At the back of the world

by George Pugh; Jennie Pugh

I stood and looked at it for some time, it was so beautiful, and through my mind passed the words from the “Good Old Book:” “They that go down to the sea in ships, these see the wonders of the Lord.” I felt how true it was, for every day shewed me some new wonder.

After crossing the doldrums, we had fairly good weather right up to the Island of Antonio—Cape Verde Islands. Here we got the north-east trade winds.

And then the work began in earnest—lockers, rooms, forecastle, cabins were all turned out in turn, cleaned, painted and polished up like a new pin, and woe be to the man who upset his paint, or made a mess after the place was once cleaned. Yards, masts and bulwarks each in their turn received attention, and then the decks were scraped with sharp steel scrapers, and afterwards holy-stoned fore and aft, until you could eat your food off them, they were so spick and span.

We passed a number of outward bound ships, among them the “Ivanhoe,” “Roderick Dhu,” “Portia,” “Commonwealth,” etc. We signalled them, and they all wished to be reported all well.

Our ship was sailing along at about nine knots per hour; the crew were making paunch, mats, sinnet, etc., and standing by to work sails, all the painting being done, and the stores expended, there was nothing much to do.

We lost the trades in 33° north, and then we had two days calm. On the morning of the second day, the sea being calm and smooth, an unusual disturbance arose on the water about a mile distant. A large fish was seen to spring about twelve feet out of the water, and go down head first. Then we saw the huge tail of a sperm whale rise out of the water and thrash the surface. As we drew nearer, we could see that the disturbance was caused by an encounter between a sperm whale, sword fish, and a thrasher. We now saw what looked like the vanes of a windmill revolving in the foam, and a wet black arm rose and fell out of the white seething water, like the blades of a propeller rotating under the counter of a light steamer.

“See that,” shouted the chief mate, who was on the poop, “there’s a fight that you don’t often see, a fight between a whale, a thrasher, and a swordfish.”

We all rushed aft to look over the side. As we got nearer the spectacle grew in magnitude and proved to be one of the most terrible pictures the imagination could conceive, even of the sea, that vast theatre of wonder and terror. There was so much fury of foaming water, the monster whale thrashing the water with his tail, spouting, and doing his best to dive below the surface, but his arch enemy, the swordfish, was there, watching his every movement, probing him with his terrible sword and keeping him on the surface; now and again we caught sight of a large space of the gleaming body of the huge whale, upon which the great arms of the thrasher were beating its blows, as it leaped out of the water and came down on the top of him, cutting great gashes in his side, the blows sounding like the blows from a giant blacksmith’s hammer on an enormous anvil. Attacked as he was above and below, the whale seemed powerless between his two small, yet terrible, foes. The water around grew thick with blood and sperm. Presently, however, by a quick move on the whale’s part, he caught the thrasher a blow with his tail, and killed it. Then he dived, and as far as we could see, the fight was over.

A breeze springing up from the west, we were heading for the Channel. The wind and sea steadily increased, until we were staggering under the pressure of canvas, heading for the Lizard. Three days afterwards we sighted and passed the famous Lizard’s lights, and running up the Channel, before a westerly gale, were soon off the Ness. A fine cutter came alongside of us, and a pilot climbed out of her and over our side. With what interest and admiration did I look at his weather-beaten visage and survey his stout coat and warm woollen comforter, then a tug picked us up, and before long the coast of our dear old home lay fair and beautiful upon our port beam and bow. Two nights after we entered the West India Dock.

Finding the crew would not be paid off until the third day after our arrival, I went home to Liverpool by the Board of Trade arrangements, and they forwarded my wages on to me. Besides my wages, I received a sovereign from the captain, and one from Mr. Weeler. The captain spoke very kindly to me, and said he was pleased both with my work and conduct. He also gave me an ordinary seaman’s discharge, and said he would be pleased to take me another voyage if I wanted to go.