ALL THAT DAY THE DESPERATE BATTLE CONTINUED WITHOUT CESSATION.
See page 176.
'We've succeeded, sir,' Mr. Sennit exclaimed on coming from below, his beard scorched and face and hands blackened; 'but I'm much afraid that the injury to the bow is almost irreparable. In fact, captain, it seems to have been nearly burned through.'
'I am not surprised,' the old man replied; 'if we can only succeed in getting her ashore on the nearest island, we may consider ourselves more than fortunate. Could any repairs be done so that she might remain afloat even for a few days?'
'Well, at present, sir,' the mate returned, 'I should not like to touch a single rib or timber, they seem so badly burned; yet if we can manage to lay some gear against them, so as to resist the outward pressure, she might just succeed in getting on the coral.'
'Let go the royal and top-gallant halyards fore and aft,' the skipper ordered. 'Lay aloft there, men, and stow the canvas. That will at least lessen the strain.'
When that work was completed the men tackled the pumps, and soon discovered that the barque was beginning to leak badly, since the fierce heat of the fire had melted all the pitch in the bow seams, and probably also destroyed most of the oakum caulking.
The available Chinamen were immediately divided into two watches, and in regular relief took their share of work at the pumps, and the crew were allowed some hours of repose after their late arduous labour.
So, under her topsails, fore and maincourses, spanker and head canvas, the 'Alert' stood away for the nearest island, which was only one hundred and fifty miles off. Most fortunately the breeze held fairly strong and steady, but without her upper canvas or even studding-sails to help the rate of sailing was slow, and never exceeded four knots an hour.
Captain Thorne was very anxious throughout those trying times, yet as soon as the hands had had some sleep and good meals, they promptly set to work getting the long-boat over the side. Although at first she leaked even worse than the barque, a few hours in the water closed the seams, and she subsequently proved of considerable use.