There was a heavy sea running; and the anchor I had brought in the launch was laid out astern of the Seignelay with considerable difficulty, and the end of the cable was brought on board the Seignelay.
Besides the Melita, the Austrian steamer Diana, the French steamer Poitou and the Russian steamer Odessa had all been endeavouring to rescue the Seignelay, but they had neither the men nor the gear required for the task. What was done subsequently was narrated in The Times, more than three years afterwards, by the anonymous writer aforesaid.
"Our First Lieutenant (Lieutenant Stokes Rees) went as interpreter, and all our Captain wanted done was suggested by him to the French. He gave the orders to junior officers over our men, and I believe worked the French crew also by his suggestions, a fine old sailor who was one of their chief petty officers giving what orders were necessary. He hardly left the deck for three days and nights, and did his work splendidly.
"The ship was embedded 5½ feet in the sand, and so had to be lightened that much before we could hope to move her. This we spent all Wednesday afternoon in doing.
"On Thursday morning the Melita with a light draught Turkish steamer (the Arcadia) tried to pull her off but failed, while the Melita was very nearly wrecked herself. Nothing but very smart seamanship in making sail and casting off hawsers with cool judgment on the part of —— ... saved her from being dashed in a good sea upon a jagged reef of rocks close to leeward. Her screw got fouled, and the willing but awkward Turk towed her head round towards the reef and she only just managed to get sail on her and shave it by 50 yards. She could not anchor or she would have swung on top of it. We were looking on powerless from our deep draught of water, though we hurried out hawsers, but it was one of the nearest shaves I have seen, and with the large number of men they had away in working parties, a thing to be very proud of and thankful for...."
What happened was that the Melita fouled her screw with a hawser. I had warned her commander both orally and by signal to beware above all of fouling his screw. But circumstances defeated his efforts. When a man is doing his best in difficulties, there is no use in adding to his embarrassments by a reprimand. I signalled to Commander King-Hall to cheer up and to clear his screw as soon as he could; and I have reason to know that he deeply appreciated my motive in so doing.
To continue the narrative, which I have interrupted to quote an instance of disciplinary action in an emergency:
"All Thursday we worked on at lightening her, getting out 300 tons of coal, all her shot, shell, small guns, provisions and cables on board our ship, until every part of the ship was piled up with them, and all our nicely painted boats reduced to ragged cargo boats, besides being a good deal damaged owing to the exposed anchorage and seaway. We got out one strong, and two light, wire hawsers and with them the two ships tried to tow, but we parted the light hawsers at once.
"Then the Captain let me try a plan I had all along been urging but which he ... and the French called a physical impossibility."