Great American Adventure Stories by Tom McCarthy

Author:Tom McCarthy [McCarthy, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lyons Press
Published: 2017-06-20T17:09:47+00:00

9

Beheaded

By Daniel Collins

Daniel Collins thought the trip from Wiscasset to Cuba would be quick and uneventful. An unmarked reef, a shipwreck, and an indecisive captain were the first indications that things would not be normal. But that was only the beginning.

On the 28th of November, 1824, I sailed from Wiscasset (Maine) for Matanzas, in the island of Cuba, onboard the brig Betsey, laden with lumber; our officers and crew consisting of seven: Ellis Hilton of Wiscasset, master; Joshua Merry of Edgecomb, first mate; Daniel Collins of Wiscasset, second mate; Charles Manuel (a Portuguese), Seth Russell, and Benjamin Bridge, seamen; and Detrey Jeome, cook. On the 18th of December, we passed the Berry Islands and early next morning came to anchor within a league of Orange Key, on the Bahama Banks. It was the morning of the Sabbath, so calm and clear that even the lengthened billows of the Gulf Stream seemed sleeping around us, and the most untutored son of Neptune could not but remember that it was a holy day, consecrated to devotion and rest. Here we continued until noon, when a fresh breeze from the north invited us to weigh anchor and unfurl our sails, which, swelling with a fair wind, were as buoyant as our own spirits at the increasing prospect of reaching our port of destination.

Our course was west-southwest that afternoon and night. At four o’clock next morning, by order of Capt. Hilton, who had been sick most of the passage out and was now unable to appear on deck during the night, we kept her away one point, steering southwest by west, calculating the current easterly at three knots, which he supposed would clear us of the Double Headed Shot Keys.

About sunset, a dark and stormy night approaching, I suggested to our captain the propriety of shortening sail, to which he would not assent, presuming we might get into Matanzas the next day. The night was so dark that we could not discover objects distinctly beyond the length of the vessel, and the wind blew more than a usual wholesale breeze, which drove her, heavy-laden as she was, at the rate of nine knots, calculating ourselves more than six leagues to the windward of the Double Headed Shot Keys. At half past two o’clock, I was relieved at the helm, and after casting a glance over the lee side and discovering no alteration in the appearance of the water, I observed to my shipmate at the helm, “There is no fear of you”—went below and turned in with my clothes on. No one was below at this time except the captain, who stood at the foot of the companion way viewing the appearance of the weather.

I had been in my berth about half an hour when I felt a tremendous shock, which covered me with the muskets that were overhead, boxes, barrels, and other cabin articles, the water pouring into my berth through the quarter. I cleared myself by a violent effort, ran for

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.