XXIX explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Survival and Sacrifice

  The crew and passengers face the imminent sinking of the Chancellor, sacrificing the ship for the chance to survive on the raft.

• Leadership and Authority

  Curtis demonstrates decisive leadership by being the last to leave the ship and directing the embarkation onto the raft.

Characters to notice

• Robert Curtis

  Ties a rope around his waist to attempt rescue of sailors, remains on the maintop as the last to leave the ship.

• Dowlas

  Leads the effort to bring the raft back alongside the ship after it drifts away.

• André Letourneur

  Insists Miss Herbey go first onto the raft, then is helped aboard where his father joins him.

• Miss Herbey

  Helped onto the raft first by André Letourneur.

• Silas Huntly

  Not mentioned in this chapter.

Key passages

• “The ship was sinking rapidly; the water had risen to the foretop; the poop and forecastle were completely submerged; the top of the bowsprit had disappeared, and only the three mast-tops projected from the waves.”

  The vessel was going down fast, with water covering the foretop, poop, and forecastle; the bowsprit was gone, and only the tops of the three masts remained above the surface.

  Describes the final moments of the Chancellor as it sinks.

• “Curtis tied a rope round his waist and tried to swim to their assistance; but long before he could reach them the unfortunate men, after a vain struggle for life, sank below the waves and were seen no more.”

  Curtis fastened a rope around himself and attempted to swim to the drowning sailors, but they disappeared beneath the water before he could get to them.

  Curtis's heroic but failed rescue attempt.

• “Having cast one last, lingering look around him, Curtis then left the ship; the rope was cut and we went slowly adrift.”

  After a final, sorrowful glance, Curtis abandoned the vessel; the rope was severed, and the raft began to drift away.

  Curtis is the last to leave the sinking ship.