DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0429
SHIPWRECK OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 3Q1
water over the oakum, and letting it freeze into a cake of ice.
The men made light of my undertaking; but I soon con-
vinced them of its utility, for, by continually throwing water
over the oakum, we froze up every seam and hole in such a
manner, that not a drop of water could enter, as long as the
weather continued freezing as at present.
On the 27th of January, the weather being moderate, and
a light breeze directly off the shore, we got our boat very
carefully launched, and set off early in the morning from
this ill-omened bay. We had. the pleasure to observe that the
boat made little or no water, so that we were enabled to keep
our four oars continually at work.
The weather continued very moderate all the day of the
27th, so that by six o’clock in the evening we computed that
we had rowed about twelve miles from where we departed in
the morning.
We put ashore about six o’clock upon a small sandy
beach, and by placing the oars under our boat, dragged her
carefully some yards from the water; so that she lay very
safe while the wind continued as it then was. We next cut
some branches, made a fire, and sheltered ourselves as well
as possible in the wood.
A show'er of rain the next day unfortunately melted all the
ice off our boat; we were therefore prevented from going
any farther till a return of the frost; and, what made the
matter worse, our provisions were now reduced to two pounds
and a half of beef for each man. On the morning of the
29th, the mate having wandered a little distance from our fire,
returned in haste to inform me that he had discovered a par-
tridge perched on a bough of a tree. I immediately went to
the place where he had seen it, and observing that the bird
was very tame, and not above fourteen feet from the ground,
I cut down a long ppfe, and taking part of the rope-yarn that
fastened my canvas shoes, made a running loop of it, and
fixed it to the end of the pole; then walking softly under the
water over the oakum, and letting it freeze into a cake of ice.
The men made light of my undertaking; but I soon con-
vinced them of its utility, for, by continually throwing water
over the oakum, we froze up every seam and hole in such a
manner, that not a drop of water could enter, as long as the
weather continued freezing as at present.
On the 27th of January, the weather being moderate, and
a light breeze directly off the shore, we got our boat very
carefully launched, and set off early in the morning from
this ill-omened bay. We had. the pleasure to observe that the
boat made little or no water, so that we were enabled to keep
our four oars continually at work.
The weather continued very moderate all the day of the
27th, so that by six o’clock in the evening we computed that
we had rowed about twelve miles from where we departed in
the morning.
We put ashore about six o’clock upon a small sandy
beach, and by placing the oars under our boat, dragged her
carefully some yards from the water; so that she lay very
safe while the wind continued as it then was. We next cut
some branches, made a fire, and sheltered ourselves as well
as possible in the wood.
A show'er of rain the next day unfortunately melted all the
ice off our boat; we were therefore prevented from going
any farther till a return of the frost; and, what made the
matter worse, our provisions were now reduced to two pounds
and a half of beef for each man. On the morning of the
29th, the mate having wandered a little distance from our fire,
returned in haste to inform me that he had discovered a par-
tridge perched on a bough of a tree. I immediately went to
the place where he had seen it, and observing that the bird
was very tame, and not above fourteen feet from the ground,
I cut down a long ppfe, and taking part of the rope-yarn that
fastened my canvas shoes, made a running loop of it, and
fixed it to the end of the pole; then walking softly under the