Extract of a letter received by Messrs. A and S Richards from Captain Wm. Sketchley, of the ship Minerva, dated from Ullapool Loch Broom 27th February 1818 which presents a most distressing account of the effects of a gale which the vessel encountered soon after she left this port
“I left you on the 12th inst., and on getting down to the Skerries, the wind blew hard from the S.W. I bore up that night for the north channel, and the night following was past the Mull of Cantire, the wind still prevailing from the S.W. I pushed the ship to the westward when an opportunity offered or the wind allowed me to carry canvass, but was generally under bare poles the greater part of the time, till the 21st inst in lat 58, long 20.; on this date at three o’clock in the morning, then lying to under two reefs of the mizzen, blowing tremendously heavy; the sea foaming beyond all description, she was struck with one too hard to describe, which carried away my main and mizzen-masts by the board, and every thing above deck, with one of the crew, bulwarks, rails, stauncheons; tore the covering boards up, and at that moment I expected the foremast and bowsprit to follow. The shock on these spars was so great as to start the cutwater three inches from the main stem; head, head rails all gone. The ship falling on the wreck of the spars sufficient to bilge her
I got her off before the wind to clear her of the wreck and to prevent her from filling as she was all open in her upper works; in this horrid situation she was pooped by the sea, stove in the dead lights, swept the desk fore and aft, washing poor MATSON (the mate) and one of the crew overboard, not to be regained, expecting every moment she would have foundered; the sea making a constant breach over the deck and in at the cabin windows; she had at least five feet of water in her hold, my crew nearly disabled and diminished in number, it was impossible to leave securing the cabin windows for the pumps – we secured them in the best possible way, with bales of blankets, beds, and every moveable thing the sea occasionally driving everything in upon us. The gale still continuing it’s fury, I set the clews of the foresail to carry her clear off the sea, this sail blew into ribbons, yet it saved her, the wreck having parted from the sea. The gale began to abate on the 23rd, when we succeeded in freeing the ship, not a particle of canvass left except for the fore-topsail attached to the yard broke in the slings, this I shifted as soon as I could get my men (all worn out) to bend it for a foresail, and with this sail arrived in the harbour, where we have met with the most kind and friendly assistance, to a most extraordinary degree – men of all descriptions vie with each other who shall do the most gratuitously. As the post leaves this once a week, and that on a Monday, I send this by an express to a town 52 miles from this to meet the southern mail, and am informed you will receive it in six days – the ship in her bottom appears perfectly tight
Extract from another letter from Captain Sketchley, dated Ullapool 5th March 1818 to Messrs. A & S Richards, Liverpool
“How is it possible for me to tell you, in addition to my former distressed account, that the ship burnt down to the water’s edge. Last night at seven o’clock (Wednesday) whilst in my room, having been confined there from my former suffering, the cry if “fire” was heard from the ship; crippled and ill as I was, I immediately got on board, and found the fore part of betwixt decks on fire, and so far advanced that it was impossible to get it under, though every assistance rendered from the shore. We used every effort to save her till the decks were burning through; we directed our attention to save what part of the cargo we could from the after hatchway, and this part of the ship I did not leave till the flames followed me up the companion; I had previously scuttled her aft. We cut the cable and let her drift on shore in shallow water. The tide rising, she took the ground then on fire; the after part of the ship under water; the cargo totally destroyed, with the exception of about 20 bales, and these were thrown overboard and drifted on shore. The bottom of the ship is full of hardware in bulk, the packages destroyed.
You are aware of my having lost all of the cookhouse, I procured here a large pot, for the use of the crew, and the only means of using it was by making a deep platform at least three feet from the deck, of large stones and sand, which I considered perfectly safe, and as much so as I had my proper calouse, but by some fatality, it must have penetrated through this onto the deck, and finally through to between decks, before it was discovered. My bodily sufferings prevented me from being there all the time, but I was precise and particular in my directions to my second officer, and a very careful man employed from the shore to assist him, as well as the crew, in their taking care of the ship; also to the custom-house officer, who was put on board at my solicitation, for the preservation of the cargo, and to prevent embezzlement . More could not be done; all this is too much for me – it has almost annihilated me- I have as much presence of mind, in intricate situations, as any man, but a repetition of evils will try the sould of the strongest.
Caryl Williams www.old-liverpool.co.uk Old