U"°- tune, arid that the veffel had been lifted over a ledge o f the
»Siwr;— —i rock, and lay in a hollow within it: jn ibmeplaces there was
Sunday io. three -’to four fathom; and iw rithers not fo-.mariy feet.
The fhip lay with her head tOi the N. E. ; and at the diftance; of,
about thirty yards ©a the fbarboard fidei the water deepened,
to eight, ten, and twelve fathom.. As Toon as the long-boat
was otifj We ftruck our yards andttop-mafbs,' and carried out
the tlreanl anchor on the ftarlioar<ibowgot theiccafling an-
ehor and cable* into the boar, .and were*, going rqxarry.it but
the fa-m-e Way ;■ but upon founding a fbcohd: time round the
fhip, the wafer was found to be deeped-adem: the anchor
therefore was carried out fram the ftarbeard quarter infleadt
of the flarbbard -bow, that ih, from th^ffiefn radeacEcsf-the*
head,*, and having* taken ground, Ourustntoft force was apk
plied to the capflern, hoping that if the anchor did not come
home, the fhip would be got oil', bur to o4r great misfortune
and difappointment We could not move her : during all this
time fhe continued to beat with great' violence againft. the
rock, fo that it was with the utmofl difficulty that we kept
upon our legs; and to complete the- feene of diflr.efs, We
faw by the light of the moon the breathing boards, from, the
bottom of the veflel floating away all round her, and at lad
her falfe keel, To that every moment was making way* for
the fea to rufli in which was to fwallow us u p .' We had now-
no chance but to lighten her, and we had lod the opportunity
of doing that to the greated advantage, for unhappily
*we went on Ihore jud at high water, and by this time it had
confiderably fallen, fo that after fhe fhould be lightened fo
as to draw as much lefs water as the water had funk, we
fhould be but in the fame fituation as at fird ; and the only
alleviation of this circumdance was, that as the tide ebbed
the fhip fettled to the rocks, and was not beaten againd them
■ with fo much violence. We had indeed fome hope from the
9 next
next tide, but it was doubtful whether fhe would hold toge- >77°- • • . ,, - r> : i U| June. therfo lotig, efpeciaily as the rock kept grating her bottom <---,—_
under the darboard bow with fuch force as to be! heard in the Su”day IO‘
fore dore-room. This however was no time to indulge con-
jeflure; nór wai any effort remitted in defpair of fuccefs :
that no'fimè might be lod, the water was immediately
flartéd in the hold, and pumped up; fix of ouf guns, being
all we had upon the deck, our iron and done ballaft, calks,
hoop daves, oil jars, decayed dores, and many other things
that layin’ the'way o f heavier materials, were thrown overboard
With the utmod expedition, every one exerting him-
felf with an alacrity altaod approaching to cheerfulnefs,
without the lead repining or difeontent; yët the men were
fo far imprefl with a fenfe of their fituation, that not an oath,
was heard among them, the habit of profanenefs, however
drong, beihg indantly Tubdiaed, by the dread of incurring
guilt when death feemed to be fo near.
While we were thus employed, day broke upon us, and Monday u.
we faw the land at about eight leagues' didance, without
any ifland in the-intermediate fpace, upon which, if the
fhip fhould have gone to pieces, we might have been fet
afhore by the boats,'and from which they might have taken*
us by different turns to the main: the wind however gradually
died away, and early in the forenoon it was a dead
calm; if it had blown hard, the 'fhip mud inevitably have
bèén dedrbyed. At eleven in thé förenóon we expedted high
water, and anchors Were got out, and eyèry thing made
ready for another‘efert to iieave her qff if fhe fhould float,
but to our inexpr'effible furprize and cóncérn fhe did riot
float by a foot and a half, .thoijgh we had lightened her near
fifty ton, fo much did the day-tide fall fhort of that in thé
night. We now proceeded to lighten her dill more, and
threw overboard every tiling that‘ it was poffible for us to
fpare: