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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
America: Vols. XXV–XXIX. 1876–79.

Southern States: Hatteras, the Cape, N. C.

The Wreck

By T. H. M’Naughton

THEY were off Cape Hatteras

On a dark night of September,—

Long, ah! long shall we remember!

On the ship were souls six hundred

Ere the God of Tempests thundered.

Long we ’ll mourn the night—alas!—

They were off Cape Hatteras.

O’er the billows came the storm;

On the sea were demons prowling;

O’er the wave came Horror howling;

Looking on the dread commotion

Lay dark spirits of the ocean;

In its terrors multiform

O’er the billows came the storm.

Comes the sound of boding doom.—

Hark! the spars and boom a-creaking!

Hark! the dole of victims shrieking!

Louder comes the tempest’s thunder,

Bursting rope and bar asunder!

From the bellow and the gloom

Comes the sound of boding doom.

With the blare of bellowing storm

Comes the shout of seamen daring:

“Courage, brothers! God us sparing,

We shall conquer, though the thunder

Crushes our good ship asunder!”

Lightning showed each sailor form

Battling with the bellowing storm.

Hark, on high! ’t is God who speaks!

Thunders ruinous are booming;

Storm-cloud in the lightning looming;

Fiercer, louder, wilder, higher,

Howls the darkling blast and nigher….

From the heaven the thunder breaks—

Hark, on high! ’t is God who speaks!

Now there comes a spirit prone

O’er the deck from prow to rudder,

Making e’en the seamen shudder!…

Now the gallant Herndon ’s speaking

With his trumpet o’er the shrieking:

“Now to God and Him alone!”

Then there came that spirit prone.

Wild the answer: groan and prayer!

Wild the answer: tempest thundered!

Wild the answer of six hundred!

O’er the deck came billows breaking—

Vessel sinking—hope forsaking!

“Look to God—for death prepare!”—

Wild the answer: groan and prayer!

Down in caverns wild and dark

Are the daring victims lying—

Loud the land with wail and sighing.

With the God of Tempests leave them—

Jesus, Saviour, now receive them.

The good ship lies grim and stark

Down in caverns wild and dark;

It is off Cape Hatteras—

Sunk that dark night of September—

Long, ah! long shall we remember.

There were on the ship six hundred

Ere the God of Tempests thundered!

Long we ’ll mourn the night—alas!—

They were off Cape Hatteras!