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Updated: July 25, 2025
We opened out. I am not exaggerating we opened out, sir, like a cardboard box. The other ship cut us two-thirds through, a little behind the break of the fo'c'sle. Our decks split up lengthways. The mizzen-mast bounded out of its place, and we heeled over. Then the other ship blew a fog-horn.
The last observation made, and the ship's ensign hoisted, upside down, on the stump of the mizzen-mast not so much for the very unlikely chance of any passing vessel observing it, as from the special request of Mr McCarthy, that, as he expressed it, the poor Nancy Bell should "have a dacent burial" Mr Meldrum at length gave the word for all hands to embark, an operation which occupied even less time than that of his "taking the sun."
We were not, however, to be so easily tempted. At length, by dint of great exertion, and probably at the cost of many men, the Frenchmen succeeded in cutting adrift the wreck of their foremast; when, by furling all the canvas upon their mizzen-mast, they managed to once more get the frigate before the wind and heading in for the land.
The officers were next called upon deck, and forced over the side into the boat, while I was kept apart from every one abaft the mizzen-mast. He then attempted to leave the ship, for which purpose he got into the boat; but with many threats they obliged him to return.
After the action had lasted rather more than three hours, the Constitution placing herself so as to rake the dismasted Java, Lieutenant Chads ordered the colours to be lowered from the stump of the mizzen-mast, and the frigate was taken possession of by the victor. The whole of the Java's boats, and all except one of the Constitution's, were knocked to pieces.
The gale had blown him many miles out of his course, and lost him his main-top-ga'ntsail yards and half of his mizzen-mast; the cold snap had weighted ship and rigging with ice, and now the fog and the uncharted deep-sea river had confused his reckoning utterly.
But I was young, strong, and active, and giving myself no time to think, I felt in the darkness for the crutch at the thick end of the gaff or yard which embraced the mizzen-mast below the top the yard, that is, which spread the top of the mizzen-spanker lowered myself down till I stood upon it, and then taking well hold with hands and knees, I began to creep softly up and along that diagonally stretched yard higher and higher till I felt that I must be over the sea.
At six o'clock some violent blows were felt against the ship's side, and at the same time a voice was distinguished, shouting loudly, "Curtis! Curtis!" Following the direc- tion of the cries we saw that the broken mizzen-mast was being washed against the vessel, and in the dusky morning twilight we could make out the figure of a man clinging to the rigging.
"The fire seems at present to be confined to the fore-part of the ship," observed Mr Shobbrok. "If so, we may have time to assist in forming a raft for saving ourselves and the rest. If I had been on board, I would have set every man with axes to cut away the upper works and mizzen-mast, and we should soon have materials for the purpose." "I am thinking of poor, dear Alice," exclaimed Walter.
And this rivalry is shared between all the officers of each vessel, who are respectively placed over the different top-men; so that the main-mast is all eagerness to vanquish the fore-mast, and the mizzen-mast to vanquish them both. Stimulated by the shouts of their officers, the sailors throughout the squadron exert themselves to the utmost.
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