Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-11-28
AN EXCHANGE OF SHIPS

old Scotch bark Emma Davis That was
nv fifth whaling voyage, and no ship could
have had worse luck. When we had been
out fourteen months we had to buy bar
rel of oil to keep our lamps going. we had
sighted whale now and then, but they
were as wild as deer, and twice when we
had made fast we had our boats stove and
lost two or three men. We had lost top
masts, been aleak, had several sails de-
stroyed been on fire, and it seemed as II
the very devil was to pay with the voyage,
and yet no one could blame any one else;
II was simply "ship's luck" and we had
to make the best of it. Finally, late in the
season. when we ought to have been head
ing for the south, we got among the
whales. That is, they suddenly appeared
all around us, and on the very first day we
killed four without accident. We cut them
in without trying out as this was the
quicker way to dispose of them, and the
last of the blubber was no sooner over the
rail than down went the boats and two
more whales were secured.
The winter gales were at hand and Ice
was making fast, but it was our golden OPP
portunity We drifted slowly to the south,
killing and cutting in as we went and If
we could have had two more weeks of it we
could have filled the ship One afternoon,
as we had a half cut whale on each side
of u.s. a gale sprang up, heavy snow
storm came on and in less than an
hour we had to let go OF our prizes ana
look sharply after the bark. 1t was the
beginning OF the arctic winter and while
the captain was satisfied Of it he decided to
take one more chance. There might come
a few DAYS of fine weather after the gale,
and SO we drifted away to the north to
4 10 don't hjI,tIr
was no let up, and every half hour we had
TO turn out and shovel snow over the rails.
Just as the gale broke we got among the
field ice. and the temperature went down
in four hours from degs. below zero to
IS degs below. From a gale blowing
at the rate of forty miles an hour the
wind died out until it hedn't motion
enough to flare a candle. On that first
night, when we were surrounded by field
ice and drifting with it, many of the men
were badly frostbitten, and the frost
cracked through the old ship like mHskets.
Morning came without a breath of wind,
with the temperature down to 81 degs be
low, and now every man knew it was one
chance in ten for us. We were drifting
very slowly to the south, and while we
made everything as snug as possible the
captain hoped for a break before winter
actually shut down. Before noon the sea,
as far as could be discovered from the
crows nest with glass, was covered with
field ice, and by night the temperature was
80 degs below. We kept up our fires and
gctout all the spare clothing and bedding,
but many of the men suffered with the
cold, and no one slept more than ten min
utes at time on account of the noises.
When morning came again it brought in
wind, while the cold was jnst as intense,
and we could now discover a great change
in the ice around US. It was rugged and
broken the heave Of the sea having piled
cakes on top of each other, and the field
was four or five feet thick. The old man
himself went to the crows nest and took
long look, and when he came down he said
to the men, who were waiting to hear his
words:
"Well, boys, it looks very serious to me,
and ! expect you had better prepare to win
ser this side of Dundee"
That settled it with us. We turned to
and began to caulk and batten to keep out
She cold, and in a couple Of days we were
as ready as we could be. For four days
and nights there WASH IA puff of wind with
the cold so intense that ice formed to the
thickness of seven feet alongside the bark.
At daylight on the morning of the 5th a
SuunIl came Ott u LIE SOulHWcSI, GCcONl-
panied by snow, and before noon the ice
field was broken up. At noon the wind
died almost out, but within an hour it
shipped tothe north. and away went every
thing TO the south. 4 wilder sight than a
sea covered with great cakes and blocks Of
ice, each one tossing, grinding and crash
ing on its own account no one ever saw.
we dared show only rag of sail-just
enough to give her Storage yyay-and the
smashing she got that afternoon seemed
enough to break every timber ia her bows.
At night the wind fell again, and at {
O'Clock the thermometer marked 40 degs.
below. As soon as the heave of the sea
subsidized the ice was firmly welded to-
eether again, and when morning came
Shere were hills and hummocls in sight as
big as the ship. The men were now told
by the mate that our position WAS about
ninety miles north of Smiths bay, and
shat our foe was no longer drifting. This
signified that the southern edge of it rested.
against the shore ice, and that we were IN
for it, unless some unlocked for streak OF
luck came to our aid.
Next day there were heavy wind squalls,
but the ice did net break nor did the ship
move That settled it, For the next week
we had Gains and squalls, with the TEN
low, but the pack was as solid as a rocky
ledge We were housed in by this time
and had established the winter routine,
and! the ARCTIC night had come. For the
next month. Tot to weary the reader with
details, our life was shat SO often described
in the books. Then 6 sudden and terrible
interruption came The bark began to
heaye ont The first movement occurred
at about 10 o'clock in the forenoon, and
filled everybody with dire alarm. After
FIVE minutes she hcayed again, lifting right
out OF the solid field, with great cakes
clinging to her. as if machinery was at
work AS she lifted she canted to star
board, and at noon her decks were
at ar angle Of 45 degrees. 1t Mas
always seemed to me fhaS powde!
ought to have been used to blow up the ice
around her aud let her back. Indeed, lad
not orr captain got so badly ratified we
could have cut and sawed and dragged
half an acre of ice in half a day. The car
senter, who had q little plan of his own,
reported that the ieaze had shattered
several planks in her bottom, and that she
would fill if she was Graded back. She
tock one more heave. canti',o over r''*'l
almost on her bean. ends, and then we got
the order to abandon her.
We got out clothing bedding, proyi-
sions, a compass, and four boats, and at
midnight headed away in four gangs for
Smiths bay, each gang having a boat,
which was dragged and lifted over the ice
The order to abandon ship has the same
effect on the sailor that tic order to re-
treat does on the soldier. 1t creates a
panicky feeling and he loses his judg-
ment. We had not gone FIVE miles before
some of the men began to curse the cap
tain's stupidity in leaving the nefgbbor-
hood of tbs bark, and others expressed
their doubts OF the carpenters reports.
However, ali pressed forward, and after
making ten miles we Went into camp.
Fortunately for us there was lie EYind,
while the thermometer was only about 10
dees. below. After rest Of six hours we
pushed on again, and nov Cur marches
and rests were marked By hours. Il was
terrible hard work crossing those ice fields,
and FIVE hours of pulling, hauling, climb
ing and sliding were enough to wear out
a host man he CROW