Votive Paintings by Seamen of Camogli | NEMESI | shallop | Author Unknown 1901

"Hurricane suffered by the pole brig Nemesi, in the environs of the Islands of Capo Verde; in the 14th and 15th days of September 1901.

Two other days in terrible anguish passed, inasmuch as the Ship was sinking, with frightened crew, without any aid, Capt. Fortunato Razeto, armed with faith, taken a cross carried by himself and with unflinching voice said to the crew: "Kissed this Cross, and worked with courage; if you have faith you come with me because God will help us.

With me nor a single sailor is never perished, and you will not perish. I swear to you that even if we will not meet some ship, I will lead you to Barbados!".

The 18th Sept.ber in Lat.de 20° 25' N., Long.de 32° 05' W., embarked the pictures carrying the images of the Virgin of the Boschetto and of the protectors Saint Prospero and Saint Fortunato, coming bravely down in a fragile sloop already wrecked to set out on an adventurous navigation through the ocean, without suffering during 23 days covering a distance of 1550 miles, guided by the God's hand.

Nobody lacked every evening to recite the Saint Rosary.

The day 10th October in Lat.de 13° 33' N., Long.de 57° 58' W., we were collected by the English steamboat Anglo Chillan, at the distance of 87 miles by Barbados.

On board of the rescuer steamboat we had compassionate reception by capt.n James Connell and his young spouse Agnes Connell, both from Liverpool.

To both good persons a merciful prayer will be dedicate".

In the volume of Castrogiovanni Quelli della Vela (Those of the sail) (Genoa 1979, pp. 44-45) wide passages are quoted from the report handwritten by commander Razeto, thanks to which we can participate with immediacy and emotion to the tragic moments lived by the crew of the "Nemesi", that, following the words of its commander, "was one of the best shipsails of Liguria, still in young age, able to cope with the sea, and runner, and also a beautiful model, accustomed to make the travels of the Capes".

After the departure of the ship from Cadiz on 9th August 1901 in few days she arrived to the Southern seas of the Islands Capo Verde where they met the gale and "it was evident that we was constraint to drag in the center of the cyclone without being able to reroute because of the wind blew hurricane. Arrived towards noon in the center of the cyclone, it carried us all the sails out, then the wind calmed and the sea bubbled around us like a hot boiler".

Captain Razeto describes with accuracy the dramatic choiches that induced him to the abandon of the ship and in the report, like in the description of the event in the offer, the faith demanded to the crew is emphasized and the worry to carry on the shipwrecked sloop "the images of the Virgin of the Boschetto and the protectors of Camogli Saint Prospero and Saint Fortunato".

It wasn't an idolatrous gesture of worship, but an example of the faith and the true religiosity of the crew, -- an episode recorded by Captain Razeto is symptomatic concerning the life on the sloop: "And the boatswain told me with arrogance: today it's a festivity day and you are working? Then I risoluted answered: I work for the need and you as head of the crew, if today there is a festivity day, take the book of prayers and recite the Rosary! So did it and all answered".

"When finally the misfortune ended and the crew found in a passage on the City of Genoa to Tenerife the occasion in order to re-enter in our own city, the pictures of the protectors and of the Virgin of the Boschetto were always transported with us and, as we arrived in our native land we shared them: I held my saint, Fortunato, the shipowner held the Virgin and the cook the image of Saint Prospero".

The shipwreck of the "Nemesi" can therefore be a symptomatic example of the connection between faith and courage that characterized the camogliese seamen and the personality of their captains.