That even the able seaman, deeming his Days nearly o'er, might be disposed to riot, As upon such occasions tars will ask For grog, and sometimes drink rum from the cask. XXXIV. There's nought, no doubt, so much the spirit calms, As rum and true religion: thus it was, Some plunder'd, some drank spirits, some sung psalms; The high wind made the treble, and as bass The hoarse, harsh waves kept time; fright cured the qualms Of all the luckless landsmen's sea-sick maws: Strange sounds of wailing, blasphemy, devotion, XXXV. Perhaps more mischief had been done, but for It with a pair of pistols; and their fears, Of fire than water, spite of oaths and tears, Kept still aloof the crew, who, ere they sunk, Thought it would be becoming to die drunk. XXXVI. "Give us more grog!" they cried, "for it will be All one an hour hence." Juan answer'd, “No! 'Tis true that death awaits both you and me, But let us die like men, not sink below Like brutes"; and thus his dangerous post kept he, And even Pedrillo, his most reverend tutor, XXXVII. The good old gentleman was quite aghast, Nothing should tempt him more (this peril past) In cloisters of the classic Salamanca, XXXVIII. But now there came a flash of hope once more; XXXIX. Under the vessel's keel the sail was past, Nor rag of canvas, what could they expect? But still 'tis best to struggle to the last, 'Tis never too late to be wholly wreck'd: And though 'tis true that man can only die once, 'Tis not so pleasant in the Gulf of Lyons. XL. There winds and waves had hurl'd them, and from thence, Without their will, they carried them away: For they were forced with steering to dispense, On which they might repose, or even commence The ship would swim an hour, which, by good luck, XLI. The wind, in fact, perhaps was rather less, XLII. Again the weather threaten'd,—again blew All this, the most were patient, and some bold, XLIII. Then came the carpenter, at last, with tears And long had voyaged through many a stormy sea; XLIV. The ship was evidently settling now Fast by the head; and, all distinction gone, Some went to prayers again, and made a vow Of candles to their saints-but there were none To pay them with; and some look'd o'er the bow; Some hoisted out the boats: and there was one That begg'd Pedrillo for an absolution, Who told him to be damn'd-in his confusion. XLV. Some lash'd them in their hammocks; some put on Some cursed the day on which they saw the sun, And gnash'd their teeth, and, howling, tore their hair; And others went on as they had begun, Getting the boats out, being well aware That a tight boat will live in a rough sea, Unless with breakers close beneath her lee. XLVI. The worst of all was, that in their condition, Having been several days in great distress, 'Twas difficult to get out such provision As now might render their long suffering less: Men, even when dying, dislike inanition; Their stock was damaged by the weather's stress; Two casks of biscuit, and a keg of butter, Were all that could be thrown into the cutter. XLVII. But in the long-boat they contrived to stow Some pounds of bread, though injured by the wet; Water, a twenty-gallon cask or so, Six flasks of wine; and they contrived to get A portion of their beef up from below, And with a piece of pork, moreover, met, But scarce enough to serve them for a luncheonThen there was rum, eight gallons in a puncheon. XLVIII. The other boats, the yawl and pinnace, had Threw in by good luck over the ship's rail; And two boats could not hold, far less be stored, To save one half the people then on board. XLIX. 'Twas twilight, and the sunless day went down Which, if withdrawn, would but disclose the frown And the dim desolate deep: twelve days had Fear L. Some trial had been making at a raft, With little hope in such a rolling sea, A sort of thing at which one would have laugh'd, Half epileptical and half hysterical: Their preservation would have been a miracle. |