Читать книгу Grand Deceptions - G. S. Willmott - Страница 11

The SS Great Britain was into its 50^th day of the voyage to Australia. The ship was now sailing in the Southern Ocean, known for its treacherous seas and high winds. The route taken by Captain Grey meant all going well they would arrive in Melbourne after 60 days at sea.

October 20, 1856

The first officer, John Crane, was on the bridge while Captain Grey was in his cabin resting. The seas halfway between the Cape of Good Hope and the West Coast of Australia were high without being menacing.

The second officer, Malcolm Turner, was responsible for monitoring the weather. He used two barometers to ensure his readings were always correct.

Ship's Metallic Barometer

A Steel and Brass Mounted Marine Stick Barometer

He checked the barometers every hour of his shift. The last reading at 3 pm was reading fair but at 4 pm the readings indicated a sharp drop in the barometric pressure. A storm was looming. He informed the First Officer of the impending storm. Crane decided not to disturb the Captain, but ordered the second officer to make the passengers aware of the inclement weather. The first-class passengers were in a relatively safe position being on the upper decks; not so the second, third and steerage passengers. Depending on the ferocity of the storm, they could well be flooded. Latrines could be knocked over with the effluent swirling around the flooded decks.

The sky began to darken. The clouds swirled above, and seagulls could no longer be seen trailing the ship for scraps discarded by the kitchen crew. The sea began to rise, smashing into the SS Great Britain, rolling the largest ship afloat from starboard to port side.

The Captain was now well and truly awake, having been thrown out of his bed by a huge wave hitting the ship.

Below deck, the three friends, Mathew, George and John, were in the saloon lounge holding onto the bar rail with all their strength. They dared not try and make it to their cabins for fear they would be injured.

The second and third-class passengers plus steerage below were having a much worse time of it. Sea water was swirling around them up to their knees. Various objects were floating past, including the odd hen and duck.

The Captain and crew fought hard to keep the ship afloat throughout the storm. Morning finally broke and so did the storm. The calm seemed like a dream to all.

The crew were ordered to clean up the ship, ensuring there was no effluent or rotten foodstuffs remaining.

The pumps operated for the next twenty-four hours without reprieve, and then finally the ship was back to normal, and the passengers and crew could continue the journey in relative comfort. Not so the steerage passengers.

Steerage Passengers

Life on board returned to normal. Mathew continued to read books from the library including Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The final book he read was Moby Dick, by Herman Melville.

The other two continued their regime of playing poker after dinner. By journey’s end, John had increased his winnings to £6,000 while George’s purse had decreased to £1,500; hardly enough to begin a new life in the colony.

Charles Harmsworth at the Table

The poker player who seemed to win George’s money on a regular basis was a professional gambler. He was an older man with a full beard and was quite debonair in appearance. His name was Charles Harmsworth. He claimed to be a lord, but most of the other players doubted this was true.

This man would have a significant influence on the three young men’s lives in the colony.