the days of my life

第48部分 (第1/7頁)

cords　of　actual　facts。　Holding　them　in　hand　I　have　examined　the　places　that　they　describe；　and　therefore　to　this　I　can　testify。　Those　men　and　women　lived；　they　did　the　things　that　are　recorded；　or　most　of　them；　and　for　the　reasons　that　remain　to　us。　Of　course　certain　circumstances　have　been　added；　namely　those　which　deal　with　the　supernatural。

The　entries　in　my　diary　for　the　first　five　days　of　that　disastrous　voyage　are　brief　and　emphatic。

20th：　At　sea。　Bad　weather。　21st：　Gale。　22nd：　Worse　gale。　23rd：　Worse　gale　still。　Lay　to。　24th：　Tried　to　go　about　four　o’clock。　Strained　the　ship　so　much　that　we　had　to　lay　to　again。

Indeed；　with　a　single　exception；　that　of　a　voyage　I　made　many　years　later　in　the　P。　&　O。　Macedonia；　the　weather　was　the　most　terrible　that　I　have　ever　experienced　at　sea。　Moreover；　in　our　small　vessel　there　is　no　doubt　that　we　were　in　some　peril　of　foundering。　The　terrific　seas　swept　her　continually；　and；　in　order　to　keep　the　hundreds　of　ponies　alive。　it　was　necessary　that　the　hatches　should　remain　open；　since　otherwise　they　would　have　been　stifled。　Had　any　accident　occurred　to　bring　the　ship　broadside　on；　such　as　the　breaking　of　the　steering　gear；　it　would　seem　that　we　must　have　filled　and　sunk　at　once。　As　it　was　we　were　greatly　knocked　about；　and　a　good　many　of　the　poor　ponies　died　from　the　cold　of　the　water　that　washed　over　them。

At　last　the　weather　moderated；　and　about　ten　A。M。　on　the　25th　we　arrived　off　Thurso　in　a　dead　calm。　Here　we　should　have　stayed　because　of　the　fog；　but　this　the　captain　could　not　do；　as　owing　to　the　prolongation　of　the　voyage　the　ponies　were　starving。　So　he　took　the　risk　and　pushed　on。　About　11：30　I　was　on　deck；　when　suddenly　the　dense　mist　seemed　to　roll　up　in　front　of　us；　like　the　drop…scene　at