In This Tantalizing State Of Suspense, Mr. Hunt Was Detained At
The Marquesas Until November 23d, When He Proceeded In The
Albatross To The Sandwich Islands.
He still cherished a faint
hope that, notwithstanding the war, and all other discouraging
circumstances, the annual ship might have been sent by Mr. Astor,
and might have touched at the islands, and proceeded to the
Columbia.
He knew the pride and interest taken by that gentleman
in his great enterprise, and that he would not be deterred by
dangers and difficulties from prosecuting it; much less would he
leave the infant establishment without succor and support in the
time of trouble. In this, we have seen, he did but justice to Mr.
Astor; and we must now turn to notice the cause of the non-
arrival of the vessel which he had despatched with reinforcements
and supplies. Her voyage forms another chapter of accidents in
this eventful story.
The Lark sailed from New York on the 6th of March, 1813, and
proceeded prosperously on her voyage, until within a few degrees
of the Sandwich Islands. Here a gale sprang up that soon blew
with tremendous violence. The Lark was a staunch and noble ship,
and for a time buffeted bravely with the storm. Unluckily,
however, she "broached to," and was struck by a heavy sea, that
hove her on her beam-ends. The helm, too, was knocked to leeward,
all command of the vessel was lost, and another mountain wave
completely overset her. Orders were given to cut away the masts.
In the hurry and confusion, the boats also were unfortunately cut
adrift. The wreck then righted, but was a mere hulk, full of
water, with a heavy sea washing over it, and all the hatches off.
On mustering the crew, one man was missing, who was discovered
below in the forecastle, drowned.
In cutting away the masts, it had been utterly impossible to
observe the necessary precaution of commencing with the lee
rigging, that being, from the position of the ship, completely
under water. The masts and spars, therefore, being linked to the
wreck by the shrouds and the rigging, remained alongside for four
days. During all this time the ship lay rolling in the trough of
the sea, the heavy surges breaking over her, and the spars
heaving and banging to and fro, bruising the half-drowned sailors
that clung to the bowsprit and the stumps of the masts. The
sufferings of these poor fellows were intolerable. They stood to
their waists in water, in imminent peril of being washed off by
every surge. In this position they dared not sleep, lest they
should let go their hold and be swept away. The only dry place on
the wreck was the bowsprit. Here they took turns to be tied on,
for half an hour at a time, and in this way gained short snatches
of sleep.
On the 14th, the first mate died at his post, and was swept off
by the surges.
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