Part 54 (2/2)
We o back to the _Empress_, which we left soale of wind, approaching to a hurricane The weather having coht of her consort, when the heavy sea which got up compelled Captain Adair either to heave the shi+p to or to run before the wind He chose the for for a lull, he brought her to the wind under a close-reefed main-topsail Heavy shi+p as she was, and deep in the water with stores and provisions of all sorts, she did not ride it out in the coate A fierce blast blew her canvas to ribbons, and a sea striking her carried away the bulwarks forward, and swept her deck, knocking two of her boats to pieces, and doing other serious daain, or the consequencestith that could be applied to set another sail, when the shi+p for a time rode rather more easily
She thus continued hove to for a couple of days, the weather in no wayAdair felt anxious about the _Bellona_, which he hoped to have seen, not being aware that by running south he would have got out of the gale as she did Many a good seaman under similar circuines stopped Adair sent to inquire the cause Part of the ineer reported that it would be soon again in order if the shi+p could be induced to reht as well tell us to land hie and shop,” observed Jos Green, the reater affection for ”steam-kettles” than had old Gunter Scale, his brother master of the _Bellona_
The shi+p was now in an uncoht bloay a second topsail, and if she fell oil it would be a difficult task to bring her to the wind again; her only resource would then be to run before the gale The danger apprehended cah of the sea
”Hold on, hold on, all of you for your lives!” shouted Adair, as he saw a heavy wave coain swept, and two poor felloho had failed to obey the captain's orders, were carried aithout the slightest hope of being rescued
Adair sent below; he received the saineer Meantiain to set head sail As she thus lay the sea broke over her several tie
The as sounded, and the carpenter reported four feet of water in the hold The donkey engine was i to do its duty, after being soained on the water
In the mean time another main-topsail was set and an attempt made to wear shi+p Suddenly the wind shi+fted to the north-west, and filling the sails of the sorely battered shi+p she flew before it, though the heavy broken seas which rolled up astern threatened at any ineer complained bitterly of the way in which the shi+p tuood fellow,” said Green; ”we are under snug canvas and as ines et into a calm; it will be your turn then We seamen have the shi+p to ourselves at present If we put into Si in, you will have tihts”
”That's just what old Gunter Scale would have said,” observed the engineer, who had once served with him on the _Bellona_, and was accustomed to his satirical remarks
The shi+p, however, was not destined to touch at the Cape, for one of those terrific gales which occasionally blow off the African coast caught her ithin a hundredher deck with a fine i only her canvas to depend upon, she was driven so far to the southward that it would have coo considerably out of her way had she hauled up again for the Cape She then fell in with a trade wind, which carried her under all sail to the eastward, and Adair, hoping to regain the lost tiascar, outside of which he intended to stand, avoiding the Mozambique Channel, and probably, if necessary, to touch at the Mauritius, where he could get his engines repaired
Once ale, not inferior in power to those she had already encountered, came on from the north-west The battered _Eine had been kept going, and the water had not hitherto considerably increased, but still it was evident that a serious leak existed soh where it was had not yet been ascertained Adair and his lieutenant, as well as the carpenter and boatswain, had made repeated efforts to discover the exact spot The only way to do this was to creep under the bunkers aerous task It was evident that the water must be reduced before the leak could be discovered
The as given to e pumps were also set in motion, while a double line of men were formed with all the buckets which could be found on board, from the main-deck to the hold, to bale out the water, one line passing down the e up the full ones, almost as quickly as a chain pump could have done it The er to which they were exposed Perfect discipline, however, was n of fear, no one co his crew our old acquaintances Pat Casey and Peter the black, the last-na better able to perforlish stokers were either Irish stokers and sugar bakers, avocations which require the power of enduring heat
The gale continued to increase, and in spite of all the efforts of the crew the water rushed in as furiously as before Even had the engines been in order, it would have been iainst the wind to the Cape, and it was a great question whether the shi+p could be kept afloat until the Mauritius--the nearest land--could be reached
Adair and Jos Green anxiously examined the chart
”Should the wind shi+ft a few points e it under sail, but in our present circu to be done is to keep the shi+p before the gale,” observed the master
In few parts of the ocean is the sea more heavy than in the latitude in which the _Empress_ noas, except, perhaps, to the southward of Cape Horn All the other pu, and a fresh party was told off to bale out the water with iron hand-buckets These were hoisted up at the rate of seventy an hour
”Set the fiddle and fife going, it will keep up the spirits of the men,”
said Adair to the first lieutenant, who at once issued the order
Presentlystrangely, and yet inspiriting the crew Still, in spite of all that could be done, the water rose higher and higher
”Peter,” said Pat Casey to his old shi+p for four hours, they knocked off to get a little rest, ”it's my opinion that this is the last cruise you and I shall take together I've been in hty quare fix before now, but niver one like this Sure, there's nothin' I hate more than a shi+p with a hole in her botto one, I'ib up, Pat,” answered Peter ”We fall in with 'nother shi+p, or sight soet 'shore, or stop de leak When de cap'n finds de shi+p make too much water, he keep her 'float by fixin' a sail under her”