Recollections of Europe | Page 6

ships. The Crisis, a London packet, had been missing nearly
three months when we sailed. She was known to have been full of
passengers, and the worst fears were felt for her safety; ten years have
since elapsed, and no vestige of this unhappy ship has ever been found!
Our master prudently decided that safety was of much more importance
than speed, and he kept the Hudson well to the southward. Instead of
crossing the banks, we were as low as 40 deg., when in their meridian;
and although we had some of the usual signs, in distant piles of fog,

and exceedingly chilly and disagreeable weather, for a day or two, we
saw no ice. About the 15th, the wind got round to the southward and
eastward, and we began to fall off, more than we wished even, to the
northward.
All the charts for the last fifty years have three rocks laid down to the
westward of Ireland, which are known as the "Three Chimneys." Most
American mariners have little faith in their existence, and yet, I fancy,
no seaman draws near the spot where they are said to be, without
keeping a good look-out for the danger. The master of the Hudson once
carried a lieutenant of the English navy, as a passenger, who assured
him that he had actually seen these "Three Chimneys." He may have
been mistaken, and he may not. Our course lay far to the southward of
them; but the wind gradually hauled ahead, in such a way as to bring us
as near as might be to the very spot where they ought to appear, if
properly laid down. The look-outs of a merchant-ship are of no great
value, except in serious cases, and I passed nearly a whole night on
deck, quite as much incited by my precious charge, as by curiosity, in
order to ascertain all that eyes could ascertain under the circumstances.
No signs of these rocks, however, were seen from the Hudson.
It is surprising in the present state of commerce, and with the vast
interests which are at stake, that any facts affecting the ordinary
navigation between the two hemispheres should be left in doubt. There
is a shoal, and I believe a reef, laid down near the tail of the great bank,
whose existence is still uncertain. Seamen respect this danger more
than that of the "Three Chimneys," for it lies very much in the track of
ships between Liverpool and New York; still, while tacking, or giving
it a berth, they do not know whether they are not losing a wind for a
groundless apprehension! Our own government would do well to
employ a light cruiser, or two, in ascertaining just these facts (many
more might he added to the list), during the summer months. Our own
brief naval history is pregnant with instances of the calamities that
befall ships. No man can say when, or how, the Insurgente, the
Pickering, the Wasp, the Epervier, the Lynx, and the Hornet
disappeared. We know that they are gone; and of all the brave spirits
they held, not one has been left to relate the histories of the different

disasters. We have some plausible conjectures concerning the manner
in which the two latter were wrecked; but an impenetrable mystery
conceals the fate of the four others. They may have run on unknown
reefs. These reefs may be constantly heaving up from the depths of the
ocean, by subterranean efforts; for a marine rock is merely the summit
of a submarine mountain.[2]
[Footnote 2: There is a touching incident connected with the fortunes of
two young officers of the navy, that is not generally known. When the
Essex frigate was captured in the Pacific, by the Phoebe and Cherub,
two of the officers of the former were left in the ship, in order to make
certain affidavits that were necessary to the condemnation. The
remainder were paroled and returned to America. After a considerable
interval, some uneasiness was felt at the protracted absence of those
who had been left in the Essex. On inquiry it was found, that, after
accompanying the ship to Rio Janeiro, they had been exchanged,
according to agreement, and suffered to go where they pleased. After
some delay, they took passage in a Swedish brig bound to Norway, as
the only means which offered to get to Europe, whence they intended to
return home. About this time great interest was also felt for the sloop
Wasp. She had sailed for the mouth of the British Channel, where she
fell in with and took the Reindeer, carrying her prisoners into France.
Shortly after she had an action with and took the Avon, but was
compelled to abandon her prize by others of the enemy's cruisers, one
of