still held by the broken
rigging, was lashing against the ship, threatening to break in her side
and send all to the bottom. It was necessary to cut away this wreckage
as soon as possible so as to free the ship, but before this could be
accomplished daylight had set in. Then the captain asked the officer
commanding the soldiers to let some of his men give assistance. This he
refused to do, and made complaint that his men's food was not being
prepared for them as it should be. The men cried shame of their
commander, and volunteered to do whatever they could to assist the
captain.[*] The weather moderated, and some sails were set on the
vessel, which finally unassisted reached Falmouth. Two steam men-of-war
had been sent in search of her, but missed her.

[*] For his dastardly conduct the military commanding officer was later
dismissed from the army, and was never allowed to enter Her Majesty's
service again.

Is There a Fatality Attaching to Men or Inanimate Things?

In another part of this book I have mentioned the ship "Northfleet." In
regard to that vessel the above question might almost be answered in the
affirmative. The vessel was launched at the place from which she took
her name in 1852. She made her first voyage to New Zealand, thence to
China, and from there to San Francisco, and back to China and London.
Then she went trooping for the Crimean War; then for some years ran
between London and China carrying tea, for which she was originally
built.

This ship never made a voyage without some one being drowned from her,
and finally she was run into and sunk by a steamer, which was afterwards
proved to be the Spanish vessel "Murillo." By this collision upwards of
three hundred people were drowned. The "Northfleet" was carrying railway
workmen to New Zealand, and when coming down the English Channel the
weather was stormy and the pilot recommended the captain to anchor under
a point called Dungeness. This was done, and the night came on very
dark. At some time after midnight a steamer came in under the Point,
apparently for the purpose of anchoring, as was afterwards reported by
the crew of the tugboat which was at anchor. They saw the steamer moving
about for some time. Then a crash was heard, followed by most
heartrending cries. The steamer went out to sea, and did not heed the
signal rockets which were sent up by the "Northfleet." The little
tugboat had only four men and a small boat, which was at