Narrative of a Voyage to India; of a Shipwreck on board the Lady Castlereagh Part 1

Narrative of a Voyage to India; of a s.h.i.+pwreck on board the Lady Castlereagh; and a Description of New South Wales.

by W. B. Cramp.

SECTION I.

THE AUTHOR'S DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND--DESCRIPTION OF THE CEREMONY ON CROSSING THE EQUINOCTIAL LINE, AND HIS ARRIVAL AT MADRAS.

On the 8th or 9th of January, 1815, we proceeded, in the Princess Charlotte, Indiaman, to North-fleet Hope, and received on board our cargo. On February 28th, we sailed to Gravesend, in company with the Company's s.h.i.+ps Ceres, Lady Melville, Rose, and Medcalfe, and arrived at the Downs on the 3d of March. Our dispatches not being expected for some time, we moored s.h.i.+p. Our time pa.s.sed on very pleasantly till the 27th inst., when the weather became rather boisterous, and accompanied by a heavy swell. On the evening of the 28th, as the Hon. Company's s.h.i.+p Tarva, from Bengal, was rounding the Foreland, she struck on the Goodwin Sands, and was forced to cut away her masts to lighten her, and get her clear off. The Ceres drifted almost on board us; we slipped our cables, and with difficulty escaped the Goodwin Sands.

On the 1st of April the pursers joined their respective s.h.i.+ps, and on the 3d we made sail with a fair breeze, and soon cleared the English channel. Nothing was now heard but confusion; the pilot having just left the s.h.i.+p, the hoa.r.s.e voice of the captain resounded through a speaking trumpet, while the seamen were busy in making sail. We had a fine steady breeze till we made the Bay of Biscay, when we had a strong gale for three days.

After the hurry and bustle of the gale was over, we had a fine steady breeze; I then began to feel an inward pleasure, and to rejoice in the predilection I had imbibed from my earliest years.

We arrived on the equinoctial about eight o'clock in the evening of the 19th of April, when one of the oldest seamen is deputed Neptune; when he went into the head and hailed the s.h.i.+p in the usual form, s.h.i.+p, hoa! s.h.i.+p, hoa! what s.h.i.+p is that? The chief officer replied, The Hon. Company's s.h.i.+p Princess Charlotte of Wales, and that he would be glad of his company on the morrow. Gladly would I have dispensed with it. On his quitting the vessel, as is supposed, a pitch cask was thrown overboard on fire, which had the appearance of a boat till lost to view.

The next morning, about nine A. M., Neptune hailed the s.h.i.+p again, when he was invited on board (from the head). On the fore-part of the gang-way and after-part of the long-boat, a boom was placed across, and a tarpauling was hung in form of a curtain, so that when they were in readiness they took it down, and the procession moved on towards the cuddy, twelve of the officers walking in the front, two by two with staves (broomsticks); next followed Neptune's car, (a grating with a chair covered with sheep skins) with Neptune, and his wife and child, (a recruit's child, as we had 250 on board, of his majesty's 46th regiment) Neptune bearing in his hand the granes with forks uppermost, and the representation of a dolphin on the middle p.r.o.ng, and Neptune's footman riding behind (barber) his carriage, dragged by the constables. The captain and officers came out to meet him, and presented him with a gla.s.s of gin, which was on this occasion termed wine. After the captain's health was drank, he desired them to proceed to business, and to make as much haste as possible; they then proceeded to the starboard gang-way, and Neptune placed himself upon his throne (on the boom, close to the long-boat and wash-deck tub) the slush tub being filled with b.a.l.l.s, and lather made of slush, and the barber standing ready to begin his work with a razor made of a long piece of iron hoop well notched; the engine was brought on the quarter deck, and began to play, to force those below that had not crossed the line. I had not been long below before an officer from Neptune came to me, and demanded me, in his name to appear before him at the starboard gang-way, whose summons must not be disobeyed. On my arrival at the gang-way, the usual questions were asked me, whether I had been that way before? Without waiting for an answer they placed me on the wash-deck tub, and the barber rubbed me with the back of his razor and then let me go, upon my previously having given an order upon my bottle.

I had hardly got upon the p.o.o.p, when one of the men was brought upon deck who was neither beloved by the men nor officers; they then placed him upon the tub, and asked him several questions, and while he was in the act of answering them, they thrust some black b.a.l.l.s into his mouth, and then rubbed his face and neck over with lather, and sc.r.a.ped it in an unmerciful manner till the blood run in several places; they next pushed him into the tub of water and kept him under for the s.p.a.ce of a minute, which tended to smart and inflame the wounds. It was at least a fortnight before he could wash himself perfectly clean; but now several more shared the same fate. The sun was setting fast before the amus.e.m.e.nts of the day were finished. The clouds presented the most beautiful appearance, and the rippling of the sea, together with the flying fish, scudding along the surface of the water, afforded the mariner a great field of thought. At so grand a display of the great and wonderful works of G.o.d, what mortal can be unmoved, or deny the existence of a BEING which nature herself proclaims!

The evening was very fine and beautifully star-light, and the moon shone with resplendent brightness. After the company had withdrawn to their evening refreshments, I amused myself with walking on the solitary p.o.o.p. The sea appeared to be an immense plain, and presented a watery mirror to the skies. The infinite height above the firmament stretched its azure expanse, bespangled with unnumbered stars, and adorned with the moon '_walking in brightness_;' while the transparent surface both received and returned her silver image. Here, instead of being covered with sackcloth,[A] she shone with resplendent l.u.s.tre; or rather with a l.u.s.tre multiplied in proportion to the number of beholders.

[Footnote A: I must be excused for the ideal extravagance of "clothing" this nocturnal luminary in "SACKCLOTH," on adverting to that unlimited flight of poetic imagination, which speaks of "_Heaven peeping through the blanket of the deep_." _Vide Shakspeare's Macbeth._]

Such I think is the effect of exemplary behaviour in persons of exalted rank; their course as it is n.o.bly distinguished, so it will be happily influential; others will catch the diffusive rays, and be ambitious to resemble a pattern so commanding. Their amiable qualities will not terminate in themselves, but we shall see them reflected in their families.

My readers, I trust, will not wonder at my meditations on these sublunary objects, when they consider that they are the seaman's guide, and from them the greatest sources of nautical information are derived.

In the midst of these pleasing reveries, I was aroused by the s.h.i.+p being taken a-back, the watch being completely intoxicated, and it was only with difficulty that they could do their duty. Nothing material happened till our arrival at the Cape, when we experienced a severe gale for three days. The sea being heavy, she pitched her portals under water. We were running at the rate of ten knots per hour, under bare poles; and we soon after made the trade winds.

On the 23d of June we arrived in Madras roads; from the deck the view of the land has a magnificent appearance; the different offices have, to the beholder, the appearance of stone, and they are formed along the beach in a beautiful manner; they are built with piazzas and verandahs, and they extend about one mile along a sandy beach, while the natives parading along the sh.o.r.e, and the surf spraying upon the beach, gave the scene a very picturesque appearance. The surf beats here with so much violence that it is impossible for any s.h.i.+p's boats to land without being dashed to pieces.

On our making land we espied a small craft, called a kattamaran, making towards us; it was manned with two of the natives naked, except a handkerchief round their waist, and a straw round cap (turban) made with a part.i.tion in it to keep letters dry. This bark is made of three long hulls of trees, about ten or twelve feet in length, tied together with a rope so as to make in the centre a little hollow; they sit upon their knees in the centre, and have a long flat piece of wood, about five feet in length and five inches in width, which they hold in the centre, and keep continually in motion, first on one side and then on the other, and in that manner they force the kattamaran swiftly through the water.

It is very remarkable that these poor creatures risk themselves through the surf for a mere trifle, to carry letters for the different commanders to their respective vessels, at a time when the surf is at a dreadful height. When these poor fellows lay themselves flat on the kattamaran, and then trust themselves to the mercy of the surf, they are often driven back with great force, and they as often venture again, till they effect their purpose. They generally get their living by fis.h.i.+ng, which is done by hook and line, and they offer them alongside the different s.h.i.+ps for sale.

For two days the surf being so violent no boats could come off; but early on the third morning there were several came off with debashees (merchants) on board. They brought such things as might be wanted by the s.h.i.+p's company and officers. Their boats are made to carry pa.s.sengers and cargo. There is not a vestige of a nail to be seen in them, their seams, instead of being nailed, are sewed together with coir rope; and they are generally manned with six or eight men.

SECTION II.

THE AUTHOR'S DEPARTURE FROM MADRAS AND ARRIVAL AT BENGAL--DEPARTURE THEREFROM--HIS VESSEL RUNS ASh.o.r.e ON THE PULICAT SHOALS, AND GETS SAFE AFLOAT AGAIN, AFTER BEATING SIX HOURS AND FORTY MINUTES--HIS SAFE ARRIVAL AT MADRAS, AND DESCRIPTION OF THE DIVERS--ARRIVAL AT BOMBAY--THE s.h.i.+P BEING DOCKED, THE AUTHOR IS SENT TO BUTCHER'S ISLAND WITH THE s.h.i.+P'S COMPANY--A DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND OF ELEPHANTA--HIS JOINING THE s.h.i.+P AFTER HER LEAVING THE DOCK--HIS WORDS WITH HIS COMMANDER, AND BEING TURNED BEFORE THE MAST IN CONSEQUENCE--HIS DEPARTURE FROM BOMBAY, AND AFTER A SHORT PERIOD HE IS REPLACED IN HIS FORMER SITUATION--AND ARRIVES AT MADRAS.

We sailed from Madras, August 23d, and arrived at Bengal on the 30th.

The scenery on the entrance up the river was indeed sublime, and inspired us with a sensation of grat.i.tude to the Giver of all good. I went up to Calcutta with a craft of cargo; but having been sent down immediately, I could form no idea of the place.

On the 20th December we sailed from Bengal bound to Madras, in company with the Honourable Company's s.h.i.+p Marquis of Wellington. We kept a-head of her on the morning of the 25th, till she was almost mast down, and expected to bring-to about twelve o'clock in the Madras roads; but our expectations were greatly damped by the following circ.u.mstances:--At 8 A. M. the s.h.i.+p struck on the Pulicat rocks with such great violence, as to knock almost every man off his legs; the lead was immediately called, which, to the disgrace of some one, was not on deck; in the course of two minutes she struck again with as much violence as before; sail was immediately taken in, and after sounding, we found we drew about three and a half feet water. We then made signal of distress, by hoisting the ensign union downwards, and firing a gun. The Marquis of Wellington by this time hove in sight; all was confusion and consternation, the s.h.i.+p having beat several times with great violence. The Wellington hove to, and sent their cutter with four men and a second mate to our a.s.sistance, and then made sail and pa.s.sed us, without rendering us any other a.s.sistance.

The pinnace and long-boats, booms and spars, were immediately sent over the side, and the kedge-anchor was placed in the long-boat; but she leaked so very fast, that with all the united efforts of the seamen they could not keep her above water.

The weather was now very cloudy and black, and threatened a severe gale; so that our present situation became very disagreeable, as no a.s.sistance could be rendered us off sh.o.r.e, should necessity require it. But owing to the exertions of the officers and men, we effectually swung her head to the wind, which was blowing strong from the sh.o.r.e, and by 7 P. M. we anch.o.r.ed safe in the roads.

On the following morning we were busily employed in discharging our cargo and sending it on board its destined s.h.i.+ps, (Honourable Company's s.h.i.+ps Stratham and Rose.) After our clearance, the divers were expected from off sh.o.r.e, to examine the damage the s.h.i.+p's bottom had received; but, owing to the inclemency of the weather, it was impossible for them to get off from sh.o.r.e.

A seaman on board, by birth a West Indian, engaged to dive under the s.h.i.+p's bottom, and to acquaint us with the state of it, which was gladly accepted. In his youth he had been a fisherman on the coast of the island of Jamaica: the weather being rough, it was thought unsafe for him to venture; but on the following morning, it being quite calm, he prepared himself for his expedition: after he had jumped overboard, he walked, or rather trod water, round the s.h.i.+p; he informed us the copper was much battered above water, and in many places whole sheets of it were broken off; and after he had made us perfectly acquainted with the damages we had received above, he dived under her counter, and abreast of the after, main, and fore hatchways;--when he came on board, he informed us, that about twelve feet of our false-keel was knocked off, and about six feet of our copper abreast of the main-hatchway, besides a quant.i.ty of copper in different places, all of which we found to be true after we were docked.

We received considerable damage on board; the bolts were started from her side about three inches, and the main-beams sprung. Three days after he had dived, the captain came on board with two native divers, and several officers of the different vessels lying in the roads, to survey the s.h.i.+p. When they went under they brought up the same account as our man had first given. After about an hour's consultation, our s.h.i.+p was ordered to Bombay to be docked, it being the most convenient one for a s.h.i.+p of our burden. In a few days after we proceeded on our pa.s.sage, and arrived in safety, keeping the pumps in continual motion during our pa.s.sage.

The Island of Bombay is situated on the west coast of the ocean, and one of the three Presidencies belonging to the Honourable East India Company, and is in Lat. 18 55' N. and Lon. 72 54' E. of Greenwich.

As soon as we had discharged all our cargo, and the s.h.i.+p was docked, the s.h.i.+p's company and officers were sent to Butcher's Island.

Butcher's Island is a small island situated about four miles and a half to the westward of Bombay, and is in circ.u.mference about one mile and a half, and has been a very formidable garrison. In the centre is a small fort and two barracks, the latter we took possession of for the s.h.i.+p's company. Soon after our landing on the island, a party of us went over to the Island of Elephanta.

The Island of _Elephanta_ is about one mile and a half to the west of Butcher's Island, and is inhabited by 100 poor Indian families. It contains one of the most stupendous antiquities in the world: the figure of an elephant of the natural size, cut coa.r.s.ely in black stone, appears in an open plain, near the landing place, from which an easy slope leads to an immense subterraneous cavern, hewn out of the solid rock, eighty or ninety feet long and forty broad, the roof of which is cut flat, and supported by regular rows of pillars, about ten feet high, with capitals resembling round cus.h.i.+ons, and at the farther end of it are three gigantic figures, mutilated by the bigoted zeal of the Portuguese, when this island was in their possession. After spending the day very pleasantly we returned.

The Sergeant (an old invalid) who had charge of the fort, had a beautiful little garden; thither in the morning I frequently resorted, to enjoy one of the most charming pieces of morning scenery that I had ever witnessed.

"Awake! the morning s.h.i.+nes, and the fresh fields Call you; ye lose the prime to mark how spring The tender plants; how blows the citron grove; What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed; How nature paints her colours; how the bee Sits on the bloom, extracting liquid sweets."

MILTON'S PARADISE LOST.

How delightful this fragrance. It is distributed in the nicest proportion; neither so strong as to depress the organs, nor so faint as to elude them. We are soon cloyed at a sumptuous banquet, but this pleasure never loses its poignancy, never palls the appet.i.te; here luxury itself is innocent; or rather, in this case, indulgence is not capable of excess. Our amus.e.m.e.nts for the forenoon were our nautical studies, and in the afternoon officers and men joined in cricket. In the evening, after my duty of the day was dispatched, and the sultry heats were abated, I enjoyed the recreation of a walk in one of the finest recesses of the Island, and in one of the pleasantest evenings which the season produced.

The trees uniting their branches over my head, formed a verdant canopy, and cast a most refres.h.i.+ng shade; under my feet lay a carpet of Nature's velvet; gra.s.s intermingled with moss, and embroidered with the evening dew; jessamines, united with woodbines, twined around the trees, displaying their artless beauties to the eye, and diffusing their delicious sweets through the air. On either side, the boughs rounding into a set of regular arches, opened a view into the distant seas, and presented a prospect of the convex heavens. The little birds all joyous and grateful for the favours of the light, were paying their acknowledgments in a tribute of harmony, and soothing themselves to rest with songs. All these beauties of Nature were for a while withdrawn. The stars served to alleviate the frown of night, rather than to recover the objects from their obscurity. A faint ray scarcely reflected, and only gave the straining eye a very imperfect glimpse.

The day following that the s.h.i.+p came out of dock we joined her. Our labours were now unremitted, to get her in readiness for sea. Amidst all our exertions it was impossible to give any satisfaction; our chief mate was very arbitrary, and vented his spleen upon the defenceless mids.h.i.+pmen, besides making the backs of the poor seamen sore with _starting_. Starting is a term used for rope's-ending a man, or otherwise laying a _Point_ severely across their shoulders till they have not the strength to wield it any longer; a point is a flat platted rope, made for the purpose of taking in reefs, or otherwise to fasten the sail upon the yards.

At length my life became so truly miserable, that I was determined in my own mind not to endure it, if there was any possibility of avoiding it. For that purpose I wrote on board his Majesty's frigate, Revolutionnaire, for a situation, when Captain Wolcombe generously offered me one, provided I could get permission of Captain Craig to leave my present s.h.i.+p. I was at length forced to leave Bombay, through this and other circ.u.mstances.

On our arrival at Madras every preparation was made for receiving our cargo on board, which was speedily done, and in a short time was ready for sea.

SECTION III.

THE AUTHOR'S DEPARTURE FROM MADRAS, DESCRIPTION OF A WATER-SPOUT--HIS ARRIVAL AT ST. HELENA AND DEPARTURE THEREFROM, ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND--JOINS HIS MAJESTY'S TRANSPORT s.h.i.+P, TOTTENHAM, BOUND FOR NEW SOUTH WALES--HER RUNNING ON Sh.o.r.e IN THE RIVER AND PUTTING BACK TO DOCK--HE AFTERWARDS JOINS HIS MAJESTY'S TRANSPORT s.h.i.+P, LADY CASTLEREAGH. HIS DEPARTURE FROM DEPTFORD AND ARRIVAL AT PORTSMOUTH--HIS DEPARTURE THEREFROM AND ARRIVAL AT NEW SOUTH WALES.

As soon as our dispatches were in readiness, we proceeded on our pa.s.sage for England; the morning was beautiful, and as the men were heaving up the anchor, my heart felt an inward sensation of joy and grat.i.tude to our Creator, that he had been pleased to bring us so far safe on our voyage; we made sail with a steady breeze, and soon lost sight of land. After we had been at sea about two days, close on our weather-bow we observed a water-spout; when we first saw it, it was whole and entire, and was in shape like a speaking trumpet, the small end downwards, and reaching to the sea, and the large end terminating in a black thick cloud: the spout itself was very black, and the more so the higher up; it seemed to be exactly perpendicular to the horizon, and its sides perfectly smooth, without the least ruggedness where it fell. The spray of the sea rose to a considerable height, which had somewhat the appearance of smoke; from the first time we saw it, it continued whole about a minute, and till it was quite dissipated three minutes; it began to waste from below, and gradually up, while the upper part remained entire, without any visible alteration, till at last it ended in black clouds, upon which a heavy rain fell in the neighbourhood. There was but little wind, and the sky was otherwise serene.

On our rounding the Cape we experienced a very heavy gale, which continued for the s.p.a.ce of ten days. We arrived at St. Helena in about ten days after clearing the Cape of Good Hope.

The approach to this Island is tremendous, it being an immense large rock in the midst of the sea, on which there is not the least appearance of verdure, houses, or indeed any sign of inhabitants, till you arrive at the anchorage, which is to leeward of the Island; and in turning round the corner of the rock is a fort, close to the water's edge, from whence they make all s.h.i.+p's heave to, till they have sent a boat on board from the Admiral; and in case no attention is paid to their signal, they fire a shot. After proceeding a little way, the town is discovered in the midst of a valley, and has a very picturesque appearance.

The produce of the Island is potatoes and yams. The yams are used in time of great scarcity of wheat, for bread; the inhabitants are under the necessity of boiling them 12 hours and baking them, before they can eat them; and in fact, many of the Islanders prefer them to bread.