Mr. Joseph Lewis – a local Mariner
Mr. Joseph Lewis was brought
up in Swansea,
however, he had links with Gorseinon because of his
marriage to a young lady called Ann who was from Rhyd
Y Maerdy. Joseph had a job a vitriol purifier at the Mynach Chemical Works and he and Ann settled down and had a
large family, Elizabeth – born 1872, Sarah Ann – born 1875, Henry – born 1877,
Mary – born 1879, David – born 1880, George – born 1883, Emma – born 1885,
Albert – born 1888, Sydney – born 1889 and William – born 1891.
However, before Mr. Joseph
Lewis settled down to family life in Gorseinon, he
had an exciting life as a Mariner and sailed to many far away places. Here is
an account of life at sea, as told by his Great-Grand Daughter.
Joseph Lewis was first named
as a crew member on board the copper barque “Countess of Bective”. He was classed as an Able Seaman
and was one of a crew of 14 sailors. In October 1867, he signed on a
Swansea-registered barque called “Caldera”.
His first task was to assist
in loading the vessel with coal. When this was completed, the anchor was heaved
up manually by Capstan, and the ship was towed out to sea by steam tug. The
ship sailed out of Swansea on 12th October, 1867. After cleaning off the coal dust from about his
person, the shrouds and rigging of the ship were overhauled in readiness for
the voyage ahead.
The Captain and Officers
lived aft (back), and the crew in the forecastle (front). This was a dark and
miserable place which was only accessible through a hatchway on the deck down
an eight rung ladder. Light was provided by an oil lamp, and the forecastle was
lined with bunks, each man providing his own straw mattress or “donkey’s
breakfast.” The only seating were the sea chests belonging to the men. The
anchor cable came through the forecastle, and the links would be dripping with
salt water, rust scales and filled with mud. In stormy weather as the vessel
dipped her bows, water would pour in through the chain holes and flood the
crews’ quarters.
After crossing the Bay of Biscay and picking up the southerly trade winds, there
would be two months of good weather, but the Doldrums south of the equator
required a lot of hard work to take advantage of every bit of breeze.
The “Caldera”
was heading for Chile for a cargo of copper ore, and the route
Was down the Southern Atlantic Ocean and round the Horn – the most desolate and feared Cape in the world.
This Cape, situated at the bottom of the world, with the
prevailing winds in the forties and fifties, blowing constantly from west to
east. In the winter the storms rarely ceased and waves could build up to 100
feet high or more. It was the outward passage that was feared most of all. As
they approached Cape Horn, the crew would prepare the ship for the battle
ahead. With hatches being securely battered down and rigging checked and
overhauled. In the fierce rip tides, men could be critically injured on the
flooded deck, or by working aloft fighting with heavy canvas sails, frozen
stiff with ice. Every year immense sections of the Antarctic ice barrier would
break off and form floating fields of ice, menacing any sailing vessel drawing
near.
The average passage around
the Horn was two or three weeks, but sometimes is extended to two months. Food
and water was in danger of running short and there were no hot meals because
the galley fire was constantly being dowsed by sea water. The most dangerous
thing of all were the huge gigantic waves and the
helmsman, lashed to the wheel, never dared to look back at the seas which were
following them.
Once around the Horn and
into the Pacific, the weather improved again until the vessel arrived at a
discharging port. Chilean Ore was not only plentiful but of very high quality.
The organising centre was at Valparaiso, where the barques usually called for orders. The
log of the “Caldera” has an entry dated 1st
February, 1868 at Pena
Blanco in Chile. Mr, John Green, the second officer was complaining
of a pain in his side. The ship would have carried a basic first aid kit and
remedies and a copy of The Ship Captain’s Medical Guide – price 1/6. There are further entries in the log
regarding the Captain’s administration of various treatments such as mustard
poultices etc. until Mr. Green returned to duty on 19th February,
1868.
On 4th
June, 1868, there is another
entry of an unusual nature. The “Caldera” was on her way home and
would have been fully loaded. Captain John Griffiths had his wife on board and
the lady was delivered of a baby girl. Unfortunately, the baby was premature
and had no chance of surviving. The little baby lived just six hours and was
buried at sea – latitude 15 degrees longitude 37 degrees.
Awaiting the crew was one
final hazard which all on board a Swansea bound vessel viewed with apprehension – the landfall
in the Bristol Channel. For a sailing ship it was one of the most dangerous
stretches of water in the world, an area notorious for contrary tides and
treacherous currents. The “Caldera”
Arrived at
Swansea on 24th
July, 1868. The full cargo of copper
ore was off loaded by the crew and the men were paid off. For every month an
Able Seaman served he was paid £2. 15shillings. Joseph had a very short walk
indeed to his home at Recorder Street,
Swansea where his parents and brothers and sisters would be
relieved to see him again.
In March 1873, the “Caldera”
bound from Chile to Swansea, under the command of Captain William Griffiths, was
abandoned at sea after a collision with the “Canning”, near the Falkland Islands. The first and second mates were lost in the
disaster.
By 1st
October, 1868, Joseph was at
sea again, this time leaving Swansea on the copper barque “Tongoy”
She was a larger ship with a crew of 16 sailors. Before they sailed each man
signed an agreement…
To serve the said ship on a voyage from Swansea to Valparaiso,
And any port in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, North and South Pacific,
Indian and Atlantic Oceans, Australia and Cape Colonies,
United States of America and Continental Europe, trading to and
From any of the aforesaid ports and calling for orders
for a period
Not exceeding two years.
Food consisted basically of
salted meat and ship’s biscuit, supplemented by oatmeal bread, potatoes, peas
and rice while they lasted. If conditions round the Horn slowed up the ship’s
passage, the supplies of food would be severely reduced. Lime juice was always
carried to treat scurvy – a miserable condition caused by lack of fresh
vegetables and too much salted meat.
It was recorded in the log
that Joseph was given lime juice on this voyage. There are no unusual incidents
of the voyage to report and the “Tongoy”
arrived at Valparaiso on 16th December, 1868. She traded up and down the coast of Chile, calling at Lebu, Coquimbo and returning to Valparaiso on 28th August, 1869. One of the crew, John DeLavatte
from Honduras had fallen ill with what was described as a fever of
the brain. When the “Tongoy” sailed
from home on the 13th November, he was left behind at the
British Naval
Hospital, with his effects and wages due in the sum of 28
Chilean dollars, to await hospital charges.
The “Tongoy” arrived at Liverpool on 4th January, 1870. Two months later she was lost off Drogheda.
Joseph probably sailed home
to Swansea, however, on his next voyage and while ashore, his
friend and shipmate was murdered. On returning to
Swansea in late 1870, Joseph was given the task of informing
the friend’s fiancé of the unfortunate death. He travelled to meet the fiancée,
one Miss Ann Hopkin.
A courtship began and they were married at
Penllergare Church on 13th November, 1870.
The Swansea men who visited the west coast of South America returned with tales of towns
ankle deep in dust, swarming with flies and narrow dirty streets filled with
drinking dens. Joseph would always remember these days and would often think of
them while sitting in front of his Gorseinon hearth
on a cold winter’s evening.
