THE RESCUE. 83 
 
 Mictions, that the ladies and even the children 
 bore the sufferings with the greatest magna- 
 nimity, and discovered a spirit of patient en- 
 durance which might have put to shame the 
 hardiest men. It is thus that God sometimes, 
 as of old, " out of weakness maketh strong." 
 and causeth "things that are not to be as 
 though they were, that no flesh should glory 
 in his presence." 
 
 In accordance with this arrangement, our 
 ladies set off in a waggon for Mr. Fryer's 
 house, under charge of our host's daughter, 
 on the evening after our arrival at Oliphant 
 River ; and in twenty-four hours, the waggon 
 returned loaded with provisions, luxuries and 
 medicines. Mr. Fryer also sent four sheep 
 on the same day. and gave his shepherd 
 orders to supply us with as many as we 
 wanted ; and yet these things were but a 
 tithe of the kindness which we received at 
 the hands of this good Samaritan. 
 
 We were at this time also under great obli- 
 gations to Mr. Francis J. Troutar, who had 
 come down the river at this time, along - with 
 
84 THE RESCUE. 
 
 his mother-in-law and a few servants, to fish. 
 The good old lady took our three children to 
 her hut, supplied them with frocks and under 
 clothing, and treated them with the solicitude 
 and kindness of a mother, so as to merit our 
 warmest gratitude. 
 
 In the course of a few days, the effects of 
 our long fasting and exposure and fatigues 
 began to appear, and to make shocking havoc 
 on the persons of our people, in loathsome 
 bloaches on the face, and excessive swelling 
 of the arms and legs. The steward was par- 
 ticularly in a pitiable condition with his face, 
 and one of the cabin passengers was confined 
 to his couch. One of his legs burst, and his 
 hand was obliged to be laid open by a deep 
 incision of a razor, so that I was afraid at 
 one time, that he would not rally. In the 
 course, however, of four or five days, through 
 the unremitting nursing of the Dutchman's 
 family, and by the kind providence of God, 
 we all began to amend. Our recovery soon 
 revealed itself in an incessant craving for 
 food ; for some days it was almost impossible 
 
THE RESCUE. 85 
 
 to satisfy our intense appetite, and we were 
 in danger of creating a famine in the Dutch- 
 man's settlement, as a sheep was killed every 
 day for our use, and we consumed great 
 quantities of wheat, which we prepared for 
 boiling by pounding it in a mortar, and some- 
 times made into bread after grinding it in a 
 hand-mill. 
 
 On the 13th January I received a letter 
 from Mr. Rennyfield, civil commissioner, Clan 
 William, to meet him at Mr. Fryer's on the 
 following day, in company with Mr. Troutar. 
 We accordingly set off next morning, at five 
 o'clock, and as I was but an indifferent horse- 
 man, I was greatly exhausted by the ride. 
 The country in this quarter is chiefly sandy, 
 and blows with the wind like dust, but it is 
 thickly studded with sundry kinds of shrubs 
 and bushes, which are valuable for the feed- 
 ing of cattle and sheep. On reaching my 
 destination, I was most hospitably received 
 by Mr. Fryer, and his lady, and was happy to 
 find my lady passengers in good health and 
 spirits. The civil commissioner made full 
 8 
 
86 THE RESCUE. 
 
 arrangements with me for our journey to 
 Cape Town. I received a letter to produce 
 to each field cornet on the route, containing 
 instructions to provide us with w r aggons, and 
 to supply us with every necessary on the 
 road. Mr. Troutar, who was the field cornet 
 of the district, was to provide the waggons 
 and to be our conductor through the first 
 stage ; and our departure was arranged for 
 the 19th of January, by which time it was 
 hoped that our invalids would be so far reco- 
 vered as to bear the journey. 
 
 On the day appointed we prepared for our 
 departure amidst much bustle and confusion. 
 The yoking of fourteen or sixteen oxen in a 
 waggon is like getting an East India trader 
 under weigh, and the chattering of the Hot- 
 tentots in the excitement of the occasion was 
 quite amusing. The scene of separation with 
 our dear friends and deliverers was exqui- 
 sitely affecting. The kind Dutchman's fa- 
 mily were weeping aloud ; Mr. Troutar's 
 mother-in-law clung to our little orphan fa- 
 mily, and refused to part with them : even 
 
THE RESCUE. 87 
 
 the Hottentots could not refrain their tears. 
 I confess that I never felt myself so unman- 
 ned in my life, and it was only after an hour 
 had been wasted in ineffectual efforts to say 
 farewell, that by a desperate resolution we 
 at last tore ourselves away. They followed 
 us for a short distance, and then stood, and 
 waved their hands as long as we could see 
 them. Thus we parted from kind strangers, 
 who had entwined themselves around our 
 hearts in fondest endearments ; and while 
 memory holds her seat in our bosoms, I trust 
 that we shall never cease to pray for richest 
 blessings on the heads of our benevolent 
 friends of the Oliphant River. 
 
 We reached Mr. Fryer's at Donkin's Bay 
 about midnight, where our party was rejoined 
 by the ladies, and we remained in the enjoy- 
 ment of this excellent family's hospitality 
 until the next afternoon. Another painful 
 scene of leave-taking had here to be repeated, 
 and it was with difficulty that our ladies could 
 command themselves in parting, from one 
 who had proved so lavish in his generosity 
 
OO THE RESCUE. 
 
 to all of us in our distress. " May the Lord 
 reward him," and u think upon him for good," 
 according to all the kindness that he showed 
 unto us. 
 
 It would be tedious to enter into minute 
 details of our land journey to the Cape. It 
 presented all the usual adventures of that 
 tedious mode of travel ; — sometimes plough- 
 ing sandy deserts deep to the axles, — and 
 occasionally land-locked by an interminable 
 maze of tangled brushwood. Frequently we 
 lost our path in the darkness, the over-laboured 
 brutes were many times at a stand-still from 
 exhaustion, and scarcity of water ; and once 
 or twice, we had nearly suffered a second 
 shipwreck in the desert, to the great alarm 
 of the ladies, and not without the hazard of 
 broken bones. 
 
 Mr. Troutar accompanied us with his wag- 
 gons and cattle, through several dreary stages, 
 until we reached Mr. Vanzells' farm. This 
 gentleman was uncle to our worthy conduc- 
 tor; and also a field cornet. Here we obtained 
 fresh cattle, and started under a new convoy. 
 
THE RESCUE. 89 
 
 It was with extreme regret that we parted 
 from Mr. Troutar, whose kind and gentle- 
 manly deportment had endeared him to ns 
 all. I was also compelled to leave Mr. Harris 
 our cabin passenger here, under charge of 
 our surgeon, as he was so ill as to be unable 
 to proceed ; Mr. Yanzells promising to for- 
 ward both gentlemen to Cape Town on 
 horseback, so soon as Mr. Harris was able to 
 bear the journey. After travelling by uneasy 
 stages for several days, we crossed the Peak 
 Berg range of mountains, the Boers through- 
 out treating us with unvarying kindness, and 
 we furnishing much amusement to the inqui- 
 sitive and simple people, by the strangeness 
 of our dress, and speech, and psalmody. 
 
 At length on the 28th January at midnight, 
 we entered Cape Town, fatigued with our 
 iourneyings in the wilderness, and happy in 
 being able once more to mingle in the society 
 of our countrymen. The luxury of a good 
 bed, which for the first time 1 had here en- 
 ioyed, since leaving the ship, could not induce 
 me to sleep. The whole scene of dangers 
 

 90 THE RESCUE 
 
 and deliverances, through which the Lord 
 had led us, here rose vividly before my view, 
 and I could not refrain from giving fervent 
 thanks to Him, "who had not dealt with us 
 after our sins, nor rewarded us according to 
 our iniquities." He had indeed "chastened 
 us sore, but he had not given us over to 
 death ;" and we could adopt the language of 
 the Psalmist, "Thou, who hast showed us 
 great and sore troubles, shalt quicken us 
 again, and bring us again from the depths of 
 the earth." " So will we sing praises unto 
 thy name for ever." 
 
 Immediately after breakfast, on the morn- 
 ing of the 29th January, I waited on Colonel 
 Bell, at that time Deputy-Governor of the 
 Cape, and represented to him the miserable 
 condition in which my crew and passengers 
 were. He immediately sent for one of his 
 officers to accompany me to our lodgings, and 
 to make arrangements for the payment of 
 our board. Being in miserable plight for 
 want of clothing, I was at this time greatly 
 indebted to Captain Christie of London, who 
 
THE RESCUE. 91 
 
 presented me with an excellent suit of his 
 own. I had the pleasure, also, of meeting 
 an excellent friend in Dr. Brown (belong- 
 ing originally to my native town of Peter- 
 head), who took me to his own house, and 
 entertained me most hospitably during my 
 stay at the Cape. Meanwhile, the merchants 
 and gentlemen of the place opened a public 
 subscription on our behalf, which was hand- 
 somely headed by Colonel Bell, and soon 
 amounted to the sum of £120. By this 
 money, a sum equal to a month's wages, was 
 distributed in clothing to each of the crew, 
 and the passengers received a similar supply, 
 in equitable proportions, — the three children 
 being fully furnished with all necessaries for 
 the continuance of their voyage, and the 
 ladies being supplied with clothing and a 
 little money. I also received £10 of this 
 money, along with a letter of commendation, 
 and I am thus minute in detailing the bene- 
 volence of the people of Cape Colony, as it is 
 deserving, alike of personal gratitude and 
 public praise. 
 
92 THE RESCUE. 
 
 Every effort was now made to forward the 
 p issengers to their destinations, and to dis- 
 pose of the crew by drafting them into diffe- 
 rent ships. After a little exertion, this was 
 happily accomplished on behalf of all, with 
 the exception of two steerage passengers, 
 who preferred to accept of situations in the 
 colony. So soon as I had thus discharged 
 my obligations to the people under my care, 
 I began to think how to dispose of myself. 
 After various friendly offers of employment, 
 none of which exactly suited me, I finally 
 accepted of a passage home in a London 
 schooner belonging to Mr. Fletcher, and 
 bound to Bristol. My kind friends in Cape 
 Town affectionately accompanied me to the 
 ship, and, after taking grateful leave of them, 
 our vessel set sail for England, and in due 
 season, "by the good hand of my God upon 
 me," I returned in peace to the bosom of my 
 wife and family. 
 
 Thus terminated a voyage replete with 
 judgment and mercies. In the review of its* 
 "affliction and miserv — the wormwood and 
 
THE RESCUE. 93 
 
 the gall — my soul hath them still in remem- 
 brance, and is humbled within me.'' And 
 " may my right hand forget its cunning, and 
 my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth," 
 if I forget that "God who answered us in 
 the day of our distress, and was with us in 
 the way in which we went." I trust also 
 that the same spirit and resolution may abide 
 upon all the survivors of that disastrous voy- 
 age which appeared in the day of our cala- 
 mity. Even the most indifferent in religious 
 things there owned that it was " a good 
 thing to call upon God," and poured out a 
 prayer when his chastening hand was upon 
 them." May it never be said of any of us 
 that " we flattered him with our mouth, and 
 lied unto him with our tongues," or that " we 
 forgat God and remembered not his wonders." 
 The solemn professions which we then made 
 are still before his throne, and He will never 
 forget, however we may, the extraordinary 
 obligations under which we lie, to dedicate 
 our spared lives to His service. O that we 
 may every day perform the vows which " our 
 
94 THE RESCUE. 
 
 lipsuttered — our moutihs spake when trouble 
 was upon us ;" and that our future lives may 
 realize the holy resolution of the man of 
 God : " Thou hast delivered my soul from 
 death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from 
 falling ; therefore I will walk before the Lord 
 in the land of the living." 
 
 And surely this simple tribute to Divine 
 goodness carries with it a solemn message to 
 every reader's heart. How impressively does 
 it declare uncertainty of life, even in moments 
 of greatest seeming security. It was when 
 least expecting it, that the foregoing calami- 
 ties came. And who can tell how soon God 
 may disturb our dreams of security, by the 
 summons to the judgment seat ? " We 
 stand in jeopardy every hour." In a world 
 so full of sorrow and evil, we are daily expos- 
 ed to the visitation of death. And does it 
 not become us, in such circumstances, " to be 
 always ready — to have our loins girt, and our 
 lamps burning, and be like men that wait for 
 the coming of the Lord V O that we were 
 wise — that we understood this, that we would 
 
THE RESCUE. 95 
 
 consider our latter end." Sailors, above most 
 men, ought especially to cultivate this spirit 
 of habitual preparedness. Their calling pre- 
 eminently exposes them to peril, and they are 
 found " in deaths oft." The breeze that fills 
 their sails, and wafts them to their destina- 
 tion, may swell into tempest, and become 
 " the breath of the blast of Jehovah's nos- 
 trils " for their destruction. The ocean that, 
 spreads around them a peaceful pathway to 
 distant lands, may heave into huge and 
 hoary billows, that yawn only to engulf them 
 in its horrid grave. The very shore that 
 greets them with gladness after long absence, 
 may be changed into a scene of fatal ship- 
 wreck, and death find them at the very door 
 of supposed deliverance. Who does not feel 
 as he treads the deck of his gallant vessel, 
 that death is lurking near him in every ele- 
 ment that lies over, and around, and under- 
 neath his feet ; and that God is proclaiming, 
 at every moment, in all the voice of nature, 
 "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, 
 there is but a step between thee and death? 
 
96 THE RESCUE. 
 
 And can we be safe, in such circumstances, 
 to live in un preparedness for that which may 
 meet us the next moment, and must meet us 
 ere long ? Or ought we to feel satisfied, in 
 any circumstances, if we be living in a state 
 of enmity with God ? What can the sinner 
 do, and whither shall he flee, when judg- 
 ments overtake him 1 He cannot look up to 
 a neglected and angry God ; he dare not 
 look down upon an undone eternity ; nothing 
 remains for him but " a fearful looking for of 
 judgment and of fiery indignation to destroy 
 him as an adversary." Why, oh why, should 
 we live in such a state of defenceless danger 
 — exposed at every accident to the destroying 
 vengeance of heaven 1 Is not a divine Sa- 
 viour now offering us not only his protection, 
 but also his propitiation? The merit of his 
 sacrifice is able to screen all who confide in 
 it, not only from temporal danger, but also 
 from eternal destruction. Let us seek our 
 present safety, in acceptance with God, 
 through the blood of Immanuel ; and we 
 shall find our security from all future evils in 
 
THE RESCUE. 97 
 
 the covert of his covenant. Then, " though 
 we walk in the midst of trouble his right 
 hand will save us," and we shall face every 
 danger with a fearless confidence, while we 
 can exclaim — " The Lord of Hosts is on our 
 side, the God of Jacob is our refuge." For 
 Immanuel shall be "an hiding-place from 
 the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as 
 rivers of waters in a dry place, and as the 
 shadow of a great rock in a weary land." 
 
 If any truth be confirmed by the foregoing 
 narrative, it is the truth of God's word, that 
 " the Lord is good — a stronghold in the day 
 of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust 
 in him." The " profiting" of prayer in such 
 a case must " be apparent to all." It was the 
 smallest part of its advantages that it preserv- 
 ed order, and prevented excess, — that it filled 
 the fainting hearts of the crew and passen- 
 gers with courage, and renewed their strength 
 when they were sinking fast into despair. 
 It did more ; their eyes turned heavenward 
 in their helplessness, and they found a power 
 superior to their own, interpose for their deli- 
 9 
 
98 THE RESCUE. 
 
 verance. These poor men cried, and the 
 Lord heard them, and delivered them out of 
 all their distresses." If any reader should 
 doubt the truth of this conclusion, or deny it, 
 let him go and " prove God," by the same 
 means ; let him " in everything by prayer 
 and supplication make known his request to 
 God ;" and if his prayer be sincere the gra- 
 cious answer will be certain ; his own expe- 
 rience will but accord with the infallible tes- 
 timony of all ages. " Ye shall seek me and 
 find me, when ye shall search for me with all 
 your heart." "For this shall every 
 
 ONE THAT IS GODLY PRAY UNTO THEE IN 
 A TIME WHEN THOU MAYEST BE FOUND J 
 SURELY IN THE FLOODS OF GREAT WA- 
 TERS THEY SHALL NOT COME NIGH UNTO