Narrative of a Voyage to Senegal in 1816 | Page 8

by another light. M. Savigny was on deck where he remained a part of
the night: he had full opportunity to perceive the negligence of the
officer of the watch, who did not even deign to answer the signals made
by the _Echo_[A6]. Why, in the neighbourhood of so formidable a
danger, not compare the points of the two ships, as is usual when
vessels sail in company? The captain of the frigate was not even
informed of the signals of the corvette. At eleven o'clock, she bore off

the larboard bow; and soon after he perceived that the direction of her
course made a pretty large angle with ours, and that it tended to cross
us passing a-head; he soon perceived her on the starboard: it is affirmed
that her journal states that she sailed the whole night W.S.W. ours does
the same. We must necessarily have hauled to the larboard, or she to
the starboard, since at day-break the corvette was no longer in sight.
At sea a vessel may easily be perceived at the distance of six leagues.
From midnight till six in the morning, she must have gained above six
leagues of us, which is not to be imagined, for she sailed much slower
than we and stopped every two hours to take soundings. To explain this
separation we must necessarily admit either that the frigate steered
more south, or the corvette more west, if the two vessels had run on the
same tack it would be impossible to explain it.
Every two hours the frigate brought-to, to sound; every half hour the
lead was cast without lowering the sails; we were always upon
shallows, and stood out to sea, to find a greater quantity of water: at
length about six o'clock in the morning we had above a hundred
fathoms; we then stood-to the S.S.E.; this course made almost a right
angle with that which we had followed in the night: it bore directly
in-shore, the approach to which, in this place, is rendered terrible by a
very long reef, called Arguin, which according to instructions we had
on board extends above thirty leagues in breadth.[12] According to the
instructions given by the Minister of the Marine, this danger is avoided
by running only twenty-two leagues in the open sea; it is true they
recommend not to approach the shore but with the greatest precaution,
and with the sounding line in the hand: the other ships of the expedition
which sailed according to those instructions all arrived at St. Louis
without any accident, which is a certain proof of their exactness.[13]
Besides it is said, that one must make W.S.W., when one has discerned
Cape Blanco; and it is probable we had not got sight of it in the evening,
as was supposed. We therefore had an uncertain point of departure;
hence the error which was so fatal to us.
According to my Comrade Corréard, we cannot pass over in silence, a
scene which took place in the morning. The Captain was deceived in
the most singular manner; about five or six o'clock he was called up;
some persons who were on deck persuaded him that a great cloud
which was in the direction of Cape Blanco and in truth very near it, was

that Cape itself. My companion in misfortune, who sees clearly, and
who knows how to distinguish between a rock and a cloud, because he
has seen enough of them in the Alps, where he was born, told those
gentlemen that it was only a cape of vapour; he was answered that the
instructions which the minister had given to the captain prescribed to
him to make this cape; but that we had passed it above ten leagues; that
at this moment the question was, to make the captain believe that the
instructions of the minister had been punctually followed, and that they
desired to persuade him, which was not difficult, that this cloud was the
Cape. Many have deposed, as we have been told, that Cape Blanco, had
been seen in the evening of the 1st of July: we venture to affirm that
that rock was not seen at all.
After this pretended reconnaissance of the 2d July, if we were
persuaded that we had seen that Cape, we should have steered west, to
double the bank of Arguin; the danger once passed, the course should
have been again directed to the south which is the route to Senegal; but
he who for some days past had guided the course of the ship, thought
proper to persuade the captain, to take immediately the southerly course,
and to steer for Portendic. We are ignorant of the reasons which
induced the commander of the frigate to give his confidence to a man
who did not