James Wilson's poem continued .....

THE VOYAGE OF THE
NORMAN MORISON

We did our business, had our wassil,
And then we shipped abroad the vessel,
Called Norman, and now we understand,
That Wishart had the chief command.

Next morning then we sailed away,
Although it was the Sabbath day;
A steam-tug gently towed us down,
To anchorage at Gravesend town.

So here we lay four days and more,
The fifth we heard the billows roar;
Then we saw Dover's chalky coast,
Then Lizard Point, and England's lost.

Lost to our view yet slow we sail,
Because the breeze of wind did fail,
The ship did lag, as fell the breeze,
As loath to leave the English seas.

Here the hot weather vexed us sore,
And want of meat a great deal more;
But sailing weather we had none,
Till we came near the torrid zone.

And then the trades did fill our sails,
Right gently with the north-east gale;
The ship did plough through oceans deep
Ten knots an hour her course did sweep.

But one night as the line we neared,
A dreadful hurricane appeared;
All hands were called at dead of night,
When O!ye Heavens what a sight.

The rain in torrents down did pour,
Mid'st lightnings blaze, and thunders roar,
While raging winds did fiercely sweep,
The foamy surface of the deep.

The tempest calmed, next day was fine,
We bore away and crossed the Line;
Then quick we sailed through southern seas
Assisted by the south-east breeze.

Till winds did blow, and seas run high,
Where the La Plata's mouth was nigh,
Long used in warmer climes to sail,
We now began the cold to feel.

Still did the ship her course pursue,
Till Falkland Island meets our view,
And as the Sunday morn did smile,
With gladden'd sight we view the Isle.

And now we o'er the waves were borne
With many a thought about Cape Horn,
For rumour said that we would find,
There mountain waves, and stormy wind.

And now to round the Cape we try
But still the western wind blew high,
Which made us to the southward run,
Till we were near the Frigid Zone.

And here our blood did almost freeze
With cold, and snow, and stormy seas;
And when his daily race was run,
O'er Ice-hills, set the evening sun

And here November's noon of night,
Did clearly shine with good day light,
Then to the North-west we were borne
Till we were round about Cape Horn

And now behind we leave Cape Horn
And steer our course for Capricorn;
Between whose Tropics and the Line
A hot December sun did shine;

So some two weeks before New Year,
We reached the northern Hemisphere,
But before this I meant to say
T'was grog all hands on Christmas day

And sure as I am a living sinner
That day we got a double dinner;
While we sailed through Pacific seas
With weather good, and fine trade breeze

But storms and tempests were at hand
For as we neared our journey's end,
And thought that we would soon get free
From long confinement on the sea.

When after a tempestous night,
Cape Flattery rose full in our sight;
As nearer to the Sound we sail
We soon espied Vancouver's Isle:

Thus after five months voyage at length,
I think on January the tenth,
We saw land, a joyful sight,
And thought the Port to gain that night.

But Oh! vain hope, those narrow seas
Were shut up by a strong head breeze;
So 'bout their mouth that night we lay
In hopes to gain the Port next day

Here as we tacked from coast to coast,
We nearly in the dark were lost,
For mid'st the breakers whiten'd roar,
We nearly struck the rocky shore

And as we twice escaped that night,
We bore to sea till morning light;
The gale that kept us back before
Did now increase with tempest roar.

We never were so badly tossed
Since ever we left England's coast
But still as we were backward driven
Loud roar'd the wind, dark was the heaven;

Nor sun, nor stars, our eyes did see,
But a temestous stormy sea;
Thus while the mighty tempest raged.
Four days and nights we were engaged

In beating for the Sound by day,
By night we drifted back to sea:
But when the tempest reach'd its height,
It was a dark and dreadful night

We striped our mast of every sail,
But those that locked her in the gale:
The ship so heaved and tossed that night
That none could keep their feet aright

And as the billows dashed her sides,
the decks did float with oceans tides:
The morn did come on with tempest rage,
But afternoon saw it aswauge;

So back we sailed all night and day,
As we'd been drifted far to sea;
And when we made the Sound again,
Our foe the darkness did remain

Again we on the rocky coast,
A third time nearly had been lost,
So all that night against rocks to guard
Both passengers and crew kept ward

Next day was fine we sailed the while
Between the Main-land and the Isle;
But slow we sailed, so calm the day,
'Twas night before we reached the Bay

But we no anchorage found that night
We tacked about till morning light,
And then into the Royal Bay,
We anchored by the break of day.

Then on our deck six guns did roar,
That they might hear us on the shore;
It happen'd to be Sabbath day
The ship did anchor in the bay

To us did everything look new
Both the poor Indian and Canoe;
A sight we ne'er had seen before,
Till we approached Vancouvers shore

As we were four miles from the Fort,
In boats we landed at the port;
The English half you understand,
On Hansel-Monday first did land

As the ships boats could hold no more,
Next day we also went ashore.

- James Wilson
August 1852-February 1853

Reproduced courtesy Archives of British Columbia