Tuesday 6 August 2013

Thursday 18th August 1898 HMS Mohawk

Diving party went away to examine the an-
chor they reported by signal, thatthe 4 1/2 inch hawser
had been parted by the explosion, but there was a lot of coral
rock over the anchor 1 pm divers came on board and
rported everything ready 2pm weighed anchor and
got everything ready for picking up th elost anchor again
but owing to the wind suddenly shifting to the Westward
the Captain belayed everything. 4.3-0 Captain decided to
chance it and if there was much trouble to give it up
altogether, and proceed back to Gavatu, we steamed
slowly over to the anchor, had a little trouble at
first at the wind would keep blowing her head round
as we was shackling on the chain at last we managed
to get everything ready and we started pulling haul
ley gain and after a decent spell of this we had the
gratification of seeing the anchor show itself above
water again, but the way the 3 1/2 in hawser
was coiled round about it was something marvel
ous, it would simply had been impossible for anyone
to have done it by hand, it looked as if the anchor had
been placed in a Wire Spud? net, we hoisted it right
up to the Cat Davit, then proceeded out to sea and re-
mained outside all night as it was too risky to at-
tempt to get our anchorage in the dark as there
was no land marks to go by, it was passed 10pm

before we had got the anchor properly secured, we left
everything as it was stood by hammocks then served out
optional cocoa.

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