“On our way towards China my poor friend Thomas fell overboard. He was so careless, not knowing what he was about, he went outside of the ship and drew salt- water to wash plates with (for he was a cabin’s boy.) When the ship rolled he got in the water.” (‘Ōpūkaha‘ia)
“It was early in the morning, while my Captain was fast asleep in the cabin. But while I was in the water, longside of the ship, I called to one of my shipmates, who stood on the helm, ‘Mix, Mix’.”
“He heard me. Then he cried out, ‘Thomas is overboard.’ (Hopu)
“The Captain calls all hands upon the deck, and ordered to have all the sails pull down in order to let about-While we were working upon our sails, my friend Thomas was out of sight.” (‘Ōpūkaha’ia)
“At this time, the wind blew very high, so that the waves roared, and the ship was going at about nine knots an hour. It was a considerable time before the necessary orders could be given, to put the ship about for my rescue. In the mean time, I lost sight of the ship, after which I was swimming in the water.”
“In this situation, though I was an expert swimmer, I gave myself up for lost.” (Hopu)
“While he was in the water he pulls all off his clothes in order to be lighter. We turned our ship and went back after him.” (‘Ōpūkaha’ia)
“Then I cried to my god, Akooah, for help, and made my vow to him, in the hour of trouble, that if he would save me out of the great and mighty waters, and I might reach the ship, I would devote to my god, Akooah, a fine jacket, which I had received from my Captain, as a present.”
“And I also made several short prayers to the great Spirit, while I was swimming in the water, before that I could see the ship. I considered myself in the greatest danger of being swallowed up in the mighty ocean.”
“I expected to die before the ship would reach me. While the waves of the sea were breaking over my head, every moment, I then thought that it must be a very hard thing for me to die, in the full strength of this mortal body.”
“While I was thinking in this situation, I saw a bird come from God, as I thought, out of the clouds, down to me, on the water. I was very glad to behold him flying over my head, and I was greatly rejoiced to see such a messenger sent down to me from the great Spirit.”
“I then talked to him in these words, ‘If you are a bird of God, please to go back to your master, and tell him that I have already given a jacket to your master and come quickly and save me, that I perish not in this deep water, where is no bottom.’”
“Then the ship again reached me …” (Hopu)
We found him almost dead. He was in the water during the space of two and a half hours. O how glad was I then to see him for he was already gone.” (‘Ōpūkaha’ia)
“ … and I was taken on board: but I could not speak a word to any one of my shipmates, because I was almost dead when I got on board the ship.”
“Immediately after I got on board, a great shark came alongside of the ship. I suppose the shark followed my track.”
“O! What a wonderful mercy of God is this, that God who is infinite in kindness to so unworthy a creature as I am; and whose hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.”
“When the poor cry for help, in their troubles, he is always near to save them.” (Hopu)
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