Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Sue Fleming and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
By MATTHEW WELD HARTSTONGE, ESQ. M. R. I. A.
Nescia mens hominum, fati sortisque futuræ Et servare modum, rebus sublata secundis! . . . . . . . . . . tempus erit, . . . . . et quum spolia ista diemque Oderit!
MOLESWORTH-STREET, DUBLIN, _February 1, 1825._
Tollimur in coelum curvato gurgite, et idem Subductâ ad manes imos descendimus undâ. Ter scopuli clamorem inter cava saxa dedere; Ter spumam elisam, et rorantia vidimus astra.
Lay her aloof, the sea grows dangerous: How it spits against the clouds! how it capers, And how the fiery element frights it back! There be devils dancing in the air, I think.
It was upon a dark and lowering afternoon, the 30th day of October, one thousand six hundred and ---- the day preceding _The Eve of All-Hallows_, when the Rev. Doctor M'Kenzie, at that time Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Tyrconnel, and who had been for some time in the ancient realm of Scotland, on a visit to his kind relatives and friends in that hospitable land, had formed a resolution to depart for the shores of Ireland, to meet his noble patron. When, in pursuance of this intention, he embarked on board "The William Wallace of Ayr," the sails of the vessel were unfurled, and the signal-flag was seen streaming from the pendant of the main-top-gallant, all giving true and significant indications that the sea-worthy vessel was upon the eve of sailing, and her destination was known to be for the northern coast of Ireland.
Torrents of rain had showered down during the entire of the day, as is not unusual at that advanced autumnal period; these were accompanied with loud peals of thunder, while continuous sheets of lightning illumined and flashed throughout the darkly tinted horizon, which were succeeded by frequent squalls of wind, that at intervals dying suddenly away, served but to make the returning roaring blast the more tremendous and disheartening.
The vessel was to have sailed at the full tide, but this measure was entirely prevented by the strong and continued recurrence of the storm, which blew with such pertinacious force and opposition that "The William Wallace of Ayr" lay close to its anchors all that afternoon, the whole of the night, and during the next succeeding day. About nine o'clock, however, of the evening of the thirty-first, _The Eve of All-Hallows_, the storm to every appearance had wholly abated, and preparations accordingly were commenced for the ship to sail, without any further delay, as bound on its destination. At that point of time the Reverend Chaplain, Doctor M'Kenzie, and his servant, were the only passengers on board. "All hands unmoor!" was now loudly and manfully rung forth by the crew; and all matters having been duly arranged for setting sail, while the wind blowing fresh and fair, the ponderous anchor was raised from its oozy bed.