Part 53 (2/2)
”Hold on for your lives, hold on,” cried Zappa
Soo their hold of the rigging, and the boat, torn fro stove to pieces, ashed far away from them, while several unfortunate wretches found at the saeneral cry, and this time the captain did not contradict the waves dashed wildly over the vessel, the wind roared, the thick mist enveloped them with its funereal pall; down, down she went, when a loud crash was heard, the stout timbers and planks were rent and torn asunder; he lifted on the summit of a wave, the boas seen to twist and writhe, and separating fro whirlpool, while the stern was cast with terrific violence on the rocks--another wave lifted it yet higher, and there it reh with difficulty the few survivors could maintain their hold Still their prospect of salvation was sht coe into a thousand frag of the fatal wave; but sea after sea whirled foa their hearts with apprehension; yet instead of increasing, each seemed diminished in size
The last effort of the white squall had been made--its fury was appeased with the sacrifice offered to it Onward it passed, clothed in itsmist, to other realms: the blue sky appeared, the troubled sea subsided into cal to the shattered wreck beheld, close to the some four or five feet above the surface of the water
”Courage, e, lady!” exclaimed Zappa They were the first words he had uttered for some time ”A seaman, with abundance of planks and a few feet of firm rock on which to plant his foot, should never despair Stay where you are for a few -place for you”
As he said this, he stood up on the side of the vessel, to examine their position They had struck on the very centre of the reef, forh which the _Sea Hawk_ had been endeavouring to pass, and at the only part which was any height above the water; perhaps, indeed, not another spot could have been found which could have so securely wedged in the stern, as to have prevented its following the rest of the vessel to the bottoht be obtained was some ten miles off to the southward and ard, and in that direction the current I have spoken of was setting To the north were interminable reefs and shoals, from which direction no vessel could approach them; nor was it probable, indeed, that a craft of any description would pass near them, as few even of the Greek vessels ever came that way, and the ut-boat belonging to the neighbouring island
This occurred to the pirate as he stood up to look around hi himself, he walked to the end of the taffrail, which he found hung directly over a lodge of rock co the end of a rope to the quarter-rail, he lowered himself down to the rock, and found that there was tolerably fir on it, and that it would be easy to carry to it a rope-ladder, froht descend with tolerable security, and froain the main rock, which e ain climbed up to the wreck--of the whole crew of the _Sea Hawk_, but six, besides himself and Paolo, now remained alive The others had either been drowned in the hold of the vessel as she first capsized, or had subsequently been washed off, or carried aith the bohen it parted
The corpses of so about in the eddy round the rocks, and a fewto portions of the wreck, and carried by the current far away fro them any assistance Ada Garden shuddered as she witnessed their dreadful fate; and yet she felt that her own and that of those with her ht not be preferable, but at the same time she and they had been as yet almost miraculously preserved, contrary to all expectation; and she could not help still indulging in the belief that, by soht be achieved
On Zappa's return to the wreck, he roused up histo it, stupified with terror, and ordered them to exert themselves for their own preservation, as well as for the rest of the survivors
They had been so long accustomed to obey his voice, that they quickly returned to their senses The one, as had the , the backstays and shrouds still hung on to the wreck, and these he ordered the the shrouds to the stern, and carrying the other end to the rocks, he formed an easy ain the e without fear; and as they found their feet resting once h it was a barren rock, they followed the natural impulse of their hearts, and bent down on their knees to return thanks to the Great Being who had preserved them
The hardened pirates, unused as they were to prayer, felt the genial influence, and at the spot where each happened at the aged, and knelt likewise in an endeavour to i
”To work, my friends,” exclaimed Zappa ”We have no prospect of release from hence, unless we can construct a raft by which we may escape, while the calm which has now returned continues I tell you, one hour's ale would render the spot on which we stand untenable, and we must all perish; but do not despair, we e, form out of the wreck a raft, which will, with perfect security, convey us to yonder island, where we ladly receive us”
The ness to obey him His first care was to collect such articles as were floating about in the water near them, and others which had been thrown on different parts of the rock A theing, and two or three of the lighter sails, which had floated attached to the spars The most welcome and the most important prize was a cask of water--the second was a cask of biscuit which had been taken out of an English vessel, and there were two or three of olives; sos, rather the worse for their immersion in salt water, but still very acceptable, and two trunks of wearing apparel, which had co the provisions, there appeared sufficient to last them with care for several days Tools, hich to cut up the wreck to forreat desideratum, and the carpenter's chest could not be found They hunted in all directions without success, till at last, in despair, they began to tear up the bulwarks with their hands, as reat was their satisfaction on finding three boarding axes secured with beckets to the side They had now tools to enable theress faster with the work They ripped off all the planking from the bulwarks, and cut up as ot into one of the larboard cabins just before the bulkhead of the state cabin It had been occupied by the chief mate, and in it were found another axe, some nails, and several carpenters' tools, as well as a coil of s the various parts of the raft together As the materials were collected they were carried to the rock, and in a short time the captain considered that they had sufficient to commence operations, as with the few people it would have to carry, a small raft only was necessary They first lashed so square, while others where placed diagonally to strengthen the framework, and the stoutest was secured beneath to forth would afterwards have been unequal to the task, they were obliged to launch it before they co it over, and they then secured it on the west side of the reef, as it was in that direction they proposed going, and the water was there itated by the effects of the squall
The spar used for the keel was the upper part of the mainmast, or rather the toped craft--and which had been broken completely off when the lower shrouds went over it; and as this was considerably longer than the raft, planks were fastened to each corner of the square to both the ends, so as to form a pointed bow and stern
Several casks were picked up which had lost their contents, and these were now bunged up afresh, and secured on either side of the fra over the whole now commenced Nails were little used or required, and it was found more secure and expeditious to lash the ends of each plank down to the fra it also in the ht angles, and either lashed or nailed down to the a solid and so, sufficient, it was to be hoped, to bear them to the island they wished to reach
On the top of this the chests were placed on either side to serve as bulwarks, one being secured in the centre on a platform of planks, for Ada and Nina to sit on, and round it were arranged the casks of water and provisions which had been hauled out of the water Some of the smaller spars had been reserved for other purposes Out of one was forallant-sail, somewhat reduced, was spread to form a sail From three oars, a rudder and two oars were manufactured, and a fourth was kept to pole off froether, a very complete raft was constructed, much superior to many which have borne wave-tossed ether on the broad waters of the Atlantic Not till every arrangement was made did Zappa and his followers desist frolected, and the pirate see to make such amends as were in his power for his past conduct On the further end of the rock a tent was erected with some of the sails, which had been saved, and a case of fe apparel was placed within it to enable the in the sun, which, when spread out on the hot rock, a very few minutes sufficed to do Paolo had also collected small pieces of wood, which dried quickly, and he then piled theht a fire should it be required
The formation of the raft afforded them ample matter of interest, and as they sat there, secure and without disco calmly around them, the awful event, which so short a time before had cast them there, seemed almost like a dream, which is, with difficulty, recalled to the recollection
Such food as could be prepared, they were supplied with; but, as may be supposed, they were little inclined to partake of it, nor would they, perhaps, have done so, had they not felt the ith to enable theers and exposure to which they saw they would most probably be subjected
Thus the day passed rapidly away, and the sun was already verging towards the horizon, by the time the raft was completed It was now too late, Zappa asserted, to eht have the whole of a day to perforht on the raft, and ht hope, with certainty, to reach the island before sunset
The reed to their chief's proposal, while the remainder of the party had no choice, but to submit had they objected to it; but it seemed so reasonable, that, anxious as they were to reach a more secure position, they uttered no complaint at his decision
The tent was, therefore, secured and strengthened, and a flooring formed inside it, on which were placed the portions of sail which had been collected and dried, and the clothing froh very rude, afforded a resting-place, for which the two poor girls were rateful
Paolo stationed himself outside the tent, at a short distance only fro the casks of water, and the provisions, and chests, which he had taken care should not be embarked The men, after a supply of food had been served out to theether, wrapped up in their _capotes_, on the bare rock, near where they had been working, and held a whispered conversation together, which lasted for some time after darkness covered the face of the deep