138 WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 



The lamp showed her name on the stern in fresh gold 



letters the B enido, London we knew a little about 



her, for a neighbouring steamer's engineer (had been asked on 

 board for engine trouble ; and only a few hours before the 

 rockets went up he'd been speaking to us about her. He 

 said she was a new ship (two thousand tons ?), Spanish- 

 owned with British captain, on her first voyage, engines 

 made on Continent, hull in England, and she was all 

 wrong. 



She had left the harbour only a few hours before she was 

 wrecked. The skipper set the course S.W., and a one-eyed 

 nigger at the wheel steered N.E. 



So we pulled back to the ship and told Henriksen of our 

 abortive interview and he went off again with me and two 

 men. 



It would be pretty hard to put into words our very natural 

 keenness and the wrath at the unaccountable apathy of the 

 British captain of the Spanish-owned ship. But the result 

 of the second interview was the same as first. They were 

 going to cling to the rocks we were to mind our own 

 business. 



We thought we ought to stand by all night for the sake of 

 the crew on board her, for I've seen a vessel go on to rocks 

 in a similar position and lie comfortably till the tide turned, 

 and when the water receded heel right over and go straight 

 down in a second. 



When daylight came her stern had sunk till the deck was 

 level with the water and lighters were coming off to take 

 some of her cargo. We could have towed her off at first 

 without much trouble and long before her plates were 

 seriously damaged by the continuous rolling that followed 

 and the falling of the tide. 



