After A Hurried Visit To Senna, In Order To Settle With Major Sicard
And Senhor Ferrao For Supplies We Had
Drawn thence after the
depopulation of the Shire, we proceeded down to the Zambesi's mouth,
and were fortunate in meeting,
On the 13th February, with H.M.S.
"Orestes." She was joined next day by H.M.S. "Ariel." The "Orestes"
took the "Pioneer," and the "Ariel" the "Lady Nyassa" in tow, for
Mosambique. On the 16th a circular storm proved the sea-going
qualities of the "Lady of the Lake;" for on this day a hurricane
struck the "Ariel," and drove her nearly backwards at a rate of six
knots. The towing hawser wound round her screw and stopped her
engines. No sooner had she recovered from this shock than she was
again taken aback on the other tack, and driven stem on towards the
"Lady Nyassa's" broadside. We who were on board the little vessel
saw no chance of escape unless the crew of the "Ariel" should think
of heaving ropes when the big ship went over us; but she glided past
our bow, and we breathed freely again. We had now an opportunity of
witnessing man-of-war seamanship. Captain Chapman, though his
engines were disabled, did not think of abandoning us in the heavy
gale, but crossed the bows of the "Lady Nyassa" again and again,
dropping a cask with a line by which to give us another hawser. We
might never have picked it up, had not a Krooman jumped overboard and
fastened a second line to the cask; and then we drew the hawser on
board, and were again in tow.
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