DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0130
108 kirby’s wonderful museum.
the mast% in order to make a raft for those who chose to venture
on it. We could now plainly perceive land not far distant, on
which we were driving, and as w’e knew it to be a huge rock, we
run up the fore and mizen stay sails, thinking by that means
to divert the course of the ship, but at the same moment
the wind chopped round from N.N.W. to west, being no
less than six points of the compass, and continued to blow
with the same fury; this kept us clear of the projecting
land, and drove us beyond it a short distance, when the ship
struck; her first strokes were apparently upon a sandy
beach, and we could plainly discern two large ships ashore
just abreast of us. We now fondly imagined that we should
be driven on board these ships, but in this we were disap-
pointed; we drove past, beating with violence at every
wave, and in a few seconds found the ship bring up on some
horrid rocks, at the foot of a stupendous precipice. Every
hope now vanished, and we began already to consider our-
selves as beings of another world; the vessel was dashed
with extreme violence on the rocks, and we could distinctly
hear the cracking of her timbers below ; in order to ease th&
vessel^ and if possible, prevent her from parting, we imme-
diately cut away the jnizen-mast, and shortly after the fore-
mast ; the main-mast we allowed to remain, in order to stea-
dy the ship, and, if possible, prevent her from canting to
windward, which would inevitably have drowned us all.
The vessel had struck about two o’clock, and in half an hour
afterwards we found that the water was up to the lower
deck. Never was day-light so anxiously wished for as by
the unfortunate crew of this ship. After having held so
long by the shrouds, we were forced to cling three hours
longer before the dawn appeared, during which time we
were under continual dread of the ship’s parting, and launch-
ing us into eternity ; the sea was making a complete breach
over her, laying on her beam ends; and, stiff and benumbed
its we were, it was with the utmost difficulty we could pre-
the mast% in order to make a raft for those who chose to venture
on it. We could now plainly perceive land not far distant, on
which we were driving, and as w’e knew it to be a huge rock, we
run up the fore and mizen stay sails, thinking by that means
to divert the course of the ship, but at the same moment
the wind chopped round from N.N.W. to west, being no
less than six points of the compass, and continued to blow
with the same fury; this kept us clear of the projecting
land, and drove us beyond it a short distance, when the ship
struck; her first strokes were apparently upon a sandy
beach, and we could plainly discern two large ships ashore
just abreast of us. We now fondly imagined that we should
be driven on board these ships, but in this we were disap-
pointed; we drove past, beating with violence at every
wave, and in a few seconds found the ship bring up on some
horrid rocks, at the foot of a stupendous precipice. Every
hope now vanished, and we began already to consider our-
selves as beings of another world; the vessel was dashed
with extreme violence on the rocks, and we could distinctly
hear the cracking of her timbers below ; in order to ease th&
vessel^ and if possible, prevent her from parting, we imme-
diately cut away the jnizen-mast, and shortly after the fore-
mast ; the main-mast we allowed to remain, in order to stea-
dy the ship, and, if possible, prevent her from canting to
windward, which would inevitably have drowned us all.
The vessel had struck about two o’clock, and in half an hour
afterwards we found that the water was up to the lower
deck. Never was day-light so anxiously wished for as by
the unfortunate crew of this ship. After having held so
long by the shrouds, we were forced to cling three hours
longer before the dawn appeared, during which time we
were under continual dread of the ship’s parting, and launch-
ing us into eternity ; the sea was making a complete breach
over her, laying on her beam ends; and, stiff and benumbed
its we were, it was with the utmost difficulty we could pre-