Wrecked on the Feejees

by William S. Cary

Chapter I

THE DEPARTURE OF THE "OENO"—WRECKED ON TURTLE ISLAND—CREW TREATED KINDLY BY THE NATIVES.

The "Oeno" set sail at an early hour on the morning of November 4, 1824. The wind was light but fair and the weather pleasant. At 10 o'clock a. m. we discharged the pilot and got the ship snug for sea. As we neared the Gulf Stream the wind gradually increased, and on the afternoon of the 5th blew a gale from the northeast, accompanied by heavy squalls and rain. The ship was hove to under close-reefed maintopsail, and our green hands experienced for a season all the agonies of seasickness. The next day, however, the weather moderated and we made sail and proceeded with a fair wind.

We crossed the line on the 10th of December, and on the 16th sighted whales and captured three, which yielded 45 barrels of oil. On the 20th we sighted a large whale about half a mile ahead of the ship, and immediately lowered and fastened to him. He made 55 barrels. We proceeded on our course for the Cape of Good Hope, in doubling which we experienced considerable boisterous weather, and shaped our course for New Zealand. March 17th, 1825, we raised a school of whales and succeeded in taking four of them, which stowed down 50 barrels.

On the 20th we arrived at the Bay of Islands, where we found the ship Ann, of London, and bark Pocklington, of Sydney, N. S. W., the latter seven months out with 700 barrels of oil, and most of her crew sick with the scurvy. Nothing of note occurred here except that two of the crew, Henry Gordon and James Furse, deserted and we shipped two English sailors in their stead, and a native boy.

Having procured wood, water and vegetables, we set sail on the 7th of April in company with the ship Ann, bound home with 1800 barrels of oil. We intended to touch at Wallis' island, then proceed to the Kingsmill group to cruise for whales. We had strong trade winds, and on the 13th sighted and passed Pylstaat's island, one of the Friendly Islands. At sundown we shortened sail, by order of the captain who, on leaving the deck for the night, gave particular orders to the officers of the watches to have a good look-out kept and to call him immediately if anything unusual was seen.

In the middle watch (which was in charge of the second mate) between 2 and 3 o'clock a. m., the man at the helm saw white water and spoke to the second mate, who was sitting in the quarter boat, but he made no response. On seeing it again the man, who had at first supposed it to be a fish breaching, became satisfied that it was breakers, and sung out lustily to the officer, who sprang to the deck, but before a general alarm could be sounded, the ship struck on a coral reef. All hands were immediately called and the topsails clewed down. By this time the sea was making a clean breach over the vessel, and it was with the greatest difficulty that we could get about the decks, while nothing could be done to relieve the ship.

Mr. Drew, the second mate, immediately commenced clearing away his boat preparatory to leaving the vessel. The captain advised him to wait until daylight, but he persisted in leaving immediately and got clear of the ship with the boat's crew without accident, and pulled inside the reef into smooth water.

By the time daylight appeared every hope of saving the ship was abandoned. We got the starboard boat ready to lower and, watching a favorable opportunity, got clear of the vessel, narrowly escaping being swamped by a breaker which half filled the boat. We bailed her out and pulled into smooth water. Now two boats, with the captain, second mate and ten men, were safe, leaving the mate, William Shaw, and balance of the crew remaining on the ill-fated ship, which lay nearly upon her beam ends, with the sea continually breaking over her, and with only the weather boat in which to make their escape.

The boat was got ready, and the mate, stationing two men at the falls, picked the most favorable time and lowered down. The forward tackle was unhooked, and the boat's head swung around, but the after-tackle fall got foul and before it could be cleared, a huge breaker rolled the boat over, precipitating the crew into the water. At the same time the two men who had been stationed at the falls jumped overboard and all struck out towards the boats. We pulled up as near as prudent and rescued them all, though some were badly bruised, and one lad named Barzilla Swain had his arm broken by a cask before leaving the ship.