fishermen's memorial and record book. 99 



being crushed. A barrel of flour in the hold was tossed into the 

 middle of the forecastle, and there was a general stirring up. 

 Luckily the vessel shipped but little water, and, the ballast being 

 pretty thoroughly stanchioned down, she soon righted again. 



As soon as the gale had abated, the men proceeded to clear the 

 wreck. The only articles left with which they could rig jury-masts, 

 were the traveller, part of the topmast, and a small pole which had 

 become entangled in the rigging alongside. These they soon rigged, 

 and, taking their bed-clothing, improvised a suit of sails. Unfortu- 

 nately the compass was found to be broken and useless ; but Capt. 

 Wilkes contrived to repair it so as to make it answer the purpose, 

 and with these rude facilities they shaped their course for home, the 

 wind being fair. On the passage they were fallen in with by schooner 

 Matchless, of Boston, who offered to take off the men, but they 

 determined to stick by the vessel, as thei-e was plenty of provisions 

 on board, and they were getting along very comfortably. On Satur- 

 day morning, after a week's passage, they found themselves off 

 Straitsmouth Island, where they spoke the Boston pilot boat No. 9, 

 Cript. John Bruce, who kindly offered to tow them into Rockport, 

 which offer they thankfully accepted. She was subsequently towed 

 to this port by the steamer Charles Houghtou. Hundreds of people 

 visited her, and she wa§ pronounced by all the most complete wreck 

 that ever arrived at this port. 



Schooner Seddie C. Pjde, Capt. Richard Warren, was capsized in 

 the gale of January 30th, 1870. She rode out the south-east gale 

 handsomel}', when the wind suddenly changed to the north-west, caus- 

 ing a heavy cross sea, one of which struck the schooner under the 

 quarter, and, breaking against the mainsail, threw the vessel on her 

 beam-ends. The crew saved themselves by clinging to the side of 

 the vessel. Fortunately one of their number had a large jack-knife 

 in his possession, by which the main shrouds were cut, when the 

 mainmast broke off and she righted nearly full of water. The fore- 

 mast was subsequently cut away, it having previously been broken 

 off at the step, and did considerable damage to the forecastle and 

 deck, before it could be cleared. The cable was then cut, and the 

 crew proceeded to pump out the vessel, after which they rigged a 

 jury-mast with the fore-boom, and, setting the jib and part of the 

 foresail, steered to the westward. Having lost their fresh water, they 

 were obliged to melt ice for a supply to drink, cooking their provis- 

 ions in salt water. During the next eight days they encountered 

 several vessels at different times, and set signals of distress to each, 



