Chapter XXXIII: Preface (6)

Provisions here of all kinds are excessive dear, especially fish; this we impute to the great number of whales that come into this bay, even where the ships lye at anchor; the whale-boats go off and kill sometimes seven or eight whales in a day, the flesh of which is cut up in small pieces, then brought to the market-place, and sold at the rate of a vintin per pound; it looks very much like coarse beef, but inferior to it in taste. The whales here are not at all equal in size to the whales in Greenland, being not larger than the grampus. After living here above four months without any relief from the governor or the inhabitants, who behaved to us as if they were under a combination to starve us, we embark'd on board the St Tubes with our good friend the captain who brought us from Rio Janeiro: We sail'd from Bahia the 11th of September for Lisbon, in company with one of the king of Portugal's ships of war, and two East India ships, but the St Tubes not being able to sail so well as the other ships, lost sight of them the first night. About 70 leagues from the westward of Madeira we bent a new foresail; within two or three days afterwards, we had a very hard gale of wind, scudding under the foresail, and no danger happening to the ship during this gale. When the wind had ceas'd, and we had fair weather, the captain, after the evening mass, made an oration to the people, telling them that their deliverance from danger in the last gale of wind, and the ship though leaky, making no more water than before, was owing to their prayers to Nuestra Senhora Boa Mortua and her intercession: That in gratitude they ought to make an acknowledgement to that saint for standing their friend in time of need: That he himself would shew an example by giving the new fore-sail, which was bent to the yard, to the saint their deliverer: Accordingly one of the seamen went forward and mark'd out these words on the sail, _Deal esta Trinchado pour nostra Senhora Boa Mortua_, which is as much as to say, _I give this foresail to our saint, the deliverer from death_. The sail and money collected on this occasion amounted to upwards of twenty moydores.

On Monday, the 23d of November, in the latitude 39: 17 north, and longitude 6:00 W., that day at noon the rock of Lisbon bearing S. by W., distant sixteen leagues; we steer'd E.S.E., to make the rock before night. At four o'clock it blew a very hard gale, and right on the shore: The ship lay-to under a foresail, with her head to the southward; at six it blew a storm; the foresail splitting, oblig'd us to keep her before the wind, which was running her right ashore. The ship was now given over for lost, the people all fell to prayers, and cry'd out to their saints for deliverance, offering all they had in the world for their lives, and yet at the same time neglecting all means to save themselves; they left off pumping the ship, though she was exceeding leaky. This sort of proceeding in time of extremity is a thing unknown to our English seamen; in those emergencies all hands are employ'd for the preservation of the ship and people, and if any of them fall upon their knees, 'tis after the danger is over. The carpenter and myself could by no means relish this behaviour; we begg'd the people for God's sake to go to the pumps, telling them we had a chance to save our lives, while we kept the ship above water, that we ought not to suffer the ship to sink, while we could keep her free. The captain and officers hearing us pressing them so earnestly, left off prayers, and entreated the men to keep the pumps going, accordingly we went to pumping, and preserv'd ourselves and the ship: In half an hour afterwards the wind shifted to the W.N.W., then the ship lay south, which would clear the course along shore; had the wind not shifted, we must in an hour's time have run the ship ashore. This deliverance, as well as the former, was owing to the intercession of Nuestra Senhora Boa Mortua: On this occasion they collected fifty moydores more, and made this pious resolution, that when the ship arrived safe at Lisbon, the foresail, which was split in the last gale of wind, should be carried in procession to the church of this grand saint, and the captain should there make an offering equal in value to the foresail, which was reckon'd worth eighteen moydores.

On Saturday, the 28th of November, we arrived at Lisbon, and on the next morning every person who came in the ship, (excepting the carpenter, myself, and the cooper) officers, passengers, the Spanish don himself, and all the people, men and boys, walk'd bare-footed, with the foresail, in procession, to the church of Nuestra Senhora Boa Mortua; the weather at that time being very cold, and the church a good mile distant from the landing-place. We Englishmen, when we came ashore, went immediately on the Change. I was pretty well known to some gentlemen of the English factory. When I inform'd them that we were three of the unfortunate people that were cast away in the Wager, and that we came here in one of the Brazil ships, and wanted to embrace the first opportunity of going for England, they told me, that the lieutenant had been before us, that he was gone home in the packet-boat, and left us a very indifferent character. I answer'd, I believ'd the lieutenant you'd give but a very bad account of himself, having kept no journal, nor made any remarks since the loss of the ship, nor perhaps before; that we doubted not but to acquit ourselves of any false accusations, having with us a journal, which gave an impartial relation of all our proceedings. The journal was read by several gentlemen of the factory, who treated us, during our stay at Lisbon, with exceeding kindness and benevolence.

On the 20th of December, we embark'd on board his majesty's ship the Stirling Castle for England: Here we had again the happiness of experiencing the difference between a British and a foreign ship, particularly in regard to cleanliness, accommodation, diet, and discipline. We met with nothing material in our passage, and arrived at Spithead on the 1st of January, 1742-3. Here we thought of nothing but going ashore immediately to our families, but were told by the captain, we must not stir out of the ship till he knew the pleasure of the l----ds of the A----y, having already wrote to them concerning us. This was a very great affliction to us, and the more so, because we thought our troubles at an end. The carpenter and myself were in view of our habitations; our families had long given us over for lost, and on the news of our safety, our relatives look'd upon us as sons, husbands, and fathers, restor'd to them in a miraculous manner. Our being detain'd on board gave them great anxiety; we endeavour'd to console 'em as well as we could, being assured, that we had done nothing to offend their l----s; that if things were not carried on with that order and regularity which is strictly observ'd in the navy, necessity drove us out of the common road. Our case was singular; since the loss of the ship, our chiefest concern was for the preservation of our lives and liberties, to accomplish which, we acted according to the dictates of nature, and the best of our understanding. In a fortnight's time, their l----ps order'd us at liberty, and we instantly went ashore to our respective habitations, having been absent from thence about two years and six months.

After we had staid a few days with our families, we came to London, to pay our duties to the l----ds of the A----y. We sent in our journal for, their l----ps' inspection: They had before received a narrative from the l----t, which narrative he confesses to be a relation of such things as occur'd to his memory; therefore of consequence could not be so satisfactory as a journal regularly kept. This journal lay for some time in the a----y o----e, when we were order'd to make an abstract, by way of narrative, that it might not be too tedious for their l----ps' perusal. After the narrative was examined into, their l----ps, upon our petition, were pleased to fix a day for examining all the officers lately belonging to the Wager. The gentlemen appointed to make enquiry into the whole affair were three commanders of ships, persons of distinguish'd merit and honour. However, it was afterwards thought proper not to admit us to any examination, till the arrival of the commodore, or else Captain Cheap. And it was also resolv'd, that not a person of us should receive any wages, or be employed in his majesty's service, till every thing relating to the Wager was more plain and conspicuous. There was no favour shewn in this case to one more than another, so that every body seem'd easy with their l----ps' resolution. All that we have to wish for now is the safe arrival of the commodore and Captain Cheap: We are in expectation of soon seeing the former, but of the captain we have as yet no account. However, we hope, when the commodore shall arrive, that the character he will give of us will be of service to us: He was very well acquainted with the behaviour of every officer in his squadron, and will certainly give an account of them accordingly.

[119] In reprinting this very curious and scarce Narrative, we have thought
it proper to adhere to the orthography and contractions of the
original throughout. The former are little different from the present
standard, and the latter cannot give any trouble to the reader.
Altogether, this is a composition not without merit sufficient to
warrant its being preserved.--E.

END OF VOLUME SEVENTEENTH.