Wonderful Preservation.
The Times, 1824-11-27T00:00:00

The following letter, ad dressed by the Captain of a ves- ! sel c4led the IYater Lily, to Icessrs. J. anld T. Dawson, his owners, contains one of thc rniastq xtraordinary instances on record of preservation from-n shipwreck. It afforls aia addlitioial illustration, if any were required, of the advan- tage to seamen of implicit obedience to their commanders, under circumstatnces however desperate in appearance:- " Wator LiltU, Downs, Nor. 24. Gentlemrn.ci-Wc left this anchorage on Friday evenint, with a fine south-east wind but the next morning it came to its old quarter, with blowing, disagreeable weather. After vainly beating about untii Alonday evening, we got a slant of wind which led us up off Dun. nose, and then backed to the S.S.WV.: wve hautled off, to wait tuntil daylight, when I intended to go to the Alother Bank but about five o'clock on Tuesday morning, one of the most Ireadlful gales came on from the samne quarter that I ever remember. The weather was thick, and no chance of getting in, it becarre a rnatter of serious necessity to press the ship in order to weather the Owers: the title was setting strongly towards them, and the ship, from the violence of thie wind was absolutely blown along the surface like a cork. On sounding, in 20 fathom, I knew therc was scarcely any chance of weathering, but xet the fore-topsail at the risk of blowvlng it to atoms * vet all was of no avail. A little after eight o'clock, we saw the breakers to lee- ward and upon the bow, presenting an axpect enough to daunt the stoutest heart; and so quickly did the wird anct tide hurry us to- wards them, that every sonl of us expected nothing but death, and that soon. The gale at the time was raging witlh the urnost vio- lence, and as we approachied the shloal, the scene was trulv dreadful. At this awful moment every man was collected,and theorders given, though they must have appeared to them quite useles, were prompt- ly executed. I knew that the shoal in this part of it was narrow. WVe could just distinguish the Light-vessel a-head, through the breakers ;-got her before the wind, and dashed right through the breakers, with the forlorn hope of bumping her through and running her on shore in the Park, to save our lives. She went through at a terrible rate, and though almost smothered, to ouir great surprise and joy she did not even strike. One of the seas unshipped our coot- pats, so that we could not get thc bearings of the Light-vessel, or I shomdldl have forced her into the Park and cut anwav both the anchors, for I knew there was very little chance of weathering Beachy H rad; but failing in this, I brouight her to the wind. wben a sufficient dis- tmnce to the eastward of the Light, and carriedl a most trenmendous press of sail, uintil we had tleepemedi our water to 30 fathoms, which (the cbb-tide checking us under the lee bow) we were enabled to do about 10 at night: the vind, too, had hauled more westerly. Upon the whole, I thinlc it one of the mrn-t miraculous and providential escapes that erer happened. I am sorry to say, that the small bower- anchor, having been got ready for anchoring, was off the gunwale, and by continual shocks became loose, the sea covered all the lee- forecastle, and it was impossible to get any one to go and secure it; the shank-painter broke, and we were obliged to unshackle 15 fathoms of the chain andl let the anchor go, as we expected every mement it would have been through the bows. As this was done for the safety of the ship, I should think the underwriters arc liable. We have blown away a fore-topmast-staysail, and some of the balwari has been stove in; with these exceptions, the ship is as perfect as when we left London. I do not intend gettinz another anchor, as we have two Ieft, but shall endleavour to get a length of dcain. You will be glad to hear that the ship behaves uncommonly isell in a heavy sea; and indeed I was surprised to find that she was able to bear as great at press of slti as I suppose any ship ever carried; for although a little presses her at first, shc seems to heel quickly to a certain bear- lRg, and there to stop. Two of my crew have been injured in the gale. I will write again by to-morrow's post I am, Gentlemen. Your iaithful servant, "OCfRlSTOPHER N. NIXON. To MXessrs. 1. and T. Dawson." WONDERF PRESERVATION.