A V O Y A G E 3^4 O F D I S C O V F , R Y
a*79*^ fpare topmafts, and lightening her as much as poflible, by flatting the
>. —,--- 1 water, throwing overboard our fuel and part of the ballaft we had taken
on board in the fpring. Soon after the Ihip was aground, the tide took
her on the ftarboard quarter; and as Ihe was afloat abaft it caufed her
to take a Tudden fwing, and made her heel fo very confiderably on
the ftarboard fide, which was from the rocks, that her fituation, for a
iew:feconds,- was alarming in the higheft degree. The fhoars were got
over with all poflible difpatch, but notwithftanding this, by the time it
.was low water, the ftarboard main chains were within three inches o f
the furface o f the lea. Happily, at this time, there was not theFmalleft
-fwell ;or agitation, although we were in the immediate vicinity, o f the
ocean. This mull ever be regarded as a very providential circum-
. fiance, and was highly favorable to our very irkfome and: unpleafant
fituation,. which under the perfuafion of the tide falling as low as had
been lately obferved ini our feveral boat expeditions, nothing fhort of
immediate and inevitable dellruflion prefented itfelf, until towards the
latter part o f the ebb tide, when more than one half of the {hip was
fupported by fuch a fufficient body of water, as, in a great meafure, to
relieve us from the painful anxiety that fo diftrefling a circumftance ne-
eelfarily occafioned. When the tide was at the loweft, about nine at
night, the fhip’s fore foot was only in about 3A feet water, whilfthet
ftern was in .4 fathoms.
In this melancholy fituation, we remained, expecting relief from the
returning flood, which to our inexpreflible jo y was-.at length announced
by the floating o f the fhoars, a happy indication of the Ihip righting.
Our exertions to lighten her were, however, unabated,, until about two
•Tue!Hay •j. in the morning y. when the Ihip becoming nearly upright, we hove on
the ftern cable; and, without any particular efforts, or much ftrain,
had the undefcribable fatisfaftion of feeling her again afloat, without having
received the leaft apparent injury. We brought up in 35 fathoms
water, about a quarter o f a mile from' the bed of rocks from whence
we had- fo providentially efcaped. After about three hours reft, aH
hands were employed in the re-equipment of the fhip. The main top*.
- gallant fop-rope unluckily hroke, and by this accident, John Turner, a
feaman: