These unhappy men, killed and wounded, were only tools, which could be replaced at very little expense. The tender, already some distance off, was hailed, and in a few minutes she was alongside.
I went towards the fore-part of the vessel, the staircase had not yet been raised. The four corpses, enveloped in coverings, were let down, and placed on the deck of the tender. One of the surgeons on board embarked to go with them to Liverpool, with injunctions to rejoin the Great Eastern as quickly as possible. The tender immediately sheered off, and the sailors went to the bows, to wash the stains of blood from the deck.
I ought to add that one of the passengers, slightly wounded by the breaking of the pinion, took advantage of this circumstance to leave by the tender; he had already had enough of the Great Eastern.
I watched the little boat going off full steam, and, turning round I heard my ironical fellow-traveler muttering these words:
"A good beginning for a voyage!"
"A very bad one, sir," said I. "To whom have I the honor of speaking?"
"To Dr. Dean Pitferge."
CHAPTER V
OFF AT LAST
The work of weighing anchors was resumed; with the help of the anchor-boat the chains were eased, and the anchors at last left their tenacious depths. A quarter past one sounded from the Birkenhead clock-towers, the moment of departure could not be deferred, if it was intended to make use of the tide. The captain and pilot went on the foot-bridge; one lieutenant placed himself near the screw-signal apparatus, another near that of the paddle-wheel, in case of the failure of the steam-engine; four other steersmen watched at the stern, ready to put in action the great wheels placed on the gratings of the hatchings. The Great Eastern, making head against the current, was now only waiting to descend the river with the ebb-tide.
The order for departure was given, the paddles slowly
