had been in many instances rendered unpleasant
by political squabbles, by commercial
misfortunes, and, above all, by the
ill conduct of some of the persons employed
by Mr. Phelps in an inferior capacity. A
delightful wind now added to our happiness,
and we congratulated each other on the
prospect of a short and prosperous voyage
to our native shores: but the next morning
Sunda far other ideas crowded upon our
August 27. when about six or seven
o’clock we were awakened by a smoke and a
strong smell of burning, that issued from
the different hatchways, especially from that
in the fore part of the ship, and left us no
room to doubt but that the vessel was on
fire, and that the flames would soon burst
out! No one who has not been in a similar
situation can have an idea of what we felt.
We were than twenty leagues distant from
the nearest shore, a barren and inhospitable
coast, and the wind was blowing from that
quarter, so that to gain even this was impossible.
We were also unprovided with
boats sufficient to have contained one half of
our crew, nor could any boats have assisted
us in such a tempestuous ocean; so that our
joy was inconceivable and our astonishment
scarcely less so, when, but a few minutes
after the discovery of our misfortune, a distant
sail was detected, which, improbable as
it seemed to us, we knew could be no other
than the Orion. It proved that, contrary to
the orders expressly given for her to follow
our track till we had cleared the roeks, Mr.
Jorgensen had insisted upon the master’s
taking that short course which we had considered
too perilous, and steering between
the Cape and the first of the Fugle Skiers;
such being the only chance of his not being
compelled entirely to quit our company.
This he had effected in safety by his courage
and superiority in seamanship, and having by
this manoeuvre gained a sufficient length of
way to compensate for the inferiority of his
sailing, he was enabled to save the lives of the
whole ship’s crew, who must otherwise inevitably
have perished. After having put about
our vessel, and come sufficiently near, we
hoisted signals of distress, upon which the
Orion crowded all her sail, and in about two
or three hours Mr. Jorgensen himself came
on board. The fire had by this time so
muph increased, that it was found necessary