Year: 1875

! sONNe -
on fire, and at that instant, by roll of
the ship, L perceived the flames coming
up the hatchway above the long boat s
bow. At the same time, it became
necessary to put off the boat, as the peo-
pie were crowding into her, and there
were then in her twenty-tw men and
boys.


GAS we passed under the ships quar-
who was his brother, entreating him to
jump into the water and swim to the
boat /; but he declined, saying it was
| impossible the boat could swim many
minutes, she having her gunwale nearly
with the water, ard the wind blowing
very fresh.


fWe left sixteen men and boys in the
ship, who all perished. They attempt
ed to getout the longboat, and had in part
succeeded but before they could get her
over the aide, we saw her bow fall on
the deck probably they could not stand
near her for the flames, or the tackle
was burned and gave way. In some
what less than half an hour after we
quilted her, the ship was all on fire as
| far as the bulk-head of the steerage,
most of the unhappy men being on
the quarter deck. Shortly after, the
whole of this part burst up at once in a
fame. The guns went off from time to
time, as the metal grew hot ; but her
upper works were wholly destroyed, and
nearly three hours elapsed before the
gundpowder took fire. The explosion
rent her to pieces, and we saw no more
of her. Could we have staid by the
ship, we proably might have saved some
provisions after she blew up, but we
were obliged from the first to put the
boat right before the sea, with two oars,
| to prevent her filling.


GAS soon as our attention was disengag-
| ed from tbs ship and our comrades
on board, we began to reflect ON the
horrors of our own situatin. [ came
into the boat in my shirt and drawerc,
having thrown the rest of my clothes
upon the fire. We had not time to take
with us morsel of victuals or drop of
drink ; we had neither mast, sail, nor
compass, and were at least 12O leagues
from the land. 1t blew and rained hard
the first two days and nights, and the
sea ran SO high that we were obliged to
sit close together abaft, on the gunwale,
| to keep out the waves. At this time we
might have saved considerable quanti-
ty of rain-water but the apprehension of
immediate destrcution obliterated every
thought of providing for future wants,
and, besides, we had no vessels in which
water might have been kept.


son Wednesday it was fine weather,
and then, as Providence had so wonder
fully preserved us hitherto, we began
to entertain some hope of deliverace,
and contrived to make sail by sewing
together three frocks and shirt needle
and some twine, which fortunately were
in the pocket of one of the black boys
The broken blade of an oar, found in the
boat, formed a tolerable yard. One of
the oars served for mast. The halyards
were formed of our garters, which were
converted likewise into tack and a
sheet. We then ripped up the bottom
boards, under which we found several
nails. A caulking-maliet was likewise
discovered, and we were enabled to nail
the boards to the gunwale, where the
boat was straight, by way of wash-streak !;
and where she rounded abaft we nailed
sips of the mems frock, all which
answered bravely.


"Thus equipped, we hoisted our sail
and steered as we'll as we could to the
northward, knowing Newfoundland to
be in that quarter /; for on the day the
ship was burnt, I had worked my days
work and pricked off my reckoning on
the draught, and took particular notice
of our bearing and distance from New
foundland. We judged of our course a
few days by the sun, the stars, and the
captains watch, which went pretty well );
but afterwerd it proved foggy, and we
could not judge which way we went.
On the fifth day it blew storm, and
about noon, when the gale was at it's
height, and our little boat in the utmost
jeopardy, it was proposed to throw
| overheard the two black boys who set
the ship on fire, in order to Tighten the
boat, which opposed strongly ; but, at
| the same time, thought it expedient to
cast lotsand give all an equal chance, whi-
ch the captain would not consent to. How
ever, we continued to talk these measures
till the evening, when John Horn, who
had been delirious with terror from the
time we entered the boat, and one of the
negro boys, both died, and then, the
boat being ightened, and the wind
abating, we had no further occasion to
consider the subject.


''The next day, iii the afternoon, three
more died raving, and called out inces-
sanity for water, as was the case with
all who died afterward and it was no
small fatigue to us to restrain the poor
wretches from jumping overheard, to
cool and refresh themselves in the sea.
Our thirst now became intolerable.
Everyone but the captain, surgeon, and
myself, drank sea water, which, by a
false taste, they thought to be quite fresh.
We washed our mouths with it, but
swallowed none.


! ssThe sail was frennentlv lowered and