A Token for Mariners, Part 2
The Relation of Dr. William Johnſon, concerning a moſt Remarkable Sea-Deliverance; in his own words.
27. We went aboard from Harwich, on Michaelmas day, Sept. 29. 1648. in the William and John of Ipſwich, Daniel Morgan, Maſter, and having a fair wind, we ſet Sail; I being Sea-ſick, went to bed, but about four a Clock in the Afternoon, the Maſter of the Ship came into our Cabin with more haſt than he was wont, which made me ask him whither all was well, who like a tender-hearted man, who is loth to tell his dying Friend, that he is ſo nigh his end, replyed all is well, yet when I ſaw him ſhift himſelf with ſuch haſt, I roſe from my Bed, and crawled upon the Deck, where I ſaw a ſad ſpectacle, the Ship having ſprung a leak, or rather a plank, was ready to ſink, upon which, every man was affrighted, one was at his Prayers, another wringing his Hands, a third his eyes ſhedding of tears, when he had no need of more ſalt water; but after this, they fell to work, but were buſie in doing nothing: The Maſters Mate, who went to ſearch the Leak, told us with a ſad countenance, trembling hands, gnaſhing of Teeth, a quivering Tongue, and words half ſpoken, That the Leak could not be ſtopt, and the water came in ſo faſt upon us, that we muſt periſh in this moment. Upon which we preſently caſt out our Long-boat, and ſhot off eight or nine Guns to another Ship, who came out with us, to come to our relief, then with ſome difficulty we all got into the Boat, and God be thanked, came clear of the Ship, whoſe ſails now lay flat upon the Water, and now we were rowing we know not whither, for the other Ship came not to our relief, which made us have hard thoughts of them without cauſe, for we underſtood that both the Ship, and all the men periſhed in the ſame hour. Now were we without all hope, for it blew half a ſtorm, and we were in a ſmall Veſſel, many Leagues from the Shore, without Compaſs, or proviſion to ſuſtain us, being ſtarved likewiſe with Cold, as well as for want of Victuals, having nothing in our Boat, but a ſmall Kettle which ſerved to caſt out the water, and three bags of pieces of eight of three hundred pound Sterling, which would neither feed us, nor keep us warm; in this diſtreſs we went to Prayers, and it pleaſed God to hear us, and ſend a Ship to us, even in the moment of Death, which we endeavoured to come to, and he likewiſe to us, but the ſtorm was ſo great, we could not reach one another, though when it was dark, he hung out a light, and we to let him know we were alive, ordered that when a wave took us up, we ſhould give a great ſhout, which we did ſo loud, that I believe our cry was heard to Heaven, for by Gods miraculous aſſiſtance we got near the Ship, and ſoon after, all ſafe into it; the next day it blew fair for Norway, whither we were bound, and about twelve at noon we ſaw the Coaſt, which being ragged, and full of Rocks, we reſolved to ſtay till next morning before we went in, and then ſate down to meat, and eat very heartily, being kindly entertain'd by the honeſt Norwegian; about ten a clock at night, we laid us down to reſt, after having prayed, and ſet our watch, but immediately this our ſecond Ship ran with full Sails upon a Rock, and gave ſo great a Crack, as was able to awake the moſt dead aſleep among us, and the Marriners cryed out, Mercy, Mercy, it pleaſed God, that the Ship ſtruck it ſelf ſo faſt in the cleft of a Rock, with her Bow over the main Rock, that the former part of her ſtood firm, but breaking in the ſtorm, one of the Sea-men leaped from the bow of the Ship, upon the Rock, with a Rope in his hand, which was faſtened to one of our Maſts, and held it with ſo ſtiff a hand, that another ſlipt down by it, and ſo all our Company that eſcaped, being Twenty Eight in number, came ſafe to the Rock; I was the laſt that came down the Ship that way, for in that very moment ſhe gave way, which the Maſter perceiving, who was ſtill aboard, made lamentable moan to us, to help him, which we endeavoured to the utmoſt, but the Ship broke, and ſunk immediately; there was this good man, and four of the Marriners drowned; I ſaw the Maſter, with a light in his hand fall into the Sea, the ſaddeſt ſight that I ever yet beheld in this world, and that which pierced my very Soul, to ſee him that ſaved our Lives, loſe his own: Now were we in the dark, upon the Rock, but knew not where, our feet being cut upon the ſharp ſtones, at length, we happened of a hole in the Rock, which was a warm ſhelter againſt the wind; and when morning came, where we could ſee no Land, only had a Glimps of the Coaſt of Norway at a great diſtance; We grew hungry, but had nothing to fiſh, but our Arms, with which we drew up ſome ſmall Muſcles, and they we eat heartily, but we burnt with thirſt, and I would have given all I had for a draught of freſh water, which would have been more welcome than the Gold of Ophir, though nothing is ſo mean in our eſteem; but we were forced to drink Salt-water, which increaſed our thirſt; we now ſaw a Ship coming towards us with full Sails, and we waved our hats to them, but they went off, and never came near us; we betook our ſelves to our old Remedy, Prayers, the Danes firſt ſinging one of …ther's Pſalms, fell to their Prayers, and I prayed as long as I was able to ſpeak, and then lay'd my ſelf down on the Rock, thinking I ſhould riſe no more in this World: But I overheard one of the Sea-men ſay, Let us make a Raft, and venture to Sea, I had rather be drowned than lye here and be ſtarved; They all concluded of it, though dangerous, and the Sea having fallen from the Rock, had left our Sails, Maſts, and Anchors, with part of the Ship thereon, wherewith they ſoon made a ſlight Boat, and it being a great calm, the reſt paſt through the beaches with four men in it, and had it touched only on them, they would have rent it in pieces, however through Gods goodneſs, they arrived ſafe in Norway, and returned with ſeveral Boats, ſo that we came all of us once more to Land, and were entertained at an honeſt Lutheran Parſons houſe, where after we had continued for ſome days, with little money and much thanks we parted, and came to Frederick …, where the People run after us in the Street, and with compaſſionate Eyes gave us what we wanted, without asking; from thence we went to Oſterſon…, and there went aboard an Engliſh Ship, we had not been above two or three … at Sea, but there was a ſad deſtraction, the Marriners again crying for Mercy, Mercy, for we had almoſt fallen foul on a Rock under water, which we did not ſpy till we were upon it, but by the mercy of God, we ſailed cloſe by …t, and yet eſcaped it, the leaſt touch of …t had been our ruine; about noon we …ame clear of all the Rocks on the Coaſt of Norway, and were ſailing for England, with a fair Gale of Wind, but in this proſperity, another ſad accident befel us, …his third Ship ſprang a leak, and began …o ſwim within, as well as without, and we had no way to relieve our ſelves, but …y pumping (for the Leak could not be …ound) which we did day and night, or four or five days together, when it …leaſed God, we came ſafe, though in a …reat deal of danger, becauſe of our otten Ship; into Yarmouth Road, for the …ind being very high, had like to have …riven us upon a Scotch Veſſel, who cryed …ut as well as we, but we happily miſt …m, and ſo ſafely arrived in Yarmouth …own, through the wonderful mercy of God. Deus Nobiſcum.