United States or Åland ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
I was sorry to hear that Mr Williams, the carpenter, whose advice, had it been followed, would have saved the ship, was drowned; his body was picked up directly afterwards, and carried on board the Victory, where it was laid on the hearth before the galley-fire, in the hopes that he might recover, but life was extinct. Captain Waghorn, though he could not swim, was saved.
Bah! who'd call that a binnacle glim, or a lamp of any kind? If't be a ship's light at all, it's the glare o' the galley-fire, where the cook's makin' coffee for all hands." The superb picture of comfort thus called forth was too much for the temper of the starving men, to whom the idea was addressed; and a wild cry of exultation responded to the speech.
Life must have been precious always; but never before had it appeared so precious as now, whilst I gazed at that homely ship, with her main-topsail to the mast, swinging stately upon the swell, the faces of the seamen plain, the smoke of her galley-fire breaking from the chimney, the sounds of creaking blocks and groaning parrels stealing from her.
Eight bells struck in the forenoon watch, the boatswain's whistle piped to dinner, and the mess-men were seen lazily moving along the deck, with their kids, to the galley-fire, to receive their portions of dinner from the black cook, who, with face shining doubly from the heat which none but a black cook or a German sugar-baker could have endured, was busily employed in serving it out to them.
It was very cold, and, a collier coming by us, with her galley-fire smoking and flaring, looked like a comfortable home. The night was as dark by this time as it would be until morning; and what light we had, seemed to come more from the river than the sky, as the oars in their dipping struck at a few reflected stars.
Now that the gleam of a galley-fire as they believed the light to be rose up before their eyes, the spirits of all became suddenly electrified by the wildest imaginings; and the contest so lately carried on, as well as the combatants engaged in it, was instantaneously forgotten; while the thoughts, and eager glances, of every individual on the raft were now directed towards that all-absorbing speck, still gleaming but obscurely against the reddish background of the sun-stained horizon.
"I wish I had been anyone's chicken," replied Martin; "but the devil a thing to nestle under have I had since I can well remember." "What a bore to have no galley-fire lighted," said one of the youngsters; "no tea, and not allowed any grog." "The gale will last three days," replied Martin, "and by that time we shall not be far from the Admiral; it won't blow home there."
It went out while the eyes of several were fixed upon it; not by any gradual disappearance, as a waning star might have passed out of sight, but with a quick "fluff;" so one of the spectators described it, likening its extinction to "a tub of salt-water thrown over the galley-fire." On the instant of its disappearance, the oars were abandoned, as also the rudder.
"Twee, twee, twee-e-e, tweetle, weetle, tee, tee, tee-e!" piped the boatswain, following up his shrill music with the hoarse bellow of: "All hands clear for action. Now then, old stew-pan," to the cook "dowse your galley-fire, my hearty, and stow away all your best chiney down in the run. Tumble up there, you bull-dogs, tumble up!"
While Nature was thus, as it were, asleep, and the watch on deck were more than half in the same condition, there was one individual in the ship whose faculties were in active play, whose "steam," as he himself would have remarked, "was up." This was the worthy cook, Nikel Sling, whose duties called him to his post at the galley-fire at an early hour each day.
Word Of The Day