The Life of a Sailor, Volume 2J. & J. Harper, 1833 |
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Alcalde amongst anchor appeared arrived assistance beautiful began boat Bolivar breeze brig called captain Caraccas comfortable companion conversation cool Corfu corpse crew Cruz dead death deck dinner endeavoured eyes fear feeling gallant gave gentlemen Guayra guns half hand harbour head heard heart honour hope hospitality hour inhabitants island Islay Jamaica knew La Guayra lady land lieutenant look Lord Byron Lough Swilly manner Maracaibo massa Mexican Mexico midshipman mind morning mulatto mules murder Negroes never night noise o'clock officer Paez passed poor Port Royal portmanteau postilions pretty Puebla replied round sail sailor scene schooner seemed seen sharks ship shore sight Sir Thomas Maitland slaves soon Spaniards stood Tampico thing tion took Turk turned Vera Cruz vessel walked watch whilst wind woman word yards yellow fever
Popular passages
Page 130 - Then rose from sea to sky the wild farewell — Then shriek'd the timid, and stood still the brave, Then some leap'd overboard with dreadful yell, As eager to anticipate their grave; And the sea yawn'd around her like a hell...
Page 40 - The glorious, pious and immortal memory of the great and good King William — not forgetting Oliver Cromwell, who assisted in redeeming us from Popery, slavery, arbitrary power, brass money and wooden shoes.
Page 135 - Nature, true to herself, resisted the endeavor, and the groan was deep and audible. The crew had long respected their gallant commander ; they knew his worth and his courage. On hearing him express his pain, and seeing him relinquish his hold to sink, two of the men grasped their dying officer and placed him in the stern sheets. Even now, in almost insupportable agony, that gallant fellow forgot his own sufferings, and thought only on rescuing the remaining few from the untimely grave which awaited...
Page 135 - ... danger, and the twenty-two sailors were again devoted to destruction. At first the sharks did not seem inclined to seize their prey, but swam in amongst the men, playing in the water, sometimes leaping about and rubbing against their victims. This was of short duration. A loud shriek from one of the men announced his sudden pain. A shark had seized him by the leg and severed it entirely from the body. No sooner had the blood been tasted than the long-dreaded attack took place ; another and another...
Page 142 - His horrors may be imagined, when he saw three of those terrific monsters swim past the boat, exactly in the direction of his companion : he splashed his jacket in the water, to scare them away, but they seemed quite aware of the impotency of the attack, and lazily pursued their course. The man swam well and strongly. There was no doubt he would pass within hail of the brig, provided the sharks did not interfere ; and he, knowing that they would not be long in following him, kept kicking the water,...
Page 141 - Then falling on his knees, and saving " God protect me !" he jumped overboard with as much calmness, as if he was bathing in security. No sooner had he begun to strike out in the direction he intended, than his companion turned towards the sharks. The fins had disappeared, and it was evident they had heard the splash, and would soon follow their prey. It is hard to say who suffered the most anxiety. The one left in the boat cheered his companion, looked at the brig, and kept waving his jacket —...
Page 140 - ... was destroyed in a second ; the brig kept away about three points, and began to make more sail. Then was it an awful moment. Their countenances saddened as they looked at each other ; for in vain they hailed — in vain they threw their jackets in the air — it was evident they had never been seen, and that the brig was steering her proper course. Both now attempted to break adrift one of the fixed thwarts. The loose ones had been lost during the night ; and although, as all may fancy, every...
Page 133 - The crew, amounting in all to twenty-four, happened kickily to be on deck, with the exception of two, who were drowned in the schooner; and in one minute they found themselves struggling in the water — their home, their ship, and some of their companions, lost for ever. The wild cry for assistance from some, of surprise from others, and fear from all, seemed to drown the wind; for, as if sent by Providence to effect this single event, no sooner had the schooner sunk than the wind entirely ceased,...