We enjoyed the meeting very much, particularly the closing part, which was an infant baptism. When the water was put upon the little fellow's face, he commenced crying. Wilson spoke out, so that all who were near could hear him, " That's no sailor's child — afraid of water." We left the meeting-house, and walked round to keep ourselves warm, and as the night was very cold concluded to go back to the yard. But, sailor-like, we had not once thought about getting past the sentinels without the countersign. After trying at the regular gates, and refused enframe by the sentinel, we made out to crawl in under an old fence, and we were now but little better off than we were when outside, and now had three sentinels to pass, before we could get to our sleeping place.
And when we approached the first, were hailed, " Who comes there? " " Friends." " Advance, friends, and give the countersign." We had no countersign, and stood at the point of the bayonet, until the corporal of the guard came. He demanded who Ave were, but would riot allow us to pass. There was no other way to get to the gunboat, but by swimming across a dock two hundred feet wide; and then there was danger of being shot by the sentinels, if discovered, to say nothing about the risk of freezing, after we had left the water. We went off a short distance, got into an old shed, and crawled in among some shavings, and there shivered it out until morning; it was truly a long night.
We went on board our craft, made up a rousing fire, and after taking some hot coffee, were all right again. This affair rather cooled our devotion, so we went to no more evening meetings. The weather continued very cold, and we could do but little work in the yard. Our black cook had been detected in stealing from an officer, and was sent on board the boat in double irons, and there confined, which of course deprived us of his services, and himself, the use of his limbs; for in consequence of his confinement both feet were frozen, and the groans of the poor fellow were really distressing. He was removed to the hospital, but lost both feet; they were amputated soon after he entered the doctor's list.
Truly " The ivay of the transgressor is hard" In consequence of a trifling theft, this man is a cripple for life. 1 have previously stated that our gunboat was full of rats. They were so thick that while we slept they would run over us in all directions. We were obliged to hang our provisions up to one of the beams, and place a man with a club, to watch the bag until morninff. Our boat was also very leaky, and no one would take the trouble to pump her out. One night, just before we turned in, the water made its appearance over the platform, andwhen we come to examine the pump, it was found to be choked and entirely useless.
We concluded, however, to stay on board that night, and on the morrow to apply to the captain of the yard for other quarters. About twelve o'clock, one fellow got out of his hammock and found himself knee deep in water. He gave the alaim, all hands roused up, and before we could get all our clothes and bedding on deck, she heeled over and sunk. I made a jump and got on board another boat that lay alongside; and she was half full of water. The rest of the crew got off by means of the boat and some spars. In jumping on board the other boat, I fell on an iron belaying pin, and hurt myself severely.
All this was in the night, it was quite dark and cold, but we made no noise. By the sinking of this boat many lives were lost, as might be seen by the floating bodies around her next morning. And as the gunboat had been condemned before we went on board of her, we now considered her condemnation as fully Rat-itied. The repairs on board the Firetily were now so far advanced that we, poor sunken fellows, had permission to take our hammocks and bags on board of her, and our meals on board the Cyane. As Commodore Porter had not vet assumed the command of the squadron formally, it devolved on Captain Wolcott Chauncey, brother of Commodore Isaac Chauncey, — he being the seignor captain among those of the Flying Squadron, and had come down from Lake Ontario to join the fleet.