The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-08-08 00:00:00

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deatonred Alas her '4latiarri by ream king,
that we might possibly (rape the fatal influence
of the poison, as some constitutions were. not so
easily affected by it as others. "Is there then a
tittle hope ?" she 'estelitioned. "Oh ! God, pent
it niuy be so ! Haw dreadful to die in the midst of
the ocean, far from friends and home, and then
to be thrown into the deep.—" There is one
thing," said the Captain. faintly, " I we. going
to tell you, that—but this sensation—l mean
• remedy."--" Speak on," cried the Major, its
breathless suspense. "It may have a chance of
saving you," continued the former ; " you must
immediately"—He gave u deep sigh, sod dropped
his head upon his shoulder, apparently unable to
utter a word more. " Oh, this is the w•witt of all !"
cried Mrs. L--- in "gritty; "hr was on the point
of telling us how to counteract the effects of the
poison—. Was it heavenly mercy that deprived him
of the power of speech ? Can it be called mere r'
" Flush, bush ! you raveb" returned her husband.
•I We here only to be resigned aora—Let us at
least die together."
The crew bad dined about en hour and a half
before us, and consequently felt the effects of toe
poison much curlier that we did. Every our, hoer.
ever, now began to exhibit alarming symptom'.
Mr. became delirious; the Major lay upon
the cabin floor in a state of torpidity; and the
Captain had drowned all sense and recollection by
drinking a large quantity of brssitly. Mrs. L--
watched her husband and her sister alternately; is
a state of quiet despair.
I was comp instively but little affected, and
therefore employed myself in assisting others until
they seemed to be past all relief, and then sat down,
anticipatitig the horrid comequences which would
result from the death of the whole ship's company.
While lilU9 occupied. I heard the steersmen call
ont, " Taken ell aback here." A voice, which I
knew to be the mate's, immediately answered,
" Well, and what's that to its ? Put her before
the wind, and let her go where she pleases." I
soon perceived, by the rushing of the writer, that
there was a great iocresse in the velocity of the
ship's progress, and went upon deck to ascertain
the cause.

I found the mere stretched upon the top of the
companion, and addressed him, but he made no
reply. The man at tile helm wile tying a rope
round the tiller, am, told me he had become ►o
bliud and dizzy, that he could neither steer, nor
see the compass, and would therefore tie the rudder
in such a mariner as would keep the ship's broil as
near the wind as Possible. On going forward to
the bows, tfouird the crew lying inotionleu in every
direction. They were insensible of the dangerous
situation in which our vessel was, or totally indif-
ferent to it ; and all uty representations on this
herd failed to draw 'forth an intelligible remark
from any of then). Our ship carried a greet deal
of canvass, the lower studding sails being up, for
we had enjoyed a gentle breeze directly e-stern, be.
fore the wind headed us in the way already men-
tioned.
About an hour after sunset almost every person
On board seemed to have become worse. I alone
►etained my senses unimpaired. The wind now
blew very fresh, and we went through the water at
the rate of ten miles an hoar. The night looked
dreary and turbulent. The sky was covered with
large fleeces sit broken clouds, ■nd the soars noshed
angrily through them, as they were wildly hurried
slung by the blast. The sea began to run high,
and the masts sliewed, by their inc,issain creaking,
that they carried snore sail than they could well
sustain.

1 stood alone veer the stern of the ship. Nothing
Could helicon' above or below deck, but the dashing
of the surges, and the soon gs of the wind. All
the people on boar,' were to me the slime as dead ;
and I was tossed about, ite the vast expanse of
waters, without a conipanitan or fellow-sufferer.
1 Lime nut what might be lily rate, or "there 1
shouid be carried. The ves.el, as it careered along
the raging• derp, uncontrolled by Iminin hoods,
seemed under the guidancgOstrelentleas demon,
to whose caprice its ill-fate swim bad been mys-
teriously conaigned by sonic superior power.
1 was filled with dread lest se alitruld strike upon
rocks, or run ashore and often imagined that the
clonolo which bestirred the horizon were the black
cliffs of some desolate coast. At last, I distinctly.
SAW u light at some distance-1s anticipated instant
dm:tub:loon—l grew irresolute whether to remain
upon deck, and face death, or wait for it below. I
soon discovered a ship a little way a-head-1 instinc-
tively rim to the lobo, and loosed the rope that tied
the tiller, which at once bounded hick and knocked
me mer. A horrible crashing mid loud cries now
broke upon my ear, and I saw that we bad got en-
tangled with another vowel. But the velocity with
which we swept along rendered our extrication in.
slantimeows; and, on looking back, 1 saw a ship,
without • bowsprit, potchiog iriegolarly among the
waves, and heard the rattling of cordage, and a
tumult of voices. But, after a little time, soothing
was distinguishable by the rte or by the ear. My
situation appeared doubly horrible when 1 retlrcted
that I had just bred within call of human ctestures,
who might have saved and assisted all on board,
had not sit evil destiny hurtled us along. sod made
its the means of injoirolg thuse who alone were ca-
pable or •ffordi:ig us ridged*.
• About midnight, our fore-top-must gave wsy,
and fell upon deck with a tremendous noise...-
The ship immediately swung round, and began to
labour in a terrible manner, while several waves
broke over her sticeestively. 1 hod just resolved to
descend the gang-way for shelter, when a white
figure rushed past me with a wild sksiek, and
sprung overboard. I saw it struggling among the
hollows, and tossing about its aims distractedly,
but had on means of uffordisig it any as.istance, I
witched it for some time, mud observed its consul.
sire motions gradually glow more feeble; but its
form soon became undiatioigutahuble amidst the
foam of the heisting eaves. The darkness pre.
vented me from discovering aim had thus com-
mitted himself to the deep, in • monieut of
madness, mid 1 felt a atrong repugnaoce at at-
tempoilig to ascertain it, and tattier wished that it
might have been Nome spectre, or the ,offspring of
my perturbed imaginatson, than a lountair.being.
Ac the seircentissued to break ever the vessel, I
smut down to the cabin, after louring closely shut ,
the gang-way doors mud comparaieu. Total dark.
nem prevailed below. I addressed the Captain and
all my fellow-pasaeogers by name, bat received no