Mr.
Anthony Thacher's relation concerning his and his wife's being marvellously
preserved alive, when all the ship's company perished. The wonderful
preservation of Major Gibbons and his company. Several other remarkable
sea-deliverances mentioned by Mr. Janeway, wherein |
|
|
THE royal
pen of the prophet David hath most truly affirmed, "that they who go
down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, see the works of
the Lord, and his wonders in the deep." And, in special, they see wonders
of Divine goodness in respect of eminent deliverances wrought by the hand of
the Most High, who stills the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves. It
is meet that such providences should be ever had in remembrance, as most of
all by the persons concerned in them, so by others, that the God of
Salvation, who is the confidence of them that are afar off upon the sea, may
have eternal praise. Many remarkable stories of this kind are to be seen in
books already published:--e. g. in
Mandelslo's Travels; Hackluyt and
Linschoten's Voyages; Wanley's History; Caussin's |
|
"I must
turn my drowned pen and shaking hand to indite the story of such sad news as
never before this happened in |
Thus far
is Mr. Thacher's relation of this memorable providence. We proceed to some
other: |
|
Remarkable
was that deliverance mentioned both by Mr. Janeway and Mr. Burton, wherein
that gallant commander, Major Edward Gibbons, of Boston, in New England, and
others were concerned. The substance of the story is this:--A New England
vessel going from Boston to some other parts of America, was, through the
continuance of contrary winds, kept long at sea, so that they were in very
great straits for want of provision; and seeing they could not hope for any
relief from earth or sea, they apply themselves to heaven in humble and
hearty prayers; but no calm ensuing, one of them made this sorrowful motion,
that they should cast lots, which of them should die first, to satisfy the
ravenous hunger of the rest. After many a sad debate, they come to a result,
the lot is cast, and one of the company is taken, but where is the
executioner to be found to act this office upon a poor innocent? It is death
now to think who shall act this bloody part in the tragedy. But before they
fall upon this involuntary execution, they once more went unto their prayers;
and while they were calling upon God, he answered them, for there leaped a
mighty fish into the boat, which was a double joy to them, not only in
relieving their miserable hunger, which, no doubt, made them quick cooks, but
because they looked upon it to be sent from God, and to be a token of their
deliverance. But alas! the fish is soon eaten, and their former exigencies
come upon them, which sink their spirits into despair, for they know not of
another morsel. To lot they go again the second time, which falleth upon
another person; but still none can be found to sacrifice him: they again send
their prayers to heaven with all manner of fervency, when, behold a second
answer from above! a great bird alights, and fixes itself upon the mast,
which one of the company espies, and he goes, and there she stands till he
took her with his hand by the wing. This was life from the dead the second
time, and they feasted themselves herewith, as hoping that second providence
was a forerunner of their complete deliverance. But they have still the same
disappointments; they can see no land; they know not where they are. Hunger
increaseth again upon them, and they have no hopes to be saved but by a third
miracle. They are reduced to the former course of casting lots; when they
were going to the heart-breaking work, to put him to death whom the lot fell
upon, they go to God, their former friend in adversity, by humble and hearty
prayers; and now they look and look again; but there is nothing. Their
prayers are concluded, and nothing appears, yet still they hoped and stayed;
till at last one of them espies a ship, which put new life into all their
spirits. They bear up with their vessel, they man their boat, and desire and
beg like perishing, humble supplicants to board them, which they are
admitted. The vessel proves a French vessel--yea, a French pirate. Major
Gibbons petitions them for a little bread, and offers ship and cargo for it.
But the commander knows the Major (from whom he had received some signal
kindnesses formerly at Boston), and replied readily and
cheerfully--"Major Gibbons, not a hair of you or your company shall
perish, if it lie in my power to preserve you." And accordingly he relieveth
them, and sets them safe on shore. |
|
Memorable
also is that which Mr. Janeway, in his Remarkable
Sea Deliverances, p. 35, hath published. He there relates, that in the
year 1668, a ketch, whereof Thomas Woodbery was master, sailing from New England
for Barbadoes; when they came in the latitude 35 deg., because there was some
appearance of foul weather, they lowered their sails, sending up one to the
top of the mast, he thought he saw something like a boat floating upon the
sea; and calling to the men below, they made towards it, and when they came
near, it appeared to be a longboat with eleven men in it, who had been bound
for Virginia; but their ship proved leaky, and foundered in the sea, so that
they were forced suddenly to betake themselves to their long-boat, in the
which they had a capstanbar, which they made use of for a mast, and a piece
of canvas for a sail, so did they sail before the wind. But they having no
victuals with them, were soon in miserable distress. Thus they continued five
days, so that all despaired of life. Upon the sixth day they concluded to
cast lots for their lives, viz., who should die, that the rest might eat him,
and have their lives preserved. He that the lot fell upon, begged for his
life a little longer; and being in their extremity, the wonder-working
providence of God was seen, for they met with this New England vessel, which
took them in and saved their lives. An hour after this, a terrible storm
arose, continuing forty hours, so that if they had not met the vessel that
saved them in the nick of opportunity, they had all perished; and if the New
England men had not taken down some of their sails, or had not chanced to
send one up to tallow the mast, this boat and men had never been seen by
them. Thus admirable are the workings of Divine Providence in the world. |
Yet
further: |
|
That
worthy and now blessed minister of God, Mr. James Janeway, hath published
several other Remarkable Sea
Deliverances, of which some belonging to New England were the subjects. He
relates (and I am informed that it was really so) that a small vessel--the
master's name Philip Hungare--coming upon the coast of New England suddenly
sprang a leak, and so foundered. In the vessel there were eighteen souls,
twelve of which got into the long-boat. They threw into the boat some small
matters of provision, but were wholly without fire. These twelve men sailed
five hundred leagues in this small boat, being by almost miraculous
providences preserved therein for five weeks together. God sent relief to
them by causing some flying-fish to fall into the boat, which they eat raw,
and were well pleased therewith. They also caught a shark, and opening his
belly, sucked his blood for drink. At the last the Divine Providence brought
them to the West Indies. Some of them were so weak as that they soon died;
but most of them lived to declare the works of the Lord. |
|
Again, he
relates that Mr. Jonas Clark, of New England, going for Virginia, the vessel
was cast ashore in the night. They hoped to get their ship off again; to
which end the master with some others going in the boat, when they were about
sixty fathoms from the shore there arose a great sea, which broke in upon
them, and at last turned the boat over. Four men were drowned. Mr. Clark was
held under water till his breath was gone, yet, through the good hand of a
gracious God, he was set at liberty, and was enabled to swim to the shore,
where the providence of God did so overrule the hearts of barbarians, as that
they did them no hurt; until at last they were brought safe unto the English
plantations. These things have (as was said) been related by Mr. Janeway. I
proceed therefore to mention some other sea deliverances. And that notable preservation
deserves to be here inserted and recorded, wherein Mr. John Grafton and some
others of his ship's company were concerned; who as they were bound in a
voyage from Salem in New England, for the West Indies, in a ketch called the
Providence, on September 16, 1669, their vessel suddenly struck upon a rock;
at the which they were amazed, it being then a dark and rainy night; the
force of the wind and sea broke their vessel in a moment. Their company was
ten men in number, whereof six were drowned. The master and the mate were
left upon the rock. As they sat there the sea came up to their waists. There
did they embrace each other, looking for death every moment; and if the tide
had risen higher it would have carried them off. By the same rock was one of the
seamen, being much wounded and grievously groaning. In the morning they saw
an island, about half a mile off from them. The rocks were so sharp and
cragged that they could not tread upon them with their bare feet, nor had
they shoes or stockings. But they found a piece of tarpauling, which they
wrapped about their feet, making it fast with ropeyarns; so getting each of
them a stick, they sometimes went on their feet, and sometimes crept, until
at last they came to the island, where they found another of their company
ashore, being carried thither by a piece of the vessel. Upon the island they
continued eight days, four of which they had no fire. Their provision was
salt-fish and rain-water, which they found in the holes of the rocks. After
four days they found a piece of touchwood, which the mate had formerly in his
chest, and a piece of flint, with which, having a small knife, they struck
fire. A barrel of flour being cast on shore, they made cakes thereof. Now
their care was how to get off from the island, there being no inhabitants
there. Finding a piece of the mainsail, and some hoops of cask, they framed a
boat therewith. Yet had they no tools to build it with. But Providence so
ordered, that they found a board twelve feet long, and some nails; also a box
was cast ashore, wherein was a bolt-rope needle; they likewise found a
tar-barrel, wherewith they tarred their canvass. Thus did they patch up a
boat, in fashion like a birchen canoe; and meeting with some thin boards of
ceiling which came out of the cabin, they made paddles therewith; so did they
venture in this dangerous vessel ten leagues, until they came to Anguilla and
St. Martin's, where they were courteously entertained, the people admiring
how they could come so many leagues in such a strange kind of boat. Besides
all these particulars, which have been declared, information is brought to me
concerning some sea preservations which have happened more lately. |
There was
a small vessel set sail from Bristol to New England, September 22, 1681; the
master's name William Dutten. There were seven men in the vessel, having on
board provisions for three months, but by reason of contrary winds, they were
twenty weeks before they could make any land; and some unhappy accidents fell
out, which occasioned their being put to miserable straits for victuals, but
most of all for drink. The winds were fair and prosperous until October 28,
when they supposed themselves to be gotten 600 leagues westward. But after
that, the north-west winds blew so fiercely that they were driven off from
the coast of New England, so that, December 12, they concluded to bear away
for Barbadoes. But before this, one of their barrels of beer had the head
broken out, and the liquor in it lost. They had but seven barrels of water, three
of which proved leaky, so that the water in them was lost. When their
victuals failed, the providence of God sent them a supply, by causing
dolphins to come near to the vessel; and that still as their wants were
greatest, nor could they catch more than would serve their present turn. But
still their misery upon them was great, through their want of water.
Sometimes they would expose their vessels to take the rain-water; but oft,
when it rained, the winds were so furious that they could save little or no
rain; yet so it fell out, that when they came near to the latitude of
Bermudas they saved two barrels of rain-water, which caused no little joy
amongst them. But the rats did unexpectedly eat holes through the barrels, so
that their water was lost again. Once when a shower of rain fell they could
save but a pint, which, though it was made bitter by the tar, it seemed very
sweet to them. They divided this pint of rain-water amongst seven, drinking a
thimbleful at a time, which went five times about, and was a great refreshing
to them. On January 27, a good shower of rain fell; that so they might be
sure to save some water, and not be again deprived thereof by the rats, they
laid their shirts open to the rain, and wringing them dry, they obtained
seven gallons of water, which they put into bottles, and were, for a time,
much refreshed thereby. But new straits come upon them. They endeavoured to
catch the rats in the vessel, and could take but three or four, which they
did eat, and it seemed delicate meat to their hungry souls. But the torment
of their drought was insufferable. Sometimes, for a week together, they had
not one drop of fresh water. When they killed a dolphin they would open his
belly and suck his blood, a little to relieve their thirst; yea, their thirst
was so great that they fell to drinking of salt water. Some drank several
gallons, but they found that it did not allay their thirst. They greedily
drank their own urine when they could make any. They would go overboard, with
a rope fastened to their bodies, and put themselves into the water, hoping to
find some refreshment thereby. When any of them stood to steer the vessel, he
would think a little to refresh himself by having his feet in a pail of
sea-water. In this misery, some of the seamen confessed that it was just with
God thus to afflict them, in that they had been guilty of wasting good drink,
and of abusing themselves therewith before they came to sea. The divine
Providence so ordered, that, on February 7, they met with a vessel at sea, which
happened to be a Guiny-man; (Samuel Ricard, master). Their boat was become
leaky, that they could not go aboard, if it had been to save their lives; but
the master of the other vessel understanding how it was with them, very
courteously sent his own boat to them, with ten pieces of Guinybeef, two
ankors of fresh water, and four bushels of Guinycorn, whereby they were
sustained until they arrived at Barbadoes; being weak and spent with their
hardships, but within a fortnight they were all recovered, and came the next
summer to New England. This account I received from the mate of the vessel,
whose name is Joseph Butcher. |
|
Remarkable,
also, is the preservation of which some belonging to Dublin, in Ireland, had
experienced, whom a New England vessel providentially met, in an open boat,
in the wide sea, and saved them from perishing. Concerning which memorable
providence I have received the following narrative:--A ship of Dublin,
burdened about seventy tons, Andrew Bennet, master, being bound from Dublin
to Virginia: this vessel having been some weeks at sea, onward of their
voyage, and being in the latitude of 39, about 150 leagues distant from Cape
Cod, in New England, on April 18, 1681, a day of very stormy weather, and a
great sea, suddenly there sprang a plank in the fore part of the ship, about
six o'clock in the morning; whereupon the water increased so fast in the
ship, that all their endeavours could not keep her from sinking above half an
hour; so when the ship was just sinking, some of the company resolved to
launch out the boat, which was a small one: they did accordingly, and the
master, the mate, the boatswain, the cook, two foremast men, and a boy, kept
such hold of it, when a cast of the sea suddenly helped them off with it,
that they got into it. The heaving of the sea now suddenly thrust them from
the ship, in which there were left nineteen souls, viz., sixteen men and
three women, who all perished in the mighty waters, while they were trying to
make rafters by cutting down the masts, for the preservation of their lives,
as long as might be. The seven in the boat apprehended themselves to be in a
condition little better than that of them in the ship, having neither sails
nor oars, neither bread nor water, and no instrument of any sort, except a
knife and a piece of deal board, with which they made sticks, and set them up
in the sides of the boat, and covered them with some Irish cloth of their own
garments, to keep off the spray of the sea, as much as could be by so poor a
matter. In this condition they drave with a hard wind and high sea all that
day and the night following. But in the next morning, about six o'clock, they
saw a ketch (the master whereof was Mr. Edmund Henfield, of Salem, in New
England) under sail, which ketch coming right with them, took them up and
brought them safe to New England. And it is yet further remarkable, that when
the ship foundered, the ketch which saved these persons was many leagues to
the westward of her, but was, by a contrary wind, caused to stand back again
to the eastward, where these distressed persons were, as hath been said, met
with and relieved. |
|
Another
remarkable sea deliverance, like unto this last mentioned, happened this
present year; the relation whereof take as followeth:--A ship called the
Swallow, Thomas Welden, of London, master, on their voyage from St.
Christopher's towards London, did, on March 23 last, being then about the
latitude of 42, meet with a violent storm. That storm somewhat allayed, the
ship lying in the trough of the sea, her rudder broke away; whereupon the
mariners veered out a cable, and part of a mast to steer by; but that not
answering their expectation, they took a hogshead of water, and fastened it
to the cable to steer the ship; that also failing, they laid the ship by, as
the seamen's phrase is. And on March 25 an exceeding great storm arose, which
made the vessel lie down with her hatches under water, in which condition she
continued about two hours; and having much water in the hold, they found no
other way to make her rise again but by cutting down her masts; and
accordingly her mainmast and her mizenmast being cut down, the ship righted
again. The storm continuing, on March 28 the ship made very bad steerage, by
reason of the loss of her rudder and masts. The sea had continual passage
over her, and one sea did then carry away the larboard quarter of the ship,
and brake the side from the deck, so that there was an open passage for the
sea to come in at that breach; and, notwithstanding their endeavours to stop
it with their bedding, clothes, &c., so much water ran in by the sides of
the ship, that it was ready to sink. Now, all hopes of saving their lives
being gone, the Divine Providence so ordered, that there appeared a vessel within
sight, which happened to be a French ship, bound from St. John de Luce to
Grand Placentia, in Newfoundland; this vessel took in the distressed
Englishmen, and carried them away to Grand Placentia; from whence the master
and sundry of the mariners procured a passage in a ketch bound for Boston in
New England. There did they arrive, June 21, 1683, declaring how they had
seen the wonders of God in the deep, as hath been expressed. |
There was
another memorable sea-deliverance like unto these two last. The persons
concerned in it being now gone out of the world, I have not met with any who
perfectly remember the particular year wherein that remark able providence
happened; only that it was about twentytwo years ago, when a ship (William
Laiton, master), bound from Pascataqua, in New England, to Barbadoes, being
250 leagues off from the coast, sprang a leak. They endeavoured what they
could to clear her with their pump for fourteen hours. But the vessel filling
with water, they were forced (being eight persons) to betake themselves to
their boat, taking with them a good supply of bread and a pot of butter; the
master declaring that he was persuaded they should meet with a ship at sea
that would relieve them: but they had little water, so that their allowance
was at last a spoonful in a day to each man. In this boat did they continue
thus distressed for nineteen days together. After they had been twelve days
from the vessel, they met with a storm which did very much endanger their
lives, yet God preserved them. At the end of eighteen days a flying-fish fell
into their boat, and having with them a hook and line, they made use of that
fish for bait, whereby they caught two dolphins. A ship then at sea, whereof
Mr. Samuel Scarlet was commander, apprehending a storm to be near, that so
they might fit their rigging, in order to entertain the approaching storm,
suffered their vessel to drive right before the wind, and by that means they
happened to meet with this boat, full of distressed seamen. Captain Scarlet's
vessel was then destitute of provision; only they had on board water enough
and to spare. When the mariners first saw the boat, they desired the master
not to take the men in, because they had no bread nor other victuals for
them; so that by receiving eight more into their company, they should all die
with famine. Captain Scarlet who as after he left using the sea, he gave many
demonstrations, both living and dying, of his designing the good of others,
and not his own particular advantage only, did at this time manifest the same
spirit to be in him; and therefore would by no means hearken to the selfish
suggestions of his men, but replied to them (as yet not knowing who they
were)"—“It may be these distressed creatures are our own countrymen, or
if not, they are men in misery, and therefore, whatever come of it, I am
resolved to take them in, and to trust in God, who is able to deliver us
all." Nor did God suffer him to lose anything by this noble resolution.
For as in Captain Scarlet's ship there was water which the men in the boat
wanted, so they in the boat had bread and the two dolphins lately caught,
whereby all the ship's company were refreshed. And within few days they all
arrived safe in New England. |
|
From: A History
of God’s Remarkable Providences in Colonial New England by Increase Mather,
pag. 1-22, 1997, Back Home Industries, |