DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0416
378
kirby’s wonderful museum;
mined; but contrary to our expectations there was a consi-
derable depth of water, so that- we went over the reef with-
out touching, though not without shipping many heavy seas.
The land now began to have a dreadful appearance, seem-
ing at the distance we were off, to be high and rocky; but
on approaching within a mile of it we had the pleasure of
descrying a fine sandy beach and a bold shore. The sea ran
high, but not to such a degree as on the reef we had already
passed. As we advanced, the water continued to have a
depth beyond our most sanguine wishes, so as to allow us to
come within fifty or sixty yards of the beach before we struck.
Now was the time for every man’s apprehensions to be on
the rack, as we might expect that, on touching the shore,
the ship would go to pieces. At length she grounded with
a violent concussion. On the first stroke the main-mast
went out of the step, and on the second the fore-mast; but
neither of them fell over the side, the deal boards in the
hold being stowed so close together that the masts had no
room to play below; at the same time the rudder was un-
shipped with such violence as to be near killing one of the
sailors.
As soon as the ship had grounded the sea began to
beat over her in every part, each wave lifting her four or five
feet nearer to the shore. In a short space of time the stem
was beat in by the sea, and then, having no shelter in the
cabin, we were obliged to go upon deck and hang by the
shrouds, lest we should be washed overboard. In this situa-
tion we remained till the vessel was beaten so high by the
waves, that we could venture to walk upon deck. We
then perceived that the ship’s keel was broken, which we
imagined would occasion her to go to pieces; this however
did not happen for the present, which I can only attribute
to the boards in the hold being so interwoven with each
other, and frozen together by the ice, as to give a degree of
solidity to the vessel. Having cleared the boat of ice aad
kirby’s wonderful museum;
mined; but contrary to our expectations there was a consi-
derable depth of water, so that- we went over the reef with-
out touching, though not without shipping many heavy seas.
The land now began to have a dreadful appearance, seem-
ing at the distance we were off, to be high and rocky; but
on approaching within a mile of it we had the pleasure of
descrying a fine sandy beach and a bold shore. The sea ran
high, but not to such a degree as on the reef we had already
passed. As we advanced, the water continued to have a
depth beyond our most sanguine wishes, so as to allow us to
come within fifty or sixty yards of the beach before we struck.
Now was the time for every man’s apprehensions to be on
the rack, as we might expect that, on touching the shore,
the ship would go to pieces. At length she grounded with
a violent concussion. On the first stroke the main-mast
went out of the step, and on the second the fore-mast; but
neither of them fell over the side, the deal boards in the
hold being stowed so close together that the masts had no
room to play below; at the same time the rudder was un-
shipped with such violence as to be near killing one of the
sailors.
As soon as the ship had grounded the sea began to
beat over her in every part, each wave lifting her four or five
feet nearer to the shore. In a short space of time the stem
was beat in by the sea, and then, having no shelter in the
cabin, we were obliged to go upon deck and hang by the
shrouds, lest we should be washed overboard. In this situa-
tion we remained till the vessel was beaten so high by the
waves, that we could venture to walk upon deck. We
then perceived that the ship’s keel was broken, which we
imagined would occasion her to go to pieces; this however
did not happen for the present, which I can only attribute
to the boards in the hold being so interwoven with each
other, and frozen together by the ice, as to give a degree of
solidity to the vessel. Having cleared the boat of ice aad