DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0421
SHIPWRECK PF THE ST. LAWRENCE.
383
able stock of onions; as to bread we had none, for when
the vessel went to pieces the casks were stove and the bread
lost. Economy and good management were now highly ne-
cessary to make our little stock last as long as possible; and
it was determined that each man, whether sick or well,
should be confined to a quarter of a pound of beef and
four onions per day, as long as the latter should last. This
wretched allowance was the utmost we thought it prudent to
afford ourselves, lest we should be in an uninhabited coun-
try; for as yet we were rather uncertain on what coast
we were cast away, though afterwards, on comparing cir-
cumstances, we concluded it must be on the island of Cape
Breton.
On the 11th of December, being the sixth day after we
landed, the gale abated, and gave us an opportunity to
launch the boat and get on board what remained of the ves-
sel. Three of us accordingly embarked, having with much
labour launched the boat and cleared her of the sand and
ice. As soon as we got on board the wreck, we went to
work at opening the hatches, and having but one axe and
the cables being frozen over them in a solid lump of ice, it
took the whole day to accomplish it. The next day we
went again on board, and cut up part of the deck, in order
to get out two casks of onions, with a small barrel of beef,
and three barrels of apples, shipped by a Jewish merchant
of Quebec. We likewise found a quarter cask of potatoes,
a bottle of oil, which proved very serviceable to the mens’
sores, another axe, a large iron pot, two camp-kettles, and
about twelve pounds of tallow candles. With much diffi-
culty we got this farther supply on shore.
On the 13th we stowed away our provisions in a corner
of the hut, when, on opening the apple casks, we found
their contents, to our great surprize and regret, converted
into bottles of Canadian balsam.
383
able stock of onions; as to bread we had none, for when
the vessel went to pieces the casks were stove and the bread
lost. Economy and good management were now highly ne-
cessary to make our little stock last as long as possible; and
it was determined that each man, whether sick or well,
should be confined to a quarter of a pound of beef and
four onions per day, as long as the latter should last. This
wretched allowance was the utmost we thought it prudent to
afford ourselves, lest we should be in an uninhabited coun-
try; for as yet we were rather uncertain on what coast
we were cast away, though afterwards, on comparing cir-
cumstances, we concluded it must be on the island of Cape
Breton.
On the 11th of December, being the sixth day after we
landed, the gale abated, and gave us an opportunity to
launch the boat and get on board what remained of the ves-
sel. Three of us accordingly embarked, having with much
labour launched the boat and cleared her of the sand and
ice. As soon as we got on board the wreck, we went to
work at opening the hatches, and having but one axe and
the cables being frozen over them in a solid lump of ice, it
took the whole day to accomplish it. The next day we
went again on board, and cut up part of the deck, in order
to get out two casks of onions, with a small barrel of beef,
and three barrels of apples, shipped by a Jewish merchant
of Quebec. We likewise found a quarter cask of potatoes,
a bottle of oil, which proved very serviceable to the mens’
sores, another axe, a large iron pot, two camp-kettles, and
about twelve pounds of tallow candles. With much diffi-
culty we got this farther supply on shore.
On the 13th we stowed away our provisions in a corner
of the hut, when, on opening the apple casks, we found
their contents, to our great surprize and regret, converted
into bottles of Canadian balsam.