Eight Hours Of The Night, Our Watch Was On Deck, And
During The Whole Of That Time We Kept A Bright Look-Out:
One man
on each bow, another in the bunt of the fore yard, the third mate
on the scuttle, one on each quarter, and a man always standing by
the wheel.
The chief mate was everywhere, and commanded the ship
when the captain was below.
When a large piece of ice was seen in our way, or drifting near us,
the word was passed along, and the ship's head turned one way and
another; and sometimes the yards squared or braced up. There was
little else to do than to look out; and we had the sharpest eyes in
the ship on the forecastle. The only variety was the monotonous
voice of the look-out forward - "Another island!" - "Ice ahead!" -
"Ice on the lee bow!" - "Hard up the helm!" - "Keep her off a
little!" - "Stead-y!"
In the meantime, the wet and cold had brought my face into such
a state that I could neither eat nor sleep; and though I stood it
out all night, yet, when it became light, I was in such a state,
that all hands told me I must go below, and lie-by for a day or
two, or I should be laid up for a long time, and perhaps have the
lock-jaw.
When the watch was changed I went into the steerage, and took off
my hat and comforter, and showed my face to the mate, who told me
to go below at once, and stay in my berth until the swelling went
down, and gave the cook orders to make a poultice for me, and said
he would speak to the captain.
I went below and turned-in, covering myself over with blankets
and jackets, and lay in my berth nearly twenty-four hours, half
asleep and half awake, stupid, from the dull pain. I heard the
watch called, and the men going up and down, and sometimes a
noise on deck, and a cry of "ice," but I gave little attention
to anything. At the end of twenty-four hours the pain went down,
and I had a long sleep, which brought me back to my proper state;
yet my face was so swollen and tender, that I was obliged to keep
to my berth for two or three days longer. During the two days I
had been below, the weather was much the same that it had been,
head winds, and snow and rain; or, if the wind came fair, too foggy,
and the ice too thick, to run. At the end of the third day the ice
was very thick; a complete fog-bank covered the ship. It blew a
tremendous gale from the eastward, with sleet and snow, and there
was every promise of a dangerous and fatiguing night. At dark,
the captain called all hands aft, and told them that not a man was
to leave the deck that night; that the ship was in the greatest
danger; any cake of ice might knock a hole in her, or she might
run on an island and go to pieces.
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