The Narrative of Edward Crewe; Or, Life in New Zealand, by W.M.B. (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1874 Excerpt: ...will be all right. The chains which are good and new will not part. But just look upon deck and see if we are dragging. Presently Na Taima returned below to say all was well, we had not changed our position. There is no part of a ship's equipment of more importance than that denominated ground-tackling. To the fact of that on board my schooner being of the best quality, and of a size and strength usually found on vessels many tons above the Fairy's measurement, I am indebted for the saving of the schooner and almost certainly our lives as well. I once chanced to be in a large ship badly found in the above particular, and when off no less dreaded a place than the Goodwin Sands, many of our sails An anchor watch. 185 being blown away and having let go our two anchors, the chain of one parted, after bearing the strain only a few minutes, and the other would doubtless have followed suit, but, not getting a good hold, we dragged for five miles, when, fortunately for ourselves and the underwriters, the wind moderated. But to return. Na Taima and myself finding the anchors held, concluded it to be of no use keeping any watch, so, turning into our bunks, we were soon fast asleep, nor did we once awaken during the night, our previous fatigue and excitement making us careless of the chance of going on the rocks. In the morning the wind had died away, and after breakfast we proceeded to shorten in the chain of either cable, but as to our ability to burst the anchors from their hold on some rock at the bottom, we were utterly without sufficient power, and would certainly have lost a tide had it not been for my friends, Messrs. Reeve, who, seeing the position of the schooner, came off to us in a whale boat, and, by dint of numbers and main force, one at a time lifted ou...