|
The Horn
They were late in reaching the Horn. Kendrick was considering staying at the Falklands but his
officers and Lady Washington were insistant. They were tired of his dwadling and were ready
to get it over with. They stopped long enough to ready the vessels, and the crew had a brief rest
in which some of them explored a bit up the coast. A few of them disappeared for so long that
Kendrick went to look for them himself (Scofield 78).
February 28, 1788 the Columbia and Lady Washington set out for the Horn, agreeing to meet again at
the other side. Gray, however, was determined that he could outrun Kendrick in the sleek Lady Washington
and was eager to be free of the turtle pace of the first few weeks (Scofield 78-9).
It was stormy weather on their first day in the feared passage. The entire crew had apprehensions
about starting towards it during the winter. The air was bitingly cold and the waves, "mountaineous" (Scofield 79).
The sloop was constantly awash, with water literally pressing her down. There were piles of ice
and continual gales (Scofield 79). Lady Washington constantly plunged literally under water before lurching
up and on. The wind was like a "lunatic roar" (Scofield 80) and nearly all control of the sloop was lost.
Any other vessel would have lost a mast or rigging, but the Washington bared her teeth and held on.
None of the crew were lost, but by April she had been separated irrevicably from the Columbia.
April 2, 1788 they were clear of the Horn and finally on the lower Northwest coast (Scofield 81).
Back to History
|
 Photo by Alexa Chipman
|
