a footnote to history-第37章

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injured　screw　disabled　her　from　steaming　vigorously　up；　and　a　

little　before　day　she　had　struck　the　front　of　the　coral；　come　off；　

struck　again；　and　gone　down　stern　foremost；　oversetting　as　she　

went；　into　the　gaping　hollow　of　the　reef。　　Of　her　whole　complement　

of　nearly　eighty；　four　souls　were　cast　alive　on　the　beach；　and　the　

bodies　of　the　remainder　were；　by　the　voluminous　outpouring　of　the　

flooded　streams；　scoured　at　last　from　the　harbour；　and　strewed　

naked　on　the　seaboard　of　the　island。



Five　ships　were　immediately　menaced　with　the　same　destruction。　　The　

EBER　vanished　…　the　four　poor　survivors　on　shore　…　read　a　dreadful　

commentary　on　their　danger；　which　was　swelled　out　of　all　proportion　

by　the　violence　of　their　own　movements　as　they　leaped　and　fell　

among　the　billows。　　By　seven　the　NIPSIC　was　so　fortunate　as　to　

avoid　the　reef　and　beach　upon　a　space　of　sand；　where　she　was　

immediately　deserted　by　her　crew；　with　the　assistance　of　Samoans；　

not　without　loss　of　life。　　By　about　eight　it　was　the　turn　of　the　

ADLER。　　She　was　close　down　upon　the　reef；　doomed　herself；　it　might　

yet　be　possible　to　save　a　portion　of　her　crew；　and　for　this　end　

Captain　Fritze　placed　his　reliance　on　the　very　hugeness　of　the　seas　

that　threatened　him。　　The　moment　was　watched　for　with　the　anxiety　

of　despair；　but　the　coolness　of　disciplined　courage。　　As　she　rose　

on　the　fatal　wave；　her　moorings　were　simultaneously　slipped；　she　

broached　to　in　rising；　and　the　sea　heaved　her　bodily　upward　and　

cast　her　down　with　a　concussion　on　the　summit　of　the　reef；　where　

she　lay　on　her　beam…ends；　her　back　broken；　buried　in　breaching　

seas；　but　safe。　　Conceive　a　table：　　the　EBER　in　the　darkness　had　

been　smashed　against　the　rim　and　flung　below；　the　ADLER；　cast　free　

in　the　nick　of　opportunity；　had　been　thrown　upon　the　top。　　Many　

were　injured　in　the　concussion；　many　tossed　into　the　water；　twenty　

perished。　　The　survivors　crept　again　on　board　their　ship；　as　it　now　

lay；　and　as　it　still　remains；　keel　to　the　waves；　a　monument　of　the　

sea's　potency。　　In　still　weather；　under　a　cloudless　sky；　in　those　

seasons　when　that　ill…named　ocean；　the　Pacific；　suffers　its　vexed　

shores　to　rest；　she　lies　high　and　dry；　the　spray　scarce　touching　

her　…　the　hugest　structure　of　man's　hands　within　a　circuit　of　a　

thousand　miles　…　tossed　up　there　like　a　schoolboy's　cap　upon　a　

shelf；　broken　like　an　egg；　a　thing　to　dream　of。



The　unfriendly　consuls　of　Germany　and　Britain　were　both　that　

morning　in　Matautu；　and　both　displayed　their　nobler　qualities。　　De　

Coetlogon；　the　grim　old　soldier；　collected　his　family　and　kneeled　

with　them　in　an　agony　of　prayer　for　those　exposed。　　Knappe；　more　

fortunate　in　that　he　was　called　to　a　more　active　service；　must；　

upon　the　striking　of　the　ADLER；　pass　to　his　own　consulate。　　From　

this　he　was　divided　by　the　Vaisingano；　now　a　raging　torrent；　

impetuously　charioting　the　trunks　of　trees。　　A　kelpie　might　have　

dreaded　to　attempt　the　passage；　we　may　conceive　this　brave　but　

unfortunate　and　now　ruined　man　to　have　found　a　natural　joy　in　the　

exposure　of　his　life；　and　twice　that　day；　coming　and　going；　he　

braved　the　fury　of　the　river。　　It　was　possible；　in　spite　of　the　

darkness　of　the　hurricane　and　the　continual　breaching　of　the　seas；　

to　remark　human　movements　on　the　ADLER；　and　by　the　help　of　Samoans；　

always　nobly　forward　in　the　work；　whether　for　friend　or　enemy；　

Knappe　sought　long　to　get　a　line　conveyed　from　shore；　and　was　for　

long　defeated。　　The　shore　guard　of　fifty　men　stood　to　their　arms　

the　while　upon　the　beach；　useless　themselves；　and　a　great　deterrent　

of　Samoan　usefulness。　　It　was　perhaps　impossible　that　this　mistake　

should　be　avoided。　　What　more　natural；　to　the　mind　of　a　European；　

than　that　the　Mataafas　should　fall　upon　the　Germans　in　this　hour　of　

their　disadvantage？　　But　they　had　no　other　thought　than　to　assist；　

and　those　who　now　rallied　beside　Knappe　braved　（as　they　supposed）　

in　doing　so　a　double　danger；　from　the　fury　of　the　sea　and　the　

weapons　of　their　enemies。　　About　nine；　a　quarter…master　swam　

ashore；　and　reported　all　the　officers　and　some　sixty　men　alive　but　

in　pitiable　case；　some　with　broken　limbs；　others　insensible　from　

the　drenching　of　the　breakers。　　Later　in　the　forenoon；　certain　

valorous　Samoans　succeeded　in　reaching　the　wreck　and　returning　with　

a　line；　but　it　was　speedily　broken；　and　all　subsequent　attempts　

proved　unavailing；　the　strongest　adventurers　being　cast　back　again　

by　the　bursting　seas。　　Thenceforth；　all　through　that　day　and　night；　

the　deafened　survivors　must　continue　to　endure　their　martyrdom；　and　

one　officer　died；　it　was　supposed　from　agony　of　mind；　in　his　

inverted　cabin。



Three　ships　still　hung　on　the　next　margin　of　destruction；　steaming　

desperately　to　their　moorings；　dashed　helplessly　together。　　The　

CALLIOPE　was　the　nearest　in；　she　had　the　VANDALIA　close　on　her　port　

side　and　a　little　ahead；　the　OLGA　close　a…starboard；　the　reef　under　

her　heel；　and　steaming　and　veering　on　her　cables；　the　unhappy　ship　

fenced　with　her　three　dangers。　　About　a　quarter　to　nine　she　carried　

away　the　VANDALIA'S　quarter　gallery　with　her　jib…boom；　a　moment　

later；　the　OLGA　had　near　rammed　her　from　the　other　side。　　By　nine　

the　VANDALIA　dropped　down　on　her　too　fast　to　be　avoided；　and　

clapped　her　stern　under　the　bowsprit　of　the　English　ship；　the　

fastenings　of　which　were　burst　asunder　as　she　rose。　　To　avoid　

cutting　her　down；　it　was　necessary　for　the　CALLIOPE　to　stop　and　

even　to　reverse　her　engines；　and　her　rudder　was　at　the　moment　…　or　

it　seemed　so　to　the　eyes　of　those　on　board　…　within　ten　feet　of　the　

reef。　　〃Between　the　VANDALIA　and　the　reef〃　（writes　Kane；　in　his　

excellent　report）　〃it　was　destruction。〃　　To　repeat　Fritze's　

manoeuvre　with　the　ADLER　was　impossible；　the　CALLIOPE　was　too　

heavy。　　The　one　possibility　of　escape　was　to　go　out。　　If　the　

engines　should　stand；　if　they　should　have　power　to　drive　the　ship　

against　wind　and　sea；　if　she　should　answer　the　helm；　if　the　wheel；　

rudder；　and　gear　should　hold　out；　and　if　they　were　favoured　with　a　

clear　blink　of　weather　in　which　to　see　and　avoid　the　outer　reef　…　

there；　and　there　only；　were　safety。　　Upon　this　catalogue　of　〃ifs〃　

Kane　staked　his　all。　　He　signalled　to　the　engineer　for　every　pound　

of　steam　…　and　at　that　moment　（I　am　told）　much　of　the　machinery　was　

already　red…hot。　　The　ship　was　sheered　well　to　starboard　of　the　

VANDALIA；　the　last　remaining　cable　slipped。　　For　a　time　…　and　there　

was　no　onlooker　so　cold…blooded　as　to　offer　a　guess　at　its　duration　

…　the　CALLIOPE　lay　stationary；　then　gradually　drew　ahead。　　The　

highest　speed　claimed　for　her　that　day　is　of　one　sea…mile　an　hour。　　

The　question　of　times　and　seasons；　throughout　all　this　roaring　

business；　is　obscured　by　a　dozen　contradictions；　I　have　but　chosen　

what　appeared　to　be　the　most　consistent；　but　if　I　am　to　pay　any　

attention　to　the　time　named　by　Admiral　Kimberley；　the　CALLIOPE；　in　

this　first　stage　of　her　escape；　must　have　taken　more　than　two　hours　

to　cover　less　than　four　cables。　　As　she　thus　crept　seaward；　she　

buried　bow　and　stem　alternately　under　the　billows。



In　the　fairway　of　the　entrance　the　flagship　TRENTON　still　held　on。　　

Her　rudder　was　broken；　her　wheel　carried　away；　within　she　was　

flooded　with　water　from　the　peccant　hawse…pipes；　she　had　just　made　

the　signal　〃fires　extinguished；〃　and　lay　helpless；　awaiting　the　

inevitable　end。　　Between　this　melancholy　hulk　and　the　external　reef　

Kane　must　find　a　path。　　Steering　within　fifty　yards　of　the　reef　

（for　which　she　was　actually　headed）　and　her　foreyard　passing　on　the　

other　hand　over　the　TRENTON'S　quarter　as　she　rolled；　the　CALLIOPE　

sheered　between　the　rival　dangers；　came　to　the　wind　triumphantly；　

and　was　once　more　pointed　for　the　sea　and　safety。　　Not　often　in　

naval　history　was　there　a　moment　of　more　sickening　peril；　and　it　

was　dignified　by　one　of　those　incidents　that　reconcile　the　

chroni