Untitled - Libr@rsi

1651 -52] RELA TION OF 1650-31 83
punclieons of stones and eight large dismounted cannons,—
that served as ballast for our ship, [141] to
keep her steady,— all the merchandise, our water-
casks, and our peas,— which then supplied the only
food for our table,— in a word, everything in the
hold of the vessel, shifted, rolled over, and was
thrown pell-mell on one side of our ship ; and I know
not what prevented the cannons from bursting a hole
through her. She careened and lay over, to such an
extent that the water poured in over the side ; our
topmasts were carried away ;
was all soaked and ;
the biscuit that remained
every one cried for mercy. We
remained about an hour in that position and had we
shipped another such sea (as very frequently hap-
to the
pens), the vessel would have upset and gone
bottom. But the blessed Virgin saved us from this,
in consequence of a vow that we made to her, and
which we have performed. I know not how [142]
the ship, borne down as she was on one side by the
weight of so many cannons, stones, and puncheons,
could ever have righted herself without a miracle.
Finally, after weathering this storm, and other
lesser ones that also beset us, we reached, on Christmas
eve, the place where we expected to find rest,
and to perform our devotions. There was nothing
but rejoicing; gladness beamed on the countenances
of all our people, saved from a watery grave. We
were adorning the Captain's cabin with the finest of
everything in the ship, in order to celebrate holy
Mass on Christmas day; when suddenly we heard
the report of two shotted cannons firing on our ship.
This noise, in the darkness of the night, silenced us.
We were between isle de Re and that part of the
mainland called Chef de [143] bois. We afterward