那是在1866年，一个非常美丽的日子，八十二名乘客，兴高采烈，兴高采烈地离开格雷夫森德港，登上开往墨尔本的“伦敦”号汽船。不幸的是，这是它最后一次航行，因为它在狂风暴雨的大海上失事了，这使许多人的心因痛苦而悸动，因为他们再也见不到他们失去的亲人了。1月11日，他们在诺尔湾下了锚;天气很迷人——以前很少见到这样的天气，尤其是第二天早上，当他们看到迷人而美丽的怀特岛时，但是风在夜晚刮起了可怕的大风，这使乘客们的心因恐惧而颤抖，使他们中的许多人叹息和哀悼，并自言自语，我们永远不会看到墨尔本了。旅客中有古斯塔夫·v·布鲁克，他在船尾楼散步，还有牧师、银行家和地方官员，他们都在下面的船舱里愉快地聊天;还有回到故乡的富裕家庭，还有才华横溢的年轻女士们，她们最可爱，最高贵，都是那么的美丽，绽放着她们的骄傲，有的还有她们的丈夫坐在她们身边。突然间，暴风雨来了，船长和乘客们都很吃惊，因为他们刚坐下来喝茶，船就随着海浪翻滚起来，船上的水打在他们的头上，打湿了他们的衣服和床;引起了一场可怕的恐慌，在女士们中间造成了巨大的苦难，使她们呼喊，主啊，救救我们，免得我们被淹死，几分钟的沉默是深沉的。接着，乘客们开始跑来跑去，拿着水桶把下面甲板之间的水舀出来，古斯塔夫斯·布鲁克穿着加里波第的夹克和抽屉，毫无畏惧地从床上跳了起来，冲向水泵，使出浑身的力气;但是唉!他们一切的挣扎都是枉然，因为水又把他们淹没了; But he enacted a tragic part until the last, And sank exhausted when all succour was past; While the big billows did lash her o'er, And the Storm-fiend did laugh and roar. Oh, Heaven! it must have really been A most harrowing and pitiful scene To hear mothers and their children loudly screaming, And to see the tears adown their pale faces streaming, And to see a clergyman engaged in prayer, Imploring God their lives to spare, Whilst the cries of the women and children did rend the air. Then the captain cried, Lower down the small boats, And see if either of them sinks or floats; Then the small boats were launched on the stormy wave, And each one tried hard his life to save From a merciless watery grave. A beautiful young lady did madly cry and rave, "Five hundred sovereigns, my life to save!" But she was by the sailors plainly told For to keep her filthy gold, Because they were afraid to overload the boat, Therefore she might either sink or float, Then she cast her eyes to Heaven, and cried, Lord, save me, Then went down with the ship to the bottom of the sea, Along with Gustavus Brooke, who was wont to fill our hearts with glee While performing Shakespearian tragedy. And out of eighty-two passengers only twenty were saved, And that twenty survivors most heroically behaved. For three stormy days and stormy nights they were tossed to and fro On the raging billows, with their hearts full of woe, Alas! poor souls, not knowing where to go, Until at last they all agreed to steer for the south, And they chanced to meet an Italian barque bound for Falmouth, And they were all rescued from a watery grave, And they thanked God and Captain Cavassa, who did their lives save.