The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-09 00:00:00

to be done. Few had escaped without severe cuts and
bruises, and some poor fyllows were dreadfully mangled.
The morning was bitter cold, and few had any clothing;
so the first act of all who could crawl about. among the
wreck, stones, and water, was to search fur any sort of
clothes-to protect them from the cold. Some might be
seen scrambling over a ship's beam, across a few cabin
doors, broken chairs, &c., disappearing into a hole of
water for a few seconds, scrambling on again over a few
ragged stones, cutting the feet, up to the waist in water,
and, on coming alongside, some poor fellow's well-packed
trunk was seized, broken open, and the clothes turned
over in search of flannels, trousers, and coals. These
were in great demand, but few were to be found. For
want of a ccat, a few wet shirts wrapped round the
shoulders helped to keep some a arm. After the strag-
glers had been gathered together on the shoalest spot.
about 250 yards inside the breakers, and perhaps 600
yards from the place where the ship had struck, the
pieces of the wreck being about midway, information was
gathered of the state of the boats, which were seen here
and there among the wreck. Ono lifeboat was

reported to be— unfit for use, having some
eight feet of the side torn away, besides being
rent from stein to stern, so that she opened with every
sea that struck her. The cutter was reported also use-
less, being crushed to pieces, and the only other boat to
be seen was the mail-boat, which was reported of no use,
having her entire stem torn out, an the lining boards
gone, and stove in the stern, bottom, and sides. Our
position seemed hopeless. Had but one boat been saved
out of the seven boats which were on board, she might
have lived to reach the coast of CamprachY,
and picked
up some vessel and brought her to our relief, if we could
have held together in our present condition. By 10 A.M.
the tide was observed to be flowing. We had never
thought of that; and now came the question from every
mouth, " How tar is it likely to flow?" but no one could
tell! It might cover the spot where we then were so
deeply that we must all perish! Some few at last put
their heads together, and said that our only hope of
salvation was in getting one of the boats patched up
any how, to make the attempt to resell the main coast;
that now we were only idling
and losing time,—time,
if well used, might be the means of saving
us all yet. The mail-boat was fixed on as the only
boat worth attempting to make swim. She was hauled
out from the wreck and pushed to the place where
we stood, which had then some twelve iuches of
water on it. The carpenter, poor man, was seen in
the morning to leap off the remaining portion of the
wreck, and try to swim on shore. He almost gained
the reef, but was drowned; so his loss was greatly felt
at this time. We had no hammer, nails, &c., and
scarcely knew how to commence to repair the boat. The
chief engineer, chief, second, and third officers, boat-
swain, and half a dozen men were appointed to take her
in hand; a copper bolt was torn out of a timber to serve
as a hammer; every one was desired to look among the
broken wreck and gather together all the nails to be
had; some picked up oars, others odd sails, &c., and the
patching of the boat commenced. About this time some
one happened to pick up one of the ship's compasses.
Wonderful to relate, it was uninjured, although it had
been torn out of the binnacle, washed on to the reef,
and was found lying among the mass of wreck and
stones with not even the glass broken! We hailed it
as sent by Heaven to assist in our deliverance. A
rough sort of bulkhead was made in the boat, about
three feet from the bow, the space before it being
stuffed full of anything which could be laid hold
of, such as old blankets, pillow-cases, shirts, &c.
A piece of sail was then covered over the broken
bows and the fore part of the boat, extending under the
bottom some five or six feet, and there nailed on, and
fastened as well as possible. The other defects in the
frail boat were tinkered up as much as possible, so that
by 4 P.M. she was thought fit to swim. Her mast and
sail were found, and put on board, with half. a-dozen oars,
a few bottles of wine, a ham, a bit of cheese, and a little
oatmeal and flour ; after which the chief officer was ap-
pointed to take charge of her, wish six men ; the Admi-
ralty agent, Mr. Davies, and Mr. Dimond, the American
Consul, bound for Vera Cruz, being allowed also to go
in her, the first on account of his age and injuries, the
latter to act as interpreter on the coast. Before setting
off we all shook them by the hand, wishing them God
speed from the bottom of our hearts. They shoved
off, and we gave them three cheers, which they
returned ; but both sides cheered with sorrowful
hearts.

She set off at five P.M., with orders to steer

south, but to be careful how she passed the night
crossing the reef, and getting through the surf when
they came to the edge. As she moved away from
us many felt a sinking at the heart ; her chance of
being kept afloat over 100 miles was very doubtful, and
on her depended all our hopes ! By this time, as we
were all so much taken up in starting the boat, it was
scarcer• noticed that the tide had risen at least 18
inches, so that we were surrounded by deepening water,
and the wreck began to float from the edge of the reef
where it had first grounded, and floated in hundreds of
pieces towards us, the wind still being from the north,
which sent the drift in our direction. It was now time
to set about constructing some sort of fabric on which

to take shelter. As the-pieces drifted near, we secured
them, and placed them one above another, anyhow,
without any sort of order, or distinct idea at first what
we could or should do. At last so many were piled up
that we got up on the top, above the water, and began
to arrange it in something like order. It was squared
as much as possible, and the flat boards laid along the
top. The size might be tun feet square. There were
no lashings to any part of it, as we had no rope.
The few bottles of wine and odd provisions, &c.,
which me had gathered during the day, were
placed on the top, by which time it began to
come on dark, but still the tide was flowing, and

continued to flow till near midnight. This was a most
anxious time to all—our first night, not knowing to what
the tide might flow, and our only footing on a " loose
bundle of sticks," it might almost be said. Few slept
much that night. The tide rose to the very level of our
raft, so that sometimes the waters dashed over the side
near the reef, the breakers seeming to approach nearer
and nearer as it became darker, and the tide increased.
How often we sounded round our frail raft to watch the
tide ! It was very cold, too, and few had much clothing
on. and that little saturated with water. There was not
still, the teeth chattering together, and
rcom to lie down, but all huddled together in a sitting
posture as close as possible to keep each other warm ;
sleep was out of the uestion, but
with extreme cold, might be heard and felt everywhere.
limbs trembling
Some tried to talk in a cheering tone when they felt
tempt, and of no use ;the heart was too sad, and the
But all this time " the wreck "
thoughts too gloomy; so each relapsed into silence,
busy with his own sad reflections, and longing for the
morning light. it was a faint at
the writer here, although far from forgotten by
those on the reef then. During the day a few
be seen to jump off at a time to
managed to reach the reef in safety, but far the greater
number were killed by the floating' timber in the
has been forgotten
surf, as they tried to reach us. nalf-a-dozen might
make the attempt,
but seldom more than one lived through the surf.
Swimming was of no avail; those known to be expert at
it were seen to go down, while, at the same time, some
who could not swim one stroke came on to the reef safe,
washed and blown on to it, as it were, helpless. Those
who came safe said that, although the side of the ship,
from the figurehead to the ort-sponson, might be seen
by us at daylight still hanging together, yet, in reality,
that was all that was left; there
was nothing behind h—
decks, beams, all were gone! They saw now and then
the tops of the engines and boilers, which, of course,
would not move. In an hour or so after daylight the
side of the ship, from the bows as far aft as the fore part
of the sponson, was seen to move backwards and for-
wards with every wave, until gradually it all broke away,
leaving only the sponson and wheel, surmounted still by
the life-boat; but the latter was observed soon to be
washed away, falling to windward, and dashed to atoms
in a few minutes; so now all that remained to be seen
above water were the sponson and the top of the wheel;
the whole only a few feet above water now and then, but
oftener buried in the sea, as it broke over it every
minute. To this small portion still clung some dozen
people. It should have before been observed, that be-
fore the little boat left us to-day we all gathered toge-
ther, and offered up our thanks to Almighty God for our
wonderful preservation. One of the passengers had
saved a Prayer-book, and kindly read prayers. To-day
each had a little wine and a little oatmeal.
SATURDAY, FEB. 13.—8 y 6 A.M. all were up and astir.
As each were cold and benumbed, a small drop of
brandy was dealt round in the neck broken off a bottle,
with a cork in it. Then, all who were able to work were
divided into parties, each in charge of an officer of the
ship ; some to secure provisions, others clothes, and
spars for our raft, &c. It was another mercy to find so
many offieers of the ship saved, as they were able to
take charge of the men, keep them in order, and make
them useful; for, without some order and system, nothing
would have been done. At 10 I.M. all were gathered
together on the raft, and we offered up our thanks to
God for our preservation through the night. By 4 P.M.
All the spars which could be collected together were
clung added to our raft, and lashed together, as well as we
could manage, with odd ropes picked up; and the raft was
now nearly double the size, and much heavier, still
wreck
anything but secure. We served out to each half a
" tottle" of brandy, and a small ball of flour mixed
up with a little salt water, wine, and a little treacle.
The five poor fellows who still tothe
were observed about to leave it—they had tied to-
gether two spars, which they had broken off, and
at last
of the five, three were saved. .. 0 now numbered 69
souls on the raft, and, 10 having gone off in the little
boat, made 79 saved out of 151 souls supposed to have
anxiously committed
we
all watched,
atehed, themselvesre ready
va to assist them I Out
to thesurf. How
been on board. We had by.
this time gathered together
on the raft three barrels of flour, one small barrel of
oatmeal, one small cask of brandy, one barrel of vinegar,
one case of claret, about three cases of other wines,
three hams, two small cheeses, one small basket of pre-
served apples, e piece of bacon, two live pigs, one live
sheep, one dead sheep, one dog alive, one tin of stuff like
treacle, one small barrel of_ butter, and one box of
candles. We had also picked up some few clothes ; so,
when each bad rigged himself out as he Lest could, a
have been
strange lot we must h • But there was no
grumbling, no complaints ; each man was for him A
self in the way of garments. _ bag containing the ship's
signals was found, and one flag Was fastened to a spar,
which we hoisted as a signal to any ship. At six PM.
we all lay down to rest, depth of
water round our
raft two feet ; at ten r.at. it was 3i feet ; then it began
to ebb. The tide flowed from noun till ten P.M., and
ebbed from midnight till ten A.M. This night we had
room each to lie down on the raft. It was still very
cold ; and, as the raft was still insecure, it was also an
anxious night for us.
Wi h
SUNDAY, FEB. 14. I the first daylight all were
moving, glad to stretch our cold and stiffened limbs.
To those who were going
to work we served out each
half a tottle of brandy. Some set off to collect pieces
of the wreck and spars, others provisions, clothes, &c. ;
some to gather stones to fortify the raft; others, with