into the Azores This rather fanciful engraving of an earlier storm in Captain Samuels' career vividly shows the beauty and terror of a ship fighting for her life, swept by raging seas.
food which I should have taKen to sustain me. My leg was kept cool by constant applications of cold cloths. I had excellent nursing from the s t ~wardess, and from the purser. The latter had been with me on several voyages, and I had taught him some navigation. He could mark the ship's position, and bring it to. me for verification. On the fifth morning a French ship hove in sight, bound east. She answered our signals of distress by sending her boat along-side with the chief officer. They had no doctor on board . I could not prevail upon him to undertake to tow us in, nor could he induce me to leave the ship, although he expected to be in Bordeaux in four day . He kindly agreed to take a hawser from us, and turn our ship' s head to the southward, when, with sails properly trimmed, we could make towards Fayal while building a second rudder. From nine o'clock in the morning until three in the afternoon we undertook to run him a line, but in vain. There is no doubt that this was bad seamans hip, for at times the Frenchman would pass so close to our jibboom that a man could have jumped on board. I sent for the second mate and our herculean boatswain, and ordered the former to take charge of the ship, and the latter to support him . I had no confidence in my first officer. My whole trouble I believed had been caused by his incompetency . It had occurred through his failure to have the sails properly handled, which made it necessary for me to leave the quarterdeck . The boatswain went into the boat with a fresh crew and reached the French ship while the second mate paid out the line, to which a hawser was attached. The Frenchman at once hauled in , when by some chance the hawser kinked, and the line parted. The excitement of the day was almost too much for me. Night was closing in fast. The Frenchman sent his boat along-side with his compliments, and said that he regretted to leave me, but could waste no more time. He urged me once more to go on board his ship. I wrote letters home, and to our agents in New York and Liverpool. To the latter I sent for Mr. Bursley, who I knew was due at Liverpool. I gave the letters to the Frenchman to post. After thanking him SEA HISTORY, FALL 1978
we parted, he with the happy thought that he would soon reach home and expectant ones, while I suffered the torments of hell. Inflammation had attacked my leg, I believe, through my sheer worry at finding myself so utterly helpless. But my suffering was my second thought my first was how to get the ship into Fayal. The wind was still fresh from the westward, with a smooth sea. Another jury-rudder had been begun. During the first watch I decided to back her towards the island until the rudder was built. I sent for the second officer, who had charge of the deck, to instruct him to back the yards, trim and furl such headsails as the occasion required, and give
her a steady sternboard. This was successful, and we backed on a southerly course at the average of three and a half knots an hour, for by observation we found that we had made one hundred and eighty-three miles in fifty-two hours. Then the wind died away, and the sea became smooth, giving us an excellent opportunity to ship the rudder, which was successfully done. Again a light wind favored us from the westward, and continued until we arrived at the island on the evening of the fourteenth day after the accident.
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From
Samuel Samuels',
From the Forecastle to the Cabin (New York, Harper & Brothers, 1887). 55