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shifted to the northward and came off in strong puffs. Porpoises
to the amount of some scores at a time, some of
them within 7 or 8 yards of the vessel by their unwieldy
gambols had prognosticated the storm. Having been buffeted
for an hour or two in our endeavours to reach the
island we at last gave up the attempt, put the ship
about, and ran back for our lives into the nearest port which
proved to be that from which I date. We had all the ingredients
of a storm, thunder lightening and hard rain.
The temperature from moderate became bitter cold: the
deck was all in a puddle: the poor unshelter'd Turks
were wet to the skins. The Captain was frighten'd out of his wits,
his awkward sleeveless crew were pulling and hawling
some this way some that way all confusion. The experienced
amongst us pronounced our condition dangerous.
The rolling made me squeamish. I crawled to my hole
in search of sleep, my usual remedy recipe against sickness:
but the extreme cold which pinched my feet allow'd
me but a small portion of this pleasant remedy. At
7 the ship anchored and then our company assembled
in our great cabbin and took a cheerful dish of tea.
On Tuesday the 15th, the first object that saluted my eyes
after I had crawled out of my hole was a Turkish
Caic wrecked upon a rock within a few score yards
of us. It seems she had been our consort for a little
while, and led the way at the entrance onto the bay.
A very narrow ledge of rocks projected to a considerable distance
from the shore. She perceived the danger time
enough to warn us, though not to escape it herself.
The crew are saved; but the vessel and a great part of
the cargo will probably be lost. The shore is strew'd
with bullocks skins filled with oil, which at a little
distance we took for dead fish.
Wednesday 16th After breakfast Mr Henderson, Mr Griffiths
and myself, attended by the Interpreter, went ashore
to look about us and recruit our stock of provisions
which as to every thing but biscuits and a
little fruit was pretty well expended. We got some
ats flesh just killed, some mutton and some
fine onions and some eggs with a few bottles of tolerable
red wine at about 7 farthings a bottle, but our
Turkish competitors had reduced our portion of the meat to a small
pittance. Our motions being necessarily governed by the
destination of the boat, we returned aboard to dinner.
Besides a few Caicks that were moored close to the shore along with us we had observed from the first a
Frank ship at anchor a little farther out. We heard
different accounts of her: some said she was a Venetian
others a Greek under Russian colours. Some of the company
had started the idea of paying her a visit in
order to pick up intelligence, and in particular to inquire
whether she was bound for the Black Sea. I came
into it immediately. On our return from shore I summoned
the rest of the company, I mean the male part
of it to carry the idea into execution. Mr H declined
it.
Mr G. complied with reluctance: Mr S. the Russian
was well disposed. I contrived to hale a very small boat
belonging to one of the Caicks that would but just admitt 2
persons beside the boatman. Mr S. seeing Mr G &
myself both in readiness could not be prevailed upon
to take either of our places. When we were come close
alongside we perceived a gentleman who we took for
granted was the Captain in a red lapelled coat
with a fur cap on such as we had seen worn
by Venetians. We accosted him in our broken Italian
with Come sta Signor Capitano &c: his answer was,
Gentlemen, I we are countrymen, I perceive. He
proved to be the Captain Newman of whom we had
all of us heard honourable mention, and in particularly
for his experience in the navigation of the
Black Sea. We made known to him our situation,
he offer'd us immediately in the most generous
manner and in a way that preluded a refusal,
a passage to Constantinople (whither he was bound)
for ourselves and our whole company bag & baggage.
We returned on board our prison without
delay: the glad tidings were an excellent sauce to
a good dinner. He sent his boat for us according
to appointment; and here we are as happy as released
Jail-birds, all but our Russian friend,
who to our great astonishment would neither share
in our joy, nor in the good fortune that had given
birth to it. The Captain had sailed from Alexandria
the last, with nothing but salt for lading:
to crown our satisfaction, he informed us that he
had left at that port bound for Constantinople &
from thence for Sebastopole in the Crimea the very port we are going to, a
good vessel, commanded by an intelligent civil
Frenchman who had been his mate: that he supposed
her already sailed: but without waiting for
him, he supposed he should find little difficulty
in finding us at Constantinople some other ship
equally eligible for the same port. Here the Ladies
have a spatious state-room to themselves: and we
three men share with the Captain a cabbin considerably
larger than Capt: Brine's.
Wednesday Nov: r 16. Thursday Nov: 17th 17 10 at night. We are getting
under way for Constantinople : the Turk has
been gone this hour or two: our Captain, an experienced
veteran to save us ship labour would not stir till the wind & weather
promised steadiness. The cold has confined the Ladies
all along on board; as want of curiosity has
done the Captain. We men took advantage this
morning of the boats going ashore to go likewise
in order to settle some matters with the Turk Captain.
Cold and a slight indispositions sent my
comrades back again immediately by an accidental conveyance
I staid on shore till the return of the boat which
was about 1/2 after 1. We had embraced a similar
opportunity yesterday morning: but a caution
on the part of our old interpreter , Merat,
suggested as I supposed by weariness, had deterred
nay
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Identifier: | JB/540/218/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 540.
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Correspondence |
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Jeremy Bentham |
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