, 1881-05-21

Outward bound in the Indian Cbe, "'sn sAiF-
r,er and pilot, Northern man. -
Thirty al told from the Yorkshire c'aSt' VIC
sailed for the Channel, to make Japan
Ic;Iy cold frpm the nor nor east, the VINO iAe
an arrow went whistlins by;
The stars stood sharp by frozen moo1 Ill"
the ,noe n stared white in frosty SKY
And sk;pper he cried. as we changed tne NatSl =,
IKec,. a ssod lecL e'lt-do yon anae Eet.
We mus. strsi- or eyes 'of ,na on Ss,;j
I;,,bt and clear the surf of the Oooo sln SAM
I've sailed on afouler night, my 'ahs' oa' many
a vessel has come 10 grlef. p,.
In spire of the light of the 'kentish hhock; :,
SIN. here's good luck TO the Indian 'hist
7, sss,nsd 50 strange that starlit sky should
lock SO calm ON a seethins sea-
And crueler wind never sbavered tiie sHin VI
made the mast like bendni tree
We were well within sight OF the haciSstte =
Pier and our course set clear Of the hehtish
Knock
When the ship gave 6 shy ike 3 frightened
horse and then came crash and slckeninS
shock -.
W. knew what It meant when without any
f,,ss the skipper and pilot folded hands,,
Aud the rockets went up in the pitiless SKY
Ws had struck on the bar Of the Goodwin
Sands
What was the use of the compass now, or sal
or rudder! No treacherous reef
Could ever imprison with frmer srip than the
sands that swallowed the Indian Chief
II diin't take long for the end to come, when
the waves washed savagely over our deck.
So ". Tgbted A flame, as a desperate chance,
To Cuide brave men to our hopeless wreck.
The nilgt. the skipper, his brother, the mate,
and the thirty odd souls in desperate plight.
Crept into the rDasss in the searching cold, HOOK
ing death in the face, on NV Years nisat-
One by one a. the masts gave ~asi theF drop
ped like birds from frozen tree, =,
When the skipper, who ching t" hlS pTg'he., T
the mate, sang oft ihanA oo" iheie
the I.ifeboat See !"
We Thought him mad, with his fingers strstch-
ed to a distant speck, like a floating Leaf;
.t'Ti. branch Of olive !" the pilot cried, and
the message L "Hope for the Indian Chief.
I.ashed to their oars, in the slindins storm,
out they had come in q steamers wake
Ramssate men, with never 4 care Tor s'1iior
,,.a.h. for sailors sake.
Out there followed from Clacton coast, A'dbor-
on-h. Harwich, score ~ hands.
Wnen the ii iings travelled Ar English
ship is breaking her back upon Goodwin
Sands" ,,
-Tv .s race for life, and the Bradford won
Bnt wheii t,ts boat from the tug was cast,
The sea stood in frunt Gf the Ramssa.e men,
as they heard the shrieks from :'- sinking
mast.
Shouts of suceor across the waves, and cries OF
agony past belief,
What Is the use Of Lifebo:t manned when
the sea has prize in the Indian Chief
The skipper lay dead by his brother the mate,
with a s,:iie oi, his face for the wife at home
And the morning 1ioke 70 the, moan, " How
longg7 and the endless cry Sih the Life
boat GOMEZ
But the evening died on the conquered sea,
and Inasts where never a sailor ciings;
And the; ri:n to the end of the RaInssate fier
to see the prize ti.at the Iifeboat brings
II isn't in money or gold that's PAT: the terri
bic debt of the enemy sea.
But flesh and blood of a shipwrecked crew Is q
richer reward, you'll all agree.
MANY a ship, a. the year rcll on, with 1kipper
and pilot and faithful hands,
VIII sail from home on a winter sea and driit
70 death upon Goodwin Sands.
But wneii the rlea for the Gfeboat comes,
there'll not be many 70 srudge relief
To the men who al swered to drty's call and
stood by the wreck of the Indian thist
London PaHfh.