On Board the "Rocket"

by Robert C. Adams

Penang may be described as lovely and hot. It is situated on a plain, and to the westward and seaward rises a high mountain, shutting off the sea breezes, which might refresh the heated brow. This mountain, however, is a noted sanitarium, and on its top a cool climate may be found, which is often eagerly sought for its bracing effects upon the heat-debilitated frame. The American Consul, a worthy Scotchman, had rented a bungalow on the summit for a month. He kindly invited the passenger and myself to spend a night there in turn. The passenger went first, but soon the sad tidings were brought that he had been thrown from his horse and broken his neck. The authority for this statement was that a soldier had told a sailor so. Both professions, fortunately, were at fault and the passenger returned in due time with his neck in good order. His only explanation of the report was the statement, that his pony was so small that he placed his feet on the ground and let the animal gallop away from under him.

In my turn I ascended the hill, and spent the night, returning in the cool of the morning. The deep ravines with their walls of verdure, the beautiful views of the island, the sea and the main land beyond, the delightful coolness of the air, the wonderful specimens of vegetation, such as the air plants, hanging luxuriantly from the branches of trees, fed by the air and rain on their surfaces, the traveller's palms, with stores of fresh water kept in their hollowed leaves for the thirsty wayfarer, and the tree-ferns, twenty feet in height, all these with the strangest bird melodies imaginable made the trip one of enchantment. One bird and a beetle made noises like a sawmill, another bird sang the scale descending—five notes at least, and still another sang it ascending. One more imitated the sound of a bell. At the foot of the waterfall that descends the mountain, baths are established. The Europeans assemble there in the evening and after the external application of water, too frequently take an internal application of "brandy cocktails."

The military band plays weekly on the "Sepoy Plain," back of the town, and a pleasant gathering of the residents takes place.

An orphan-house and mission was being carried on here by some devoted English missionaries, who, like their friend Mr. Müller of Bristol, working independently of Societies, looked to the Lord to provide. Their Christian fellowship, and the hours spent in searching the Scriptures with them, were precious privileges.

We were a fortnight here, loading tin, nutmegs, mace, tapioca and india rubber, and then sailed for Padang, where we were to complete our cargo with coffee and cassia.

We beat out from Penang against a head wind, and with a slant reached across the Strait of Malacca. We then found light breezes to waft us along the north coast of Sumatra, "the Pepper Coast," as it was known to our East India merchants of Boston and Salem in earlier days. A pleasing change here occurred in the landscape. It is so rare to see ground not covered with verdure in these regions, that the sight of Golden Mountain near the north-west point of Sumatra was quite a treat. It is a finely-formed peak and has much bare ground on its sides, which appears golden in the intense sunlight. This was an enjoyable day, but an anxious night followed. We were sailing pleasantly, with all studding-sails set, through the passage between Pulo Way and Pulo Rondo, twelve miles wide, when at midnight the wind died away and the current swept us toward the island. There was no wind to make the vessel steer, a cast of the lead proved there was no bottom at sixty fathoms, so we could not anchor, and an inspection of chart and sailing directions showed that the rocks arose perpendicularly from deep water. No human device could save us from shipwreck, and unless a breeze sprang up off-shore our bark would soon break in pieces against the rocks. For this breeze I earnestly prayed. All hands were called on deck; a long length of chain was overhauled with the intention of letting go the anchor at the last moment, in the forlorn hope of its finding bottom, and then the crew were stationed at the braces ready to trim the yards the moment a breath of air might be perceived. I stood at the stern watching the nearing approach of the dread rocks, which now loomed through the darkness in frightful proximity, and wetting a forefinger I held it out to catch the first trace of a breeze, but in vain; until, when the last hope was about to expire, and a few minutes more were expected to seal our doom, I perceived the faintest air imaginable breathing off the land. The yards were immediately braced, and the effect was to turn the vessel's head from the shore. I dropped a fishing-line over the stern, and watched to see if it would trail out; but it hung up and down showing that the vessel had no headway. Soon, however, an additional breath came, then a little puff, and to my exceeding joy, I felt the line give a slight pull at my fingers as it stretched out into the wake. Then the water rippled along past the rudder and we slowly but surely glided away from the dangerous coast. Among many recollections of peril and anxiety, that calm hour, when in utter helplessness we looked destruction in the face, will remain prominent for its intense emotion, and the occasion it gave for thanksgiving to the Hearer of prayer.

Despair.—Off Padang for six days.

The West coast of Sumatra is faced by an innumerable number of islets, rocks and shoals, outside of which lie a chain of larger islands. We kept out in the open sea until off Padang, preferring a more circuitous but safer route than the direct passage along shore. Here we could sail day and night, without anchoring when darkness or squalls hid the way. But our progress was slow and the passage became tedious and trying. In the day time light airs and calms prevailed, the hot sun poured down its rays with scorching intensity, and the air was so clear that we once saw a peak one hundred and six miles distant. At night heavy squalls of wind burst upon us, with torrents of rain and terrific peals of thunder; the balls of fire, called by the sailors corposants, blazed at the mast-heads, and the lightning was incessant. When sixteen days out from Penang we sailed through Siberet Straits, and the next evening just at dark we were within fifteen miles of our anchorage at Padang. A dark squally night prevented our running in, and a heavy N.W. gale and southerly current drove us a few miles south of the port. For the next six days we were hard at work trying to make these few miles, but as soon as we gained a little, a calm prevailed and the current set us back again. The water was too deep for anchorage and we were entirely dependent on the wind, which, however, coquetted with us till endurance almost ceased to belong to our virtues. The captain's state of mind as he descended bare-footed to the cabin after having stood on deck in a rain squall, which was vainly expected to bring a breeze, may be suspected by a glance at our artist's sketch of the posture assumed upon the cabin sofa.