Dezember 1845
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without movement and motion. My wife and daughters as well as the smallest of my children found themselves down in the helmsman’s cabin. I, on the other hand, stood with the stronger ones in the forepart of the ship at the foremast and held to the same during the forceful blows, so as not to fall into the water. Here I could see the danger we were in and the open jaws of death better than those who found themselves below; yes, I saw the confusion of the pilot, and Captain, and the ship's crew; I heard the Captain’s command, which he gave to the four cabin attendants, that they should station themselves near the small boat on the ship, in order to loosen it and lower it into the sea immediately in the event, that the ship were to wreck; I also saw them go to their posts and wait for the decisive moment. I committed myself with all of mine into God's will and commended my soul into the faithful hands of my Lord and Savior, since there was no prospect of rescue by a small boat in the event of a shipwreck with such a multitude of people and in the terrible breakers, especially not if the boiler were to explode. As much as I, too, needed consolation in this sad situation, I still sought to comfort the weeping and crying children and women around me in that I called to them: Be still children! Trust in God. He will save us and still preserve us this time! And see, the Lord of Heaven and Earth seemed to allow to be fulfilled what I had called to the moaning and wailing. There came, when our danger was greatest, a small coast vessel, a two-master, likewise loaded with emigrants, from land, directly toward us, which comforted and cheered us up exceedingly in our deathly fear, in that we believed the Captain of that vessel had noticed our peril and was hurrying to take us on his ship and rescue us from death. This hope seemed to stimulate the disheartened again; yet. when one saw, after the vessel had come very close to us, that it quickly made |
