»775- her anchors on account of the violence of the north-weft wind, was very near being driven on thq rocky ground that lies by the fide of. the fort. The day after this, or the i cth, the bay was fo much agitated by the ftorm, that no boat or iloop could go to or from the above-mentioned {hip. The next evening the wind increafed as the nig came on, and the poor feamen had reafon to fear that every minute would be their laft. The extreme darknefs of the night, contributed not a little to make the danger, and even death itfelf more terrible. I lived in the upper ftory ot a ftone houfe towards the higher part of the town, where the hurricane-fhook the windows, roof, and, I had almoft faid, the whole houfe. This my fituation, -as well as the more dangerous one of the Dutch ihip, awakened in me a lively remembrance of the Autarchic cold, and the various ftorms I had experienced; and made me more thoroughly fenfible of the comforts of a good warm bed-chamber upon terra firma, but at the fame time excited in me fo much the greater coiupaffion for the velfel in diftrefs. Contrary to all expectation however, its anchor and tackling were proof that night againft the ftorm ; and the next day’s calm, at the fame time that it put the ihip out of danger, diffufed fatisfaCtion over the countenances of every one. Another event of this kind, though it happened during my ab- fence, while I was gone on my voyage to the South Sea, deferves however to be recorded in this place, more efpe- cially as it is a farther proof of the unfafenefs o f this road in winter. Here follows the account of it, as I had it confirmed to me by feveral eye-witneftes. ^ The Ihip Jong fbamas, which happened to ftay in Table-* bay till the boifterous feafon had commenced, was driven on fhdre by a ftorm near the land on the fide of Zout Rivier, not far to the northward of the fort. Early in the morning, as foon as this happened, orders were iifued by government, that no one iliould, on pain of death, pre- ftime to approach, even from afar, this unlucky ihore; where, to give weight and authority to this refolution of theirs, they had with equal readinefs ereCled gibbets, and at the fame time pofted troops all over the neighbourhood; but neither thefe, nor any: other meafures taken by them, were in any way conducive to the faving o f the crew, being merely Calculated to prevent fuch goods and merchandize being ftolen as might chance to be thrown up in the wreck. The fliip, however, was wrecked very near the ihore; fo that the crew’s diftrefs and calls for afliftaiice, Were heard very diftindtly; but the fwell of the fea, which with the greateft violence wafhed over the ihip and broke againft the ftrand, made it impoffible for them to fave themfelves in boats, and highly dangerous to attempt it by fwimming. Some of thofe who ventured to fwim to ihore, were thrown againft the rocks and daftted to pieces; others, as foon as they had arrived at the ihore were carried back again by another wave and drowned. One of the keepers o f the company’s menagerie, who before break of day, ere the prohibition was made public, had rode out to carry his fon (a corporal in the army) his breakfaft, came by that means to be a fpe£tator of thefe poor people’s diftrefs; at the fight o f which he was touched with companion of fo noble a kind, and at the fame time ib operap 2, tive, •77;. May.
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