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Article A NARRATIVE ← Page 4 of 10 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Narrative
? ind , upon repairing on deck , we had the mortification to see our three boats dashed to p ieces b y the violence of the surf , the wind having encreased during the ni ght , which occasioned it to break much farther out than was expected ; and it was not without anguish and horror that we beheld the poor fellows , who were in the boats , endeavouring to reach the shi p , while the violence of the surf seemed to preclude all
possibility of it : with the utmost exertions of those on board we could only save three out of ten ; many , in the instant of grasping a rope , were drove far out of si g ht , and met inevitable death . Thus were we deprived of the only probable means of getting on shore , whilst , at the same time , the shi p beat so heavy on the rocks , that it was doubtful with many whether she would hold together till morning .
At day-li ght on the 21 st we immediately set about making rafts of what spars and planks we had , and payed the cables overboard , to get at some that were on the orlop deck ; we also cut the beams of the poop , sheared the deck up , and got it read y for a raft . About 9 , A . M . the yawl with the utmost difficulty rowed off through an immense surf , and soon afterwards came within hailbut was desired to keep at a
, distance , as siie could not safely come along-side ; they said the beach was every where alike , a surf covering it as far as they had seen ; the boat afterwards went on shore , and we saw no more of her for several days . In the forenoon three or four rafts left the ship with near 80 people , who we saw got safe on shore . The unhappy fate of the boats rendered the situations of those that remained on board extremely
precarious ; and _ producing the strong and irresistible feeling of selfpreservation in every breast , made Captain Dundas waver from his original declaration to the men ; he , - therefore , at this critical moment , expressed his wish to accompany the ladies on shore , whose forlorn condition he mi ght have had it in his power in some degree to alleviate ; but from this intention he suffered himself to be diverted , and was persuaded to remain on board till it was too lateas will be seen
, by the sequel of this narrative . The sea-breeze this day was much strongerthan before , consequentl y the surf became much heavier . In tlie evening it encreased so violently as to part the hawser which held the ship stern-to ; about sun-set she drove broadside on , upon the rocks , the sea making a breach entirel y over her . At seven she parted at the chistreewhen every bodcrouded offon the quarter-deck and
, y , poop ; at this juncture I saw Captain Dundas , for the last time , on the poop with the ladies : Mr . Chambers , though repeatedl y urged to attempt to save his life , remained inactive , declaring that he was sensible all his efforts would be in vain , and , with a perfect resignation to his fate , requested everyone to watch over his own safety .- Amidst a scene , perhaps , as pregnant with misery , with distraction , and with horror
, as any that ever occurred in the eventful history of mariners , the ship soon after breaking up , I , accompanied with the fourth and fifth mates , left the wreck on a small raft we had constructed for the purpose , and were rapidly wafted from our ill-fated ship , beyond the reach of the piercing cries of misery , which , issuing from near two hundred people , involved in the most complicated affliction , may be
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Narrative
? ind , upon repairing on deck , we had the mortification to see our three boats dashed to p ieces b y the violence of the surf , the wind having encreased during the ni ght , which occasioned it to break much farther out than was expected ; and it was not without anguish and horror that we beheld the poor fellows , who were in the boats , endeavouring to reach the shi p , while the violence of the surf seemed to preclude all
possibility of it : with the utmost exertions of those on board we could only save three out of ten ; many , in the instant of grasping a rope , were drove far out of si g ht , and met inevitable death . Thus were we deprived of the only probable means of getting on shore , whilst , at the same time , the shi p beat so heavy on the rocks , that it was doubtful with many whether she would hold together till morning .
At day-li ght on the 21 st we immediately set about making rafts of what spars and planks we had , and payed the cables overboard , to get at some that were on the orlop deck ; we also cut the beams of the poop , sheared the deck up , and got it read y for a raft . About 9 , A . M . the yawl with the utmost difficulty rowed off through an immense surf , and soon afterwards came within hailbut was desired to keep at a
, distance , as siie could not safely come along-side ; they said the beach was every where alike , a surf covering it as far as they had seen ; the boat afterwards went on shore , and we saw no more of her for several days . In the forenoon three or four rafts left the ship with near 80 people , who we saw got safe on shore . The unhappy fate of the boats rendered the situations of those that remained on board extremely
precarious ; and _ producing the strong and irresistible feeling of selfpreservation in every breast , made Captain Dundas waver from his original declaration to the men ; he , - therefore , at this critical moment , expressed his wish to accompany the ladies on shore , whose forlorn condition he mi ght have had it in his power in some degree to alleviate ; but from this intention he suffered himself to be diverted , and was persuaded to remain on board till it was too lateas will be seen
, by the sequel of this narrative . The sea-breeze this day was much strongerthan before , consequentl y the surf became much heavier . In tlie evening it encreased so violently as to part the hawser which held the ship stern-to ; about sun-set she drove broadside on , upon the rocks , the sea making a breach entirel y over her . At seven she parted at the chistreewhen every bodcrouded offon the quarter-deck and
, y , poop ; at this juncture I saw Captain Dundas , for the last time , on the poop with the ladies : Mr . Chambers , though repeatedl y urged to attempt to save his life , remained inactive , declaring that he was sensible all his efforts would be in vain , and , with a perfect resignation to his fate , requested everyone to watch over his own safety .- Amidst a scene , perhaps , as pregnant with misery , with distraction , and with horror
, as any that ever occurred in the eventful history of mariners , the ship soon after breaking up , I , accompanied with the fourth and fifth mates , left the wreck on a small raft we had constructed for the purpose , and were rapidly wafted from our ill-fated ship , beyond the reach of the piercing cries of misery , which , issuing from near two hundred people , involved in the most complicated affliction , may be