Orders Were Given To Cut Away The Masts.
In The Hurry And Confusion, The Boats Also Were Unfortunately Cut
Adrift.
The wreck then righted, but was a mere hulk, full of
water, with a heavy sea washing over it, and all the hatches off.
On mustering the crew, one man was missing, who was discovered
below in the forecastle, drowned.
In cutting away the masts, it had been utterly impossible to
observe the necessary precaution of commencing with the lee
rigging, that being, from the position of the ship, completely
under water. The masts and spars, therefore, being linked to the
wreck by the shrouds and the rigging, remained alongside for four
days. During all this time the ship lay rolling in the trough of
the sea, the heavy surges breaking over her, and the spars
heaving and banging to and fro, bruising the half-drowned sailors
that clung to the bowsprit and the stumps of the masts. The
sufferings of these poor fellows were intolerable. They stood to
their waists in water, in imminent peril of being washed off by
every surge. In this position they dared not sleep, lest they
should let go their hold and be swept away. The only dry place on
the wreck was the bowsprit. Here they took turns to be tied on,
for half an hour at a time, and in this way gained short snatches
of sleep.
On the 14th, the first mate died at his post, and was swept off
by the surges.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 561 of 615
Words from 150767 to 151018
of 165649
