58 FISHERMEN'S MEMORIAL AND RECORD BOOK. 



now bent on the drifting craft. On she came ! It was a fearful mo- 

 ment to me, and it was evident that the men some of whom had fol- 

 lowed Georges fishing for ten seasons, thought there was danger now 

 but they were not afraid. There they stood, determined to do their 

 best for their lives. I knew I should share the same fate with them, 

 and there was some consolation even in this. The drifting vessel 

 was coming directly for us ; a moment more, and the signal to cut 

 must be given ! "With the swiftness of a gull she passed by, so near 

 that I could have leaped aboard, just clearing us, and we were saved 

 from that danger, thank God ! The hopeless, terror-stricken faces of 

 the crew we saw but a moment, as they went on to certain death. 

 We watched the doomed craft, as she sped on her course. She struck 

 one of the fleet, a short distance astern, and we saV the waters close 

 over both vessels, almost instantly, and as we gazed, they both dis- 

 appeared. Then we knew that two vessels of the fleet would never 

 again return to port. 



"We had little time to think of others, as we began to drag our an- 

 chors, and yaw about too much for safety. This was dangerous in 

 the extreme, for if the anchors did not take hold again, we must cut 

 the cables, and, once adrift, we knew our fate. Fortunately, the an- 

 chors found holding ground, and we rode again in safety. 



All through the day we watched. Twice ws our safety endangered 

 by vessels adrift, but they went clear. We were saved ! At sundown 

 the gale moderated, but we knew that many a poor fellow who had 

 left Gloucester full of hope, would never more return ; that many a 

 wife would never again see her husband, and mothers and brothers 

 and sisters would have cause to remember the terrible gale which 

 had swept so fearfully over the Georges. 



I was on nettles all next day, as I thought the skipper would im- 

 mediately start for home. But judge of my surprise to see the men 

 coolly get their lines in readiness for fishing, just as though there had 

 been no storm, no danger or peril but a few hours ago. This was 

 indeed intensely practical. They smoked and talked of getting a 

 fare with so much coolness, that it really seemed terrible to me. 

 " Supposing we should catch another gale what then ? " I received 

 for a reply, that " they had come to get a trip of fish ; I, to see how 

 I liked Georges." We fished through the week, had good luck, and 

 it was a happy moment when the skipper said, " Get the anchor ; 

 we'll turn her nose homeward." Eastern Point Light, when first 

 sighted, looked cheering and friendly. As we passed in by the Fort, 

 there was a crowd of people, and as they saw our vessel's name, there 



