Chapter I: Part 1

A
Voyage to South America,
WITH
AN ACCOUNT OF A SHIPWRECK
IN
THE RIVER LA PLATA,
IN
THE YEAR 1817.

By the Sole Surviver.

BOSTON:
PRINTED BY INGRAHAM AND HEWES
1826.

PREFACE.

The haste in which the former edition of this little journal was written and sent to the press, produced several errors and omissions, which, in this, I have endeavored to correct and supply; adding, also, a short account of the situation, population and customs of those places mentioned in the narrative.

No spectacle on earth, perhaps, which the eye of man can witness, is fraught with so much interest, sublimity and terror, and no situation is so awful and appalling, as a midnight shipwreck at sea. In my youth, I read, with unsatiated avidity, the voyages and disasters of the adventurous seaman, and I believe the desire for such information is planted in every human heart.

The remarkable event of one only surviving, in a total shipwreck, naturally awakens a curiosity to learn the particulars, and by what extra chances he alone fortunately reached the shore. The following is a tale of this complexion,

‘Torn from the bosom of the raging sea.’

A few words in its defence are now necessary. Several persons have indirectly expressed their disbelief, totally or in part, of the events I have related, and have probably been so induced, from a few strained expressions which occur in the relation. These should have been overlooked in a tale which should have been penned with

‘Thoughts that breathe and words that burn.’

That a ship of the name and description mentioned in these pages, sailed from such port, at such time, with such a company, and freighted with such a cargo, as I have described; that said ship never reached her port of destination; and that some time afterwards, the wreck of a large vessel was discovered on the shores of the La Plata; are facts which no one, I presume, will deny, for they can be easily and readily proved. If thus far is admitted, what remains to doubt?

It is the events, then, related in the interim, in which I was ultimately, and for some days, sole actor, which savors of the marvellous. But is it so incredible, that in a storm where twenty two perished in a short time and in a fearful manner, and but one escaped, that that one should be beset with peril, should win his way, with great difficulty, to the shore, and suffer the disasters he has attempted to describe? I have said thus much to destroy these surmises, which, though indirect and untenable, are grating to the feelings. The nature of this part of the case precluding the possibility of ocular evidence, I can only pledge, in support of its truth, my word of honor. All else relating to the ship may be confirmed by the testimony of several gentlemen now living in neighboring towns, who were merchants resident at Buenos Ayres at the time, and who were well acquainted with the transactions, which were never doubted there. But enough—while others may stagger at the story, and wonder that he alone should survive; with him, that he escaped at all, will be the theme of the greatest wonder, and of the deepest gratitude.

GEORGE FRACKER

NARRATIVE.

I sailed from New York in the ship Ocean, Captain. F., October, 1816, for the River of Plate. The patriot consul from the republic of Buenos Ayres, resident there, had contracted with and engaged a French officer of rank, with eighteen others, who were under his direction, for the service of his government. This personage had been formerly a colonel under Bonaparte, and commanded a regiment of Polish lancers—himself, by birth a Pole. He had accompanied Napoleon to Plymouth in the Bellorephon, and being denied a passage with him to St. Helena, left England, and sailed, with several inferior officers, to the United States. Here they were engaged, as before mentioned, by the envoy. Our ship was fitted out for their reception, and owned by Mr. H., then high sheriff of New York. Besides these, we had eight other Frenchmen as passengers, who were mechanics, architects, &c., and three Americans, comprising, with the ship’s crew, a goodly company of about forty seven persons. We loosed the sails, with a moderate breeze and fair, though somewhat hazy. Nothing material occurred till the third day out, when we experienced a storm, which lasted, with great violence, about three hours; about dark it abated. We had got the ship under snug sail, and wearied with the labor of the day, I retired with the chief mate below, intending to broach a wine pipe, of which we had two stowed on end, under the after hatchway, to drink farewell to our homes and success to our ship. On proceeding from the cabin, through a passage to the steerage, we discovered by the lantern, a face which I had not before recognised on board. The man was decently dressed, sitting between the water casks, picking a bone. On being interrogated, he told us he was an Irishman, of the name of O’Brien; that bad luck had brought him there, having lost his money; and that he had smuggled himself on board. I acquainted the captain with the discovery, and the affair terminated by setting him to work as cook’s mate; in which capacity he afterwards proved a very useful fellow. The interference of the French passengers in the affairs of the ship, gave us much trouble, for which the tars paid themselves on crossing the line.

It had been reported in the papers of the day, at New York, previous to our sailing, that the Portuguese had declared war against the patriots of the La Plata, had seized on Monte Video, and were blockading the port of Buenos Ayres. On Sunday morning, eighty two days out, we passed Monte Video, in full sight, with a stiff breeze. The day was bright and beautiful, and the appearance of this walled city as we were borne along upon the bosom of the majestic La Plata, was to us, who so long had seen nothing but the ocean and the sky, highly gratifying. Abreast of the harbor, lay a Portuguese seventy four and several frigates; we ran within cannon shot of the former, she firing one gun, which we did not regard, but continued our course in an oblique direction across the river, to gain the south channel. About four, P. M., we discovered the opposite shore, and ran within three miles of it, when we struck upon a shoal; the bottom, fortunately, was of soft mud, though the swell of the sea caused the ship to strike very heavily. We imagined it to be the Chico Bank, as we thought Point India Shoal, which, in fact, we were thumping upon, could not extend so far from the land; the helmsman was therefore ordered to keep the ship’s head in shore, in order to pass between the bank and the main; but this movement soon caused her to strike so heavily as to throw three or four off their legs, and much alarmed the passengers. On perceiving our error, we immediately braced round the sails and steered off shore, and after striking again several times, found ourselves once more in deep water. The navigation at this part of the river is very difficult and dangerous. Night approaching, we soon after lessened sail and came to anchor in about ten fathoms, and remained thus for the night.

At day break we again loosened the sails and proceeded up the river. Capt. F. and the general were upon the look-out aloft, greatly anxious for the result of this day’s proceedings; the Frenchmen dreading the Portuguese, and expecting hourly to be boarded by a man of war and taken prisoners, and the captain also concerned for the safety of his ship. At ten, A. M., they discovered, from aloft, several vessels, far ahead, which, enveloped partly in the floating mist of the morning, loomed like men of war. The merchant vessels in the outer roads of Buenos Ayres are discovered before you can see the city, from which they are distant eight or ten miles; where, also, is stationed, at all times, an English frigate or sloop of war. These, I assured the agitated Frenchmen, were the ships they now saw; but their fears construed them into the dreaded Portuguese squadron, and their opinion could not be shaken. The captain ordered the ship to be brought to. The sails were clued up, the anchor dropped, and the long boat hoisted out and got alongside. While doing this, I was sent for in the cabin, where the captain requested me to get in readiness, with four men, to go in the boat and take the French officers on shore. They seemed convinced, he said, that the ships ahead are enemies, and are willing to take the chance of landing here, rather than to fall into their hands. I received some dollars to pay expenses, immediately mustered the baggage of the soldiers, and with the general and nine others, pushed off from the ship and made for the shore, distant about five miles. We landed about four, P. M., running the boat on the beach, as she had leaked half full of water, and commenced unlading the cargo, which comprised all the officers’ trunks, bedding, armour, side arms, &c., and a small stock of provisions. These were carried through the bushes to an elevated spot, where there grew a thicket of small sized trees, by the help of which, the passengers began to erect a kind of arbor, while I left them, with two of the seamen, to explore the country, which, probably, before we landed, the human foot had never trod. The soil we found very wet, and almost impenetrable from the thick growth of tall reeds. I saw, over the rushes, afar off, a rising ground and a tree, and thinking it would be a good place for further observations, I resolved to gain it. Our only method of advancing was by parting the rushes on each side with our arms, and breaking through the bushes or creeping under the small trees, which grew here in the thick luxuriance of unmolested nature. But for the greatest distance, our only method of progressing was, to lay ourselves at length on the rushes and pressing them to the ground, to proceed again alternately. We gained, at last, the desired eminence, and I ascended the tree, but could perceive nothing of a habitation or cattle, though we had seen the prints of animals’ feet.

By the time we returned, we found the wind, which had been increasing, now blew a gale on shore; a large surf was rolling in upon the beach, which at once convinced us of the impossibility of making our way through it in our leaky boat, back to the ship; we were therefore compelled to make the best of necessity, and to remain on shore; I directed the men to bring the boat into a small cove which made into the land, and the anchor to be carried up the beach and secured. She then rode in her little bay in safety. It now began to thicken around and to grow dark and tempestuous, which urged us to turn our thoughts to the means of shelter and comfort, during what foreboded a dreary, cold and stormy night. We took a scanty supper of some cold ham and ship bread, and one bottle of brandy, which nearly consumed our stock of provisions; then, at the suggestion of the general, all hands turned to in cutting down armfuls of the long rushes which grew so thick around, to serve for beds, and in breaking down the branches of decayed trees, &c., for fuel. The ground was every where very wet, and no dry spot could be found; these rushes we strewed very thickly on the ground, in the most open place we could find, in the form of a circle, upon which we were to repose. In the centre of this we made half a dozen large fires, and then set the watch, myself and four seamen, as we concluded to let the soldiers do as best pleased them, which watch was to commence at twelve, midnight, till which time I was to keep guard; after which, the sailors two hours each, till morning. This was necessary in order to keep the fires replenished, for it was freezing cold, to protect us from wild beasts, and to take care of our boat. At twelve I called the next in turn and laid down, to try the experiment, if weariness could repose upon a flint, for I had a stone for my pillow, or what was worse, upon the wet ground. I had no outside covering, neither had the seamen, but labor compelled us to sleep. I awoke about day-light, and my feelings were indescribable; the morning was boisterous, the fires were wholly extinct, and had been so a long time. The men from fatigue had fallen into a deep sleep, and snoring around. I attempted to rise, but was surprised to find my limbs so stiff and nerveless; my senses too seemed almost as stiff as my bones, I felt light headed, and half crazy, the effect of sleeping on wet ground. I walked round in search of the general, who was lying with his associates in a cluster, on the opposite side of the fires, well sheltered from the severity of the night and the earth, by their mattresses, and ample coverings of surtouts, cloaks and wrappers. I acquainted him of my intention of returning on board the ship. He then pencilled a note to Captain F. informing him he was resolved to endeavor to penetrate by land to Ensenada, and from whence, should he arrive there, to send down a conveyance for his men. We then pushed off with the boat, and after a long and strong pull reached the ship; on entering on board we found but two men, the captain and cook; the seamen wearied by the preceding night’s fatigue, had turned in. Many congratulations passed at meeting again, with the seamen, as each party knew it had been a hard night to both. A part of one cable was hauled in upon the forecastle. The captain informed me he had lost the best bower, and was resolved to remain no longer in the river with but one anchor; he requested me, therefore, to take the remaining Frenchmen on shore and make for Ensenada by land or water, as soon as convenient. As the wind was fair up the river, he should directly weigh and set sail, stating that if once rid of the troublesome Frenchmen he had nothing to fear.

The remaining party was soon collected and seemed unwilling to go on shore through fear of falling into Portuguese hands. These we likewise landed on the beach, being all the French passengers. The ship immediately threw out her sails and was soon out of sight. Most of these officers had been troublesome guests, and were discontented, insolent, and heartily disliked by the ship’s company; but one of a captain’s rank, was of a different mould; he was frank and intelligent, fine form and features, and by his gentlemanly deportment, and many virtues, had endeared himself throughout the passage to us Americans. To him, in Spanish, on stepping on shore, I addressed myself relative to our situation and prospects. The general with his servant had left them in the morning to penetrate his way to Ensenada, as before intended. While speaking to this officer, a quarrel had arisen between his comrades and the four sailors, which we endeavored to quell. The captain remonstrated in vain, and they had proceeded to blows, and the first party being now joined by the others, were running for their arms, which hung on the arbor above, and serious consequences were likely to ensue. I therefore deemed it prudent to leave them to their fate, and hastily shook hands with my friend, and ordered the men to jump into the boat and pull away. It was instantly done, and we had gained a considerable distance before our adversaries had reached the beach. Astonished at this sudden and unexpected movement, they hallooed and loaded us with threats and imprecations; but disregarding all, we laid in our oars, and hoisted a large lug mainsail, and kept foaming on our way, the wind being fresh and fair; and shaping our course for Ensenada, we kept steadily along the shore, though at a considerable distance from it, on account of shoals. I had previously been in the above place four years before, in 1812; I was well acquainted with the entrance, the several creeks, and a number of the villagers. In a short time after our departure with the boat, while sailing rapidly with a stiff breeze, one of our men discovered abreast of us, on a pole, a signal of a white handkerchief, displayed in one of the nooks or windings of the beach. I directly stood in shore to ascertain what was meant, and as we neared the strand, we discovered to our great surprise, the party of artizans which we had last landed from the ship, and who had left us immediately on landing, to plod their way on foot along shore, to our place of destination. So great was their eagerness to reach the boat, that many waded up to their chins in water, and nearly capsized us in their hurry to tumble on board. They gave us a direful account of their progress over the rocks, puddles, flints, &c. of the beach, having to trudge barefoot, with their shoes in their hands, as the ground was so interrupted and broken, that they were often up mid-deep in water in wading from one point of land to another. Indeed the contortions of faces, and lacerated feet, gave strong evidence of very rough treatment. After a rapid run of about an hour, we saw the entrance of Ensenada, and by cutting through a small creek across a point of land, soon found ourselves in the channel; by the appearance of the rushes it was nearly high water, and we soon pulled up along side of a dismantled ship, and saw several others. I directly ascended on board, but found no one on deck; on entering the cabin, I saw at the bottom of the companion way, a foreigner smoking his cigaro de papel. I inquired in Spanish what ship, &c. and if the Portuguese were blockading Buenos Ayres? ‘Nothing like it,’ he answered in Portuguese, but that they had possession of Monte Video, and a small squadron there. Highly gratified with this intelligence, and eased of our apprehensions, we left her and struck into a small creek which led up to the village; here we lowered the mainsail, and took to the oars, as the creeks are here very irregular and narrow, and we in rowing struck each bank with our oars. After pulling about a quarter of a mile, we fell in with a boat with two persons in the stern, and rowed by two seamen, who, with the boat, looked like American. I instantly recognised one of the gentlemen as a Mr. B., who I had formerly been well acquainted with in Buenos Ayres. ‘Where in the name of wonder, my friend,’ he asked, ‘are you from, with that dismal set of fellows?’ ‘From New York,’ I replied. ‘What! in that boat?’ (for he had seen no ship) ‘Oh no! we landed a score of Frenchmen about four leagues below, for fear of the Portuguese, and the passengers are some of them, which we picked up along shore.’ The boats were now alongside together, and my friend B. introduced me to Captain B., of the ship A., of Baltimore, then lying in the channel waiting freight. He advised me to proceed to the captain of the port, Mr. J., to whose house they were then going, and report myself. I thought myself fortunate in falling in, by chance, with such good company, and on landing, we took the direct path to the captain of the port’s house. This part of the country is extremely low and level, insomuch as two feet above the usual tides would inundate the country for many miles around. The houses are thinly scattered, and the people sociable and friendly. But I shall defer a further description for the present, and continue the story. To this officer, the captain of the port, the second in consequence in the village, and an American, I introduced myself, and briefly related the occurrences which brought us into Ensenada; after some conversation, we proceeded towards the landing place to procure accommodations for the men, whom I left in the boat, awaiting my return. In passing by a pulperia, or small tavern, (where they sell groceries, and can occasionally supply beds and victuals to the lower classes) we were soon apprised by their noisy shouts of mirth, that they were within, regaling themselves upon the publican’s vino-carlon and sausages, and congratulating themselves on falling in with so snug a birth after the stormy nights at sea. The port officer agreed with the pulpero for the daily supply and lodgings for the men while we should remain at Ensenada. From thence we visited the commandant, who lived about half a mile from the creek. Here we found a small party of soldiers, through which we passed, and were ushered into the presence of the chief magistrate. He appeared to be about fifty years of age, very corpulent, with a fat, contented face. After hearing the story, every thing was in motion. The landing, within his jurisdiction, of a score of friends from America, was an important affair, and happened but rarely in this quiet village, where, in general, the greatest stretch of his abilities and power consisted in stifling the tumultuous rows of the sailors from the ships, on Sundays, or signing passports for Buenos Ayres. In conjunction with Mr. J., he procured guides, horses, riders and carts, to proceed in search of the abandoned party. As they were officers sent out by the consul for the patriot army, he wisely considered they had a claim upon his services and assistance.

The next morning at day break, the caravan of carts set out from the magistrate’s in quest of the absent party, with orders to lose no time, but to proceed till they found them, and to bring them to his house forthwith. I now took up my abode at the house of Mr. J., where I remained during my stay in this place. During the forenoon of the following day, the carts returned with the wanderers. They were found in a miserable plight, near a swamp, from which they had just extricated themselves, covered with sweat and mud, and nearly exhausted from fatigue and hunger. They were kept partially guarded at the commandant’s house till an answer to his express should arrive from Buenos Ayres, to which place he had written, relating the strange manner of their falling into his hands. On the evening of the third day, the much expected letters arrived. The captain of the port had instructions to permit myself and crew to depart at pleasure, and the commandant had directions to pay every attention to the French officers, and to furnish means to conduct them to Buenos Ayres. Early the next morning, receiving a passport from the captain of the port, and a small basket of provisions, to which we added a jug of wine and keg of water, we started in our boat, (myself and the four seamen) for Buenos Ayres. We pulled away at the oars for about three miles, till we had doubled a point of land, when we hoisted a sail, and were able, with the wind, to make a stretch up the river. We kept wholly along shore, and in about five hours sail, discerned the merchantmen in the offing of Buenos Ayres, and passed the English frigate and native guard brig without molestation. After passing the small craft in the inner roads to windward, in a passage of six and a half hours, we landed at the Mole-Head. This is the only landing place, saving the custom house, of the port. There are no piers or wharves, and the shore, or river side, is wholly occupied by washer-women, who line the whole surface of the beach, and who, with their black limbs and snow-white clothes spread around, present a busy and singular appearance. I procured lodgings for the men at a house in the street near the beach, and then went in search of the captain, who I presumed was ashore, as we had seen the ship in the outer roads; but he had not yet landed. In the afternoon, however, I fell in with him near the Mole, having just landed. In the morning a pilot was procured and we went on board; and that day the ship, after losing her long boat, which filled and swamped while under way, and broke her fast, was brought in to an anchor in the inner roads.

On the twenty second of February, Washington’s birth day, a phenomenon took place at Buenos Ayres, which will ever be remembered by those who witnessed it, and which I believe has never been recorded. On the morning of that day, while lying off from the shore about three quarters of a mile—the men being employed, as usual, in washing the decks, being about half past seven, and the sun two hours high—‘Jack,’ says one of the men to his shipmate, after he had thrown his bucket of water, and was observing the weather, ‘what means that cloud of dust in the wake of the town, yonder?’ Before the question could be answered by his comrade, however, the uncommon appearance of this dense body of dust, and the wild appearance of the sky, had rivetted the eyes of all on board. ‘Stand by the cable tier!’ vociferated the chief mate; ‘jump down and be ready to pay out—bear a hand, my hearties, here’s a pampero coming, driving the world before him.’ The black cloud of dust now rising and expanding in awful grandeur, and extending over half the horizon, rapidly approached us, immediately followed by an immense shroud of impenetrable darkness, which rose beneath and followed it. As the ship lay broadside to the shore, I was proceeding from midships to the helm, in order to bring her head to wind; but I was arrested in my progress by total darkness and the tremendous blast, which at once, struck the ship and nearly capsized her, and had to secure myself by clenching the railing. This is indeed a phenomenon, I exclaimed to the chief mate; what comes next? but astonishment kept him and all others deprived, for the time, of speech. Here, for a few moments, was a grand and awfully sublime spectacle; on one side of us was a body of almost palpable darkness, and on the other, the fair light of heaven. Expecting momently to be blown to the other regions, we waited, breathlessly, the result of this wonder of nature for about twenty minutes, when the field of darkness passed through, and was driven beyond us to the other side, and in its vacancy the light slowly returned; thus we had repeatedly light on one side and darkness on the other. On discerning the features of each other, we were surprised at their ludicrous complexion; a sooty black dust had overspread our faces, and rendered our appearance like that of negroes. On recovering from our surprise, we found we had sustained no other damage than dragging our anchors a few cables length; but other vessels, near us before, we scarcely could recognise, they had drifted so far. The remainder of the day was boisterous and rainy, attended with heavy thunder and lightning. The sailors considered this event as a voice of Providence, and the carpenter piously believed it a judgment on the sinful inhabitants of the land. In the city, a greater degree of consternation prevailed. Many, at the time, were in the streets, going and returning from market; but the sudden absence of light compelled every one to remain as he was caught, with caravans of mules, droves of horses, &c., while milk boys, priests and begging friars, dropped on their knees and earnestly implored the protection of the saints.

In April, the ship having altered her destination, I obtained a release, not choosing to return home, and desirous of seeing more of the world. Soon after, meeting with an old acquaintance, a sea captain, he proposed to me a birth in a good ship, soon to sail to Valparaiso, in the Pacific, doubling Cape Horn, and from thence westwardly to Canton, and returning by the way of the Cape of Good Hope, thus completing the circumnavigation of the globe, or the sailing round the world. This was just what I wished, and which would occupy, probably, twenty or twenty four months. While making preparations, however, news arrived from the Pacific, detrimental to the sale of the cargo they were receiving on board, which was matte or yerba, (Paraguay tea) which they were obliged to discharge; and much to my mortification the voyage was altered. In the month of May, however, I entered as second officer on board of this ship, the Jane, Captain William Seaboth, bound to Brazil, with a cargo of hides. Our departure was sometime retarded by striking on the bar, in going out, which damaged our rudder and detained us nearly six weeks. Towards the middle of June, however, we again set sail, and after a pleasant passage of twenty days, came to anchor in the harbor of Rio Janeiro. Here we had to remain nearly two months, for freight. We succeeded at last in procuring it, consisting of nearly two hundred pipes of wine, several hundred barrels of flour, tobacco in baskets, crockery ware, dry goods, salmon and Irish butter in kegs, salchina, or salt pork, which is the side of a hog rolled up hard and put in a basket of the shape of a meal bag, &c. &c.; a very full cargo. We had on board five passengers, two of them Spaniards, a German, an Englishman and an American, as follows: Senior Monasteria, an eminent engineer, whose wife and four children were living in Buenos Ayres, of which he was a valuable citizen, aged about forty five; Senior Barras, a resident of Rio, of a weak constitution, who had undertaken this passage on account of his low state of health, and about twenty years of age. On the day of our departure from Rio, his father, an aged Spaniard, who resided there, came on board to see that every thing was prepared for his comfort, and to take a farewell of his only son. Mynheer Mann, a German gentleman, who had been for some years a resident of Rio Janeiro, and had before freighted vessels and taken passage in them from thence to Monte Video; he was a man of middle age, of prepossessing appearance, a gentleman and a scholar, and possessing the milk of human kindness in an eminent degree. Francis Summers, a North Briton, aged about thirty, who had likewise long resided in Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, and Rio Janeiro, and had many acquaintances in all those places; he was strong and athletic, of enterprising habits, and his loss was deeply lamented. Lastly, Mr. Tiernay, an American, (naturalized) who, I believe, was a native of France, the language of which he spoke with ease; he was a large and well proportioned man, of great information, and easy and sociable manners. He had left Baltimore about a year previous, with a freight, which he advantageously disposed of at Rio, and on the arrival of the Union, Captain P., of Boston, purchased about four hundred barrels of flour and put on board of our vessel, which would have brought a great price at Monte Video had our ship reached the port.

Our captain was by birth a Dane, a large and corpulent man, a perpetual smoker, a great eater, drank nothing but water, talked but little and played admirably upon the piano forte, having one in his state room. He was a man of a most phlegmatic and easy temper, upon which fair weather or foul, bad luck or good, could make no perceptible impression. The slaves were freshly imported, untamed sons of Angola; the seamen, (Swedes and Englishmen) much like all other sailors, careless, illiterate, rough and honest. We were plentifully stocked with provisions and liquors of all kinds, such as wine, oranges, poultry, pigs, two goats for milking, three monkies for mischief, a dog, a cat, and about twenty parrots and paraquitos. Thus comfortably provided, in the morning of the third of September, 1817, we were wafted out of the harbor by a cheering breeze from the land, in company with six or eight sail of large Portuguese Indiamen, two English ships for Lima, an English schooner for Monte Video, and an American ship (the Diomede, of Salem, Captain Page) for Buenos Ayres, and several coasting sumacos.

The view of this part of the Coast of Brazil, near the entrance of this harbor is, perhaps, no where surpassed in point of majestic grandeur and beauty. The cloud capp’t—but of this in another place. Nothing of consequence occurred during the passage, till within about fifty leagues of the mouth of the La Plata. About ten, A. M., on the fourteenth of September, a man at work aloft arrested the dull, monotonous sounds of the winds and waves, by the cry of sail ho! It was the first time we had heard that ever welcome exclamation, and we were eager now to approach and hail the supposed vessel. The helmsman was directed to keep in a direct course for the sail. With a stiff breeze and fair wind we rapidly neared it, when it began to assume a different appearance—the sails and masts were no longer visible. The hull, however, was still plainly seen, and looked like the wreck of some large vessel, and some, by the help of glasses, affirmed they could distinctly perceive her broken timbers. This was the general belief, nor were we undeceived till we were within hail of it, when the supposed hull of a foundered frigate, proved to be but the wreck of a prodigious South Atlantic whale! From his appearance, he had been dead a long while; he had opened, on the upper surface, his whole length, and presented an immense yawning breach, on each side of which, appeared his large ribs and bones. He lay in an inclined position, which prevented the swelling surge from entering and filling him, though it would dash in a foam around him; this gave him, even at a moderate distance, the appearance of a large wreck. A vast number of sea birds had alighted upon him, and with large shoals of various fish, were eagerly assisting to devour him.

The next day we fell in with and spoke the English brig Mary, from Liverpool, bound to Buenos Ayres, seventy three days out. It being about meridian, with fair weather and smooth sea, we gave the captain an invitation to dine with us, which he accepted; and, accordingly, we backed topsails and lay too, the brig doing the same, when we lowered the boat from the stern, conducted him on board of us, hoisted up the boat, filled the sails again and then bore away. This commander was dressed, as English captains frequently are at sea, in a check shirt, short jacket, leather cap, and tarry trowsers. A novice could not have distinguished him from one of his crew; he was, however, sociable and friendly, had brought a fine large Cheshire cheese with him, and took in return a half dozen of wine. The next day we lost sight of him, he being light and a faster sailer. The morning was rather hazy when we entered the river, which we knew we were in, by the changed color of the water. The land was soon plainly seen, stretching low from Cape St. Mary up the river, with the sandy beaches, trees, and hills. We passed Lobos, or Seal Island, about nine, A. M. These seals or sea wolves appeared at this time in greater numbers here, than I had ever seen them. We passed Moldonado, a small town, about eleven—continuing our course up the river with a light but fair wind, till towards sunset, when the fog still becoming more dense, the wind increasing and night approaching, it was determined to haul off shore for several miles, and thus gain an offing for anchorage during the night. We accordingly came to anchor about fifteen miles below Monte Video, our first destined port to the leeward of Flores, or Isle of Flowers—the wind now blowing fresh from the south east. At eight o’clock, the gale increasing very fast, we payed out a long scope of cable, and she seemed for the present to ride easy, and with much less straining. Between this time and nine o’clock, while supper was preparing below, and the crew in the forecastle, the captain and myself, with his inseparable solace, a cigar, were walking the quarter deck, balancing ourselves to the roll and plunges and lurches of the vessel; conversing upon the events of the passage, the character of our passengers, and on the happy prospects of breakfasting next morning in Monte Video. In concluding the conversation, Captain S., after looking around upon the portentous sky and troubled waves, made the following memorable observation. ‘But keep a good look out to-night, Mr. F., and tend well the cable, for if we drive ashore here, we are all lost.’ We then descended the cabin, giving charge to the watch, and sat down with light and still happy hearts, to supper. Happy were we all in the idea of being so near the end of our voyage—but how unconscious that the supper we partook of, was the last to be taken, and that six brief hours should end the voyage of life with all, save one. Little, for my own part, did I dream of or presage its sad reality. I had formed plans, which, on shore with my adventurers, were brilliant in prospective, and I indulged in pleasing reveries. After the removal of the cloth, wine was passed around, and the cabin at this time presented a group of happy and expecting mortals, who, after the dangers of the ocean, and almost in hail of their homes, were congratulating themselves upon the fair prospect of the pleasures before them.

I ascended on deck, to observe the weather before I turned in. The gale still continued to increase—the ship pitching very heavily, plunging bows under, and wet from fore to aft by the sea and the spray. After seeing all snug, and leaving the deck in charge of the officer of the watch, I descended, and turned into my hammock, stripping off only my outer great jacket. At twelve, midnight, after passing a sleepless and anxious watch below, with sensations as strange and uneasy as the laboring motions of the ship, I came upon deck to relieve the watch. I went forward and examined the cables at the hawse holes, to see if the canvas or service needed renewing from the chafing; and seeing all was well, I returned to the quarter deck, to the lead line. The watch which had been relieved, had retired and turned in, and myself, boatswain and four men, remained as the watch on deck. The ship was rolling and pitching most laborsome, as the weather current was very strong. ‘An uncomfortable night this, sir,’ said the boatswain, who was a great talker, ‘and infernal cold for a warm country—faith, I must button up my monkey, and secure my tarpaulin, if we are to stand this weather here on deck for four hours. Whew! this is a snorter; and we must keep well aft, or else a sea from over the bows there, will throw us off our legs, or a spray give us a drencher to freshen our eyelids. D—n her, how she jumps and pitches; well, for my part, give me a ship under sail, with the wind a-beam to steady her, instead of lying here at anchor, where she tumbles about like a chip in a frog pond.’ The moon was now about half an hour high. From the feeling of the lead, I was fearful that the ship had been, and was still fast drifting. The motion of the vessel and strong current, prevented my knowing this to a certainty—while at the line, I observed an unusual white foam to the leeward, and remarked it to the boatswain. He replied, he thought it no more than the curling tops of the waves. Not satisfied with this, I went aft into the yawl over the stern, and was soon convinced they were that dread of sailors, breakers, and not far from us. I quickly went below, and awoke the captain, who was in a secure and profound sleep! by violently shaking him; and with a loud cry of ‘breakers!’ aroused the passengers. I then went forward to get ready another anchor, and several men were clearing the cable tier below. The captain had just gained the deck, when, at quarter past twelve, the vessel struck. The shock sunk upon the hearts of those on board, like the summons for sudden death—and with reason. All knew that while the ship rode clear of the ground, they were in safety; but the moment she struck, their minutes were numbered, and death inevitable. Those below were directly alarmed by the shock, and hurried affrighted to the deck. Another blow soon followed—then another, and another, still more heavy. A heavy sea soon struck over the bows, and knocked down several seamen, and obliged them to retreat to the quarter deck. The seas began now to break over the whole weather side, and all were palsied with horror on looking around at the awful, prospect—the tremendous surge, and the fate which could not be shunned. The passengers and seamen had all reached the deck, excepting the carpenter, who lay sick in his hammock in the steerage—some, in nothing but their shirts, and all half dressed, or with some clothes in their hands. On seeing their perilous situation, the clothes were dropped, and they secured their hold to the rigging—the ship continually striking. The captain ordered the steward to secure some articles in the cabin; he descended, but soon came up with the dismal tidings that every thing was adrift and the cabin full of water. ‘Cut away the masts! cut away the masts!’ he then cried out. I went forward to the carpenter’s chest; I asked several for the axe. ‘We don’t know of any axe, sir,’ was the answer. ‘Lord have mercy upon us.’ The seas now forced all to secure their holds. Young Summers had gained the weather main shrouds, nearly naked and drenched by every sea. ‘Fracker, where are you,’ he exclaimed, in a voice of despair. ‘Here am I, Frank,’ I replied, holding on with the rest—‘God only can help us now.’ One sailor alone, delirious with horror that stupified others, was loud in his cries of despair. Irritated at such cowardice in one who had been a bullying, boisterous fellow, I told him hastily to stop his clamors, and not thus to discourage others; that if he wished to save himself, it must be by exertion, and not lamentation; and that the ship could, possibly, hold together till day-light. But the others stood inanimate; and despair and horror at their inevitable fate, deprived them of all motion, speech or sensation of danger. The seas at this time were making complete cataracts over every part of the ship, and perceiving I should soon have to commit myself to the waves, I threw off my pea jacket and hat into the sea. Most of the crew and passengers were holding firmly on the different parts of the quarter deck, and three or four naked, shivering wretches, had ventured partly up the shrouds, clinging with ghastly looks to the ropes, as their last hold, from which the merciless waves were tearing them in succession, and they were instantly overwhelmed and buried in their bosoms.

From the time she had first struck, the sea had so completely burst over us, that it rendered every effort of endeavoring to help ourselves, useless and dangerous—in our first intentions of cutting the cables, making some sail, or, at the worst, to cut away the masts, and driving as fast as possible on shore. Such, indeed, was its sudden violence, that nothing was soon thought of but to attempt to hold on as long as possible, and all other efforts were impracticable and abandoned. Ten or twelve of us, at this time, were holding on to the weather quarter rail; every sea, a solid body of water, to which at its approach we presented our bare heads, would immediately wash us off our legs horizontally, at arm’s length, and the comrade at my side, with several others, were torn from their grasp, and hurled and buried amid the wreck and water.

Finding it impossible to stand this suffocating drenching any longer, and my arms weak from such powerful stretching, I watched my chance, after a prodigious surge roared over me, loosed my hold, seized the mizen backstay, climbed over the heads of some who were clinging to the rigging, and happily gained the mizen top, advising the rest to follow, as I was certain no man could stand the force of such terrific seas five minutes longer. Here, in the mizen top, in the interval of the ship’s striking, I fell to thrashing myself, and preparing for the waves. My body and limbs had become much benumbed, from the severe drenching below, and my feet were entirely without feeling. I took off my shoes and began to beat the soles of my feet with them; by which means, and by violently thrashing my body with my arms, I succeeded, at last, in circulating the blood, and rendering myself once more warm. While aloft, I drew out my knife and cut away the gaskets which confined the mizen topsail, wishing, by this, to drive her further towards the shore, which I could not yet discover. I also succeeded in cutting away several of the lanyards of the topmast rigging, hoping that the topmast might go over and leave the mizenmast standing till the last, to hold on to; but this was unavailing, as the keel having been beat off, the masts ultimately gave way in the steps.

I looked down below, and beheld, with varied emotions, and not without a degree of painful pleasure, a shipwreck, in which the fearful and the sublime were strongly blended. It was a sight from which I could not wish to avert my eyes, though I would have given worlds, at the same moment, for a foothold of safety. Holding on to the topmast rigging, and bending over the top, I watched, with straining eyes, the scene of death and destruction, so busily and clamorously carried on beneath me. Of those whom I had left grasping the quarter rail, I saw the three last washed from their holds, who soon met death. The mainmast having topgallant yard across, likewise fell over the side, and unluckily the wrong side, being to windward, off shore, which I was sorry to see, the ship laying broadside to the waves, and heeled much to windward. The moon had not yet set, and though obscured, enabled me to see, distinctly, the dire effects of the tempest. The long boat was forced from her head gripes and fastenings, and forced round, end on, to the sea; a second wave struck her stern, and instantly her fragments and contents were thrown beyond me, and the small boat, astern, instantly after, followed, borne on the top of a sea, with all her appendage of davils, tackles and lashings. The foremast, I imagined, would now speedily fall, as from its rolling I supposed its step was gone, as the ship beat heaviest at the fore part; but on the contrary, I soon found myself going over with the mizen mast, which fell and carried me along with it. I was plunged into the sea, and received a few scratches and bruises, but happily extricated myself from beneath the ropes, got round the top, and crawling down by the upper rigging, with difficulty regained the ship.

I was now beset on all sides with conflicting timber, but was happily well aware of the danger that threatened me. I found every plank of the main deck washed off and in pieces—the bulwarks stripped and gone fore and aft, and pipes of wine, tierces, barrels of flour and kegs of butter, hencoops, crates and spars, added to the general wreck. In jumping from the rail to gain the lee side, I fell among this ruin, but had hitherto felt only one or two severe bruises. A tremendous wave now broke over the quarter, and sweeping every thing before, carried me along with some large spars forward, when my right leg was struck by one of them, and jambed in between that and a deck beam, at the joint of the knee, which was instantly crushed, and held as in a vice, immoveable. My situation was now for two minutes most critical, and frightfully dismaying—another sea was roaring towards me. The blow I received had almost severed my limb, though I felt no pain. The next minute the surrounding timber would infallibly be washed in a storm around my head and body, and I momently expected it. By a providential rise of the water, I was enabled to catch hold of the lee rail, screwed out my leg, dodged under the rail, tumbled into the sea, and the wave roared harmless over my head! I did this, not in the hope of reaching the shore, for I thought, indeed, it was not within many miles; but resolving to hasten my end, and preferring to die in the open sea, and especially to avoid a death by piecemeal—by crushing now and then a joint or a limb. I had heard the groans of two or three others, and among them, the voice of the commander; their bones, probably, mostly broken, who had escaped being carried off by the waves, and who were, I presumed, but just alive. These, I believed, were all that still remained of this ill-fated company. After I had plunged into the sea, and rose, I held on, for a moment, to the upper timbers, which were all that was left of the ship, and those loosening, to recover breath. I soon quitted and began to strip, which was a difficult operation for a person in my then situation, as my leg hung down, like a rope, useless in the water, and I had on a thick jacket, two pair of duck trowsers, and neckerchief, a black Barcelona. While effecting this, some one, (and the only one I discovered) clinging to the timbers, was suddenly washed from his hold, and extending his arms, his right hand came in contact with my neckerchief, which he convulsively grasped, and we sunk together! Pushed for breath myself, it was no time for ceremony—the next hold I perhaps could not disengage, and an attempt to assist him would only ensure certain death to both; I therefore quickly pulled the end of my neckerchief, the knot being fortunately with a bow, and he sunk with it in his hand, and the waves closed over him forever. I presumed he was a passenger, from his white shirt, and from his stout appearance, the Senior Monasteria or Mr. Tiernay. While under water, I in a moment stripped, and again rose to the surface, divested of all covering but my shirt. My leg, I felt, was powerless, and in stripping off my trowsers, the twisting of it gave a degree of pain, besides which, I had several scratches and bruises; through these, the chilling coldness of the water struck to the heart.