Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p2.djvu/472

 

A Narrative of the Proceedings on board His Majesty’s Ship Success, which grounded on the 28th Novemher, 1829, and was not extricated until the 3d of December, 1829, a period of five days.

“Ou the 27th of November, 1829, at. Cape Naturaliste bore east, distant three leagues; – fresh breezes from the southward. At daylight on the morning of the 28th, the land about Garden Island (Buache of the French) bore N.E.b.E. At 6, the master (Mr. R. W. Millroy) requested my decision on going into Cockburn Sound. Going on deck, and looking at the land, I asked him if he felt quite sure that he was right, to which he replied, he ‘was quite sure all was right, and that as soon as that point (pointing with his glass to the south end of Carnac Island), bore E.N.E. it would be time to haul up.’ From the great confidence he seemed to express, I permitted him to take charge; the people were ordered to their stations, the sail shortened to the topsails, steering at the time N.E.b.N., an additional look-out placed on the jib-boom end, the leads were kept going, and hands constantly by the bower-anchors. At 6-30, the north point of Garden Island bore S.S.E., and the S.E. end of Pulo-Carnac E.N.E.; altered course to E.S.E., and set the courses and driver by request of the master, the duty of the ship at this time being carried on by the senior lieutenant, Mr. Edmund Yonge, under my directions. About 6-45, in hauling up to the S.E., the sails were scarcely trimmed, when the ship took the ground; the last cast of the lead being half-three. – The best-bower was instantly let go, and almost immediately parted; the sails were furled, top-gallant yards and masts got down on deck – let go the small-bower, to which the ship swung to the wind for a short time only, as the chain parted, and she again paid round with her head to Pulo-Carnac, and was driven close in shore. Sent the master away in the second gig, to sound round the ship, and report upon the best position for laying out an anchor; the boats were then hoisted out and lowered down; – the wind increasing made it necessary to strike the topmasts. The master returning, the kedge-anchor was laid out to the southward, for the purpose of assisting the boats in warping out the spare anchor. At this period, two boats were reported to me, coming down from the anchorage in Cockburn Sound, which proved to belong to the Sulphur, in one of which was Captain Dance and the master of that ship (Mr. John Perriam), who came to offer every assistance; and the other, under the direction of acting Lieutenant Marritt, with a stream-anchor and cable, which was most speedily laid out in the same direction as our own. The stream-cables being hove taut, the Sulphur’s yawl and one of our own pinnaces were directed to hang the spare-anchor, with a 14 ½ inch cable, between them; and, hauling themselves out, to let it go in the direction of the stream-anchors. About this time, the ship striking hard, the rudder was unshipped, all the pintles and the lower gudgeon being carried away