We had stowed in the half deck some salt hams, which had not been disturbed: our bread had been saturated with salt water, yet we devoured it like half-famished wolves.
Thus we lay for seven days, almost momentarily expecting death, and yet within half a mile of the shore. On the eighth day a boat came from the shore, and when within hail was capsized, and one of the noble crew found a watery grave.
The ninth day a boat succeeded in getting to us, and took away the passengers, captain, boatswain, and steward, leaving the rest of us to spend yet another dreary night upon the rocks.
The next day the insurance agents, one from Belfast and the other from Port-au-Ferry, came out to us, with the captain. They wished us to stay and take charge of the wreck until further orders. offering us good wages, but this was far from being a pleasant berth. We however concluded to stay, and busied ourselves collecting the goods that might remain on the wreck, also all the bolts and other articles from the ship worth saving. A boat was sent off from shore to collect the bodies of those that were drowned, who still lay beating about the rocks and in holes on the reef, where they had been deposited by the water.
At the expiration of seventeen days, I received a letter from the captain, ordering us all to proceed to Port-au-Ferry immediately. On our arrival, we found the captain with the insurance agents, who wished to know my charges for the services rendered. I told them two dollars per day from the time of our sailing from Liverpool. To this they objected, and offered me one dollar and fifty cents per day. I told them I should have two dollars or nothing, and if I was not paid in six hours, I would place a seizure upon the wreck. The captain offered to pay me when I arrived at Belfast, and thither he proceeded with me. On going to the office, I was asked to sign the protest; to this I objected, saying I wished to get my money first. The captain then tried to intimidate me, by saying it was a mate's duty to do it.
I then offered him his choice between paying me and an exposure of the facts respecting the wreck. Immediately he chose to pay me the two dollars I asked, rather than suffer me to make public the circumstances connected with that which he well knew would throw him out of the insurance. That I ought to have done, for he fully deserved it, by suffering the ship to go on the rocks, at the sacrifice of so many lives, in order that he might sell his vessel at an exorbitantly large price; thereby adding to the crime of murder that of robbery!
I received my pay, signed the protest, and left the office, to search for an opportunity to work my passage to St. Johns.
Falling in with the captain of the Sir Henry Pottinger, with whom I was previously acquainted, I obtained the berth of chief mate.
We sailed from Belfast on the 13th of August, 1844; rounded the Copeland light, and, the wind being northerly, stood down the channel; we passed the South Rock light, and came to the reef on which the Ashburton struck; and as I passed the place, I almost fancied I could hear those screeches still ringing in my ears, as they rang that night loud above the angry roarings of the surf.
With my glass I looked upon the sad scene till we rounded the St. Johns point, which shut it out from our sight.