e g g / m
A N A C C O U N T O F
Captain Wilson was obliged to compel him to go into
the jolly-boat, fo anxious was he to provide and take with
him whatever he thought might contribute to their future
relief.
Thus with aching hearts, and deep melancholy, they
quitted the A ntelope, totally ignorant of their future def-
tiny. The pinnace, with fome of the ftouteft of the fhip’s
crew, took the raft in tow; the jolly-boat alfo affifted, by
towing the pinnace till they had cleared'.the reef ; after
which, being too heavily laden to be of much further aid,
thofe -in the pinnace caft loofe their rope, and the jolly-boat
proceeded alone to the fliore, where they arrived abouneight
o’clockTat night^and found their companions who'E-ad .been
deft in the mornin^Thefe few men had noFtfeen idle, or >uft-
mindful of their foliow-fuffbrers; having employed'them-
felves in clearing aWay a fpot of ground, amt eredihgrd
fmall teat with a fail, in readinefs for their reception;.-: The
lituation both o f -thofe on the raft, as well as thofeimfthe
pinnace, was truly dreadful till they had cleared the reef
{which was more than half an hour); by the great iurf and
fpray of the fea, the pinnace and raft were pften out of
fight of each other; thofe on the latter-were obliged' to
tie themfelves, and cling to it with all their ftrength,. to
prevent being walked off; and the flirieks of the Cbinefef
iefs inured to the perils of ah element they were then
conflicting with, did not a little aggravate the horror of
thefeene.
Having
T H E P E b EW P H Ü § ft! m
'Having cleared the;,‘ree/, \ and*êgot hffp thwjch,annel which,
flows between that^nd the iilands^the^fcrnnd themfeWe^.
in deep water, and a lefs dirtiXhéd,,- they hoifted the
fafl^qX %e> pinnace?, .andf|o||tO^ but,\a^[thd^^p®rc>ached
the land, p©fceiving^ftröng-quyrent,, which, fe.t them;'much
to leeward qf the|,ifland whéètw^Pf ^h^d. -left- the flexes and
people in -the .morning, tfley^ropped ro%ed.
They found th§-current foil much
nearer -tlje fliore,-. and. frhf^hée'^-e|qyrman ^pxerted his utm©H|
lirength, tljey Hill ^d|itinubj^to drop. Jbeyyard. ^eelin-g|
now their inability tp'pefifothe .current,- and'%pihrength:öf
the rowers being aimoft-'kkbaufted, dt^af-i-judged for hpe.
that the- pdnn^^-fopuld*t^l^e-th^peopleCfrom
off; the -..f^tj^and .bring •the.haft^tq^^rapne^^ffuTffigjjth©-
night. ,Thefe,.additional men ffom thet r&fb*do-ubtejbanked
thenoarspof- the :pinnafce, and' relieved“ thp; - powers,
the- fame time-they fo crowded, berj that (he epuld barely
keep - above water, being then clpfe under arrocky- coaffj*
in- abopt \ figteen-fethom-, water ^as- they after'wia^i,snbetter*
knew)v> "They fwefe- only* able' to, advance, flowly ; but as’
they -drew,nearer t'ó;- the- lfland whither, thé 'otbfesVtverëi-
gone before, the? jolly-boat having unladen her.dargo, Captain
W ilson with four people, Was returning .in her, to
lighten the raft and pinnace,; and give them full affiftance,
and. it being dark; hailed the pirinace at a diftance. Whether
it was from the great fatigue the people had fuftained while
d on
i7&3-
A U G D.ST