Year: 1877

We were rounding the Cape of Good


Hope in the good ship "Nancy Lee, I"


whereof James M'Culloch was master,


on our voyage from Bombay to Liver


pool. was the only passenger. The


voyage had been tedious, for the bottom


of the vessel was covered with barnacles.


and the captain was not very enter.


tanning or instructive mariner. He had


one mate, Smith by name, whose only


diversion during the watch below was a


daring attempt to conquer "Life let us


cherish on a one-keyed flute. I was


consequently cast upon my own resour-


ces. The table was not very luxurlant-


ly supplied, but tthere was always sufi-


cheney and on Christmas day we had


an extra feast. We dined at three


o'clock. The weather was beautiful !;


all sail was set, and we were congratu-


lating ourselves upon so propitious q


"double of the terrible Cape OF


Storms. We we're not very sensible Of


a sudden change in the motion of the


vessel until heavy lurch to larbeard


sentbottles and glasses on to the deck


of the cuddy. The captain looked up


at the barometer over his head, turned


deadly pale, and staggered out on the


Quarterback. Mr.. Smith was asleep on
the poop; the crew, with the exception
of one sick man, were drunk and quar-


reling. The position was perilous, in
the extreme. Crack! and the main
royal with its yard and sail tapped
against the top-gallant. The captain


staggered to the halyards and called
out, as loud as he could "Let 60
everythingi" The wind became fiercer
each moment the jib was torn to shreds;
the mizen-royal went the vessel was
almost on her beam ends. rushed
out, and aided the captain in 'letting
CO." to urge them to reef and furl and
get down the shattered masts-all to no
purpose. Only one or two were suffi-
GENTLY in their senses to make an effort
to do their duty. I jumped upon the
poop, and shook Smith out OF his lethargy.
He stared, bewildered for some mo-
ments and when he seemed to realize
the condition of things, he began to
brawl and use his whistle for he was
bos'n as well as mate), and wondered
that no notice was taken of it. The sea
had now risen considerably, and every
now and then heavy seas dashed against
the Nancy Lee" or swept clean over
her. By great efforts the "letting &c" ;"
had been accomplished, and every yard
being loosened, the sails Topped about
tremendously, breaking from their lifts
and braces. The man at the helm, who
ought to have been relieved two hours
previously, now declared he could hold
on no longer-the pressure upon the
rudder was beyond his powers. He
called for some comrade to take his
place he was upheeded. So, in his
desperation, he made the wheel fast,
and went forward-only to drink his
share of the liquor, which had been put
into lis keg for him. The captain was
frenzied-he stamped, swore, prayed,
invoked, ordered-all to no purpose.
Out of q crew of fourteen, only four per-
soas, myself included, were fit to. do any
thing. The elements took advantage
of our helplessness, and made terrible
havoc with everything on and above
deck. Happily, the matches were
hermetically closed, to project the car
90. The foretopmast, unable to bear
the strain. now went, and in its fall
killed sailor, who bore the rather in
appropriate soubriquet of Happy
Jack" The men became frantic. One
went up aloft to cut loose the main-royal,
which still hung by some cordage to the
lower stem. He got up with difficulty,
and affected his purpose. The mast fell
on the deck. and struck Mr.. Smith he
towards the gangway, and fell
overheard. I screamed with alright
and rushed to the side. A rope that
hung below the main-chains had caught
him as the vessel heeled over but in
stead of proving his salvation It aided
his destruction, for I saw his poor body
swinging to and fro, STRIKING the ships
side with force enough to kill him if he
had ten lives. To shorten the story,
the gale slackened at midnight, and
dead calm rapidly ensued. We had
then nothing but the rolling of the help
less ship to trouble us. But to what
wreck was the full moon wit
ness Every effort was now made to
repair damages, but although two
more elapsed before we entered
the Mersey, our condition was so dilap y
dated, that, in spite fthe efforts made bi
the skipper totell q good story to his own.
ers, they mulct him and the crew of all
that was due, and resolved that, in
future, no more such "merry Christmas
es should be passed by poor M'Cul-
loch in their service.