THROUGH THE BALTIO. 68 



next minute would bring forth. We were, of course, 

 unable to save a single life of the poor people, except that 

 of an old woman whom we seized as she was sweeping 

 past us on the roof of her wooden house. 



" After the earthquake ceased, we found the ship leaking 

 so much that we landed all her guns as speedily as 

 possible, wrapped a sail round her to try and stop the 

 leak, and then in our miserably disabled state endea- 

 voured to navigate her to a harbour not far off where 

 we could refit. But our misfortunes were not ended ! 



" We had no sooner entered the open sea than a violent 

 gale arose, and at night too. All now seemed over with 

 us and our poor ship. We tried to hold her fast, or at 

 least check her way, by dropping two anchors. But 

 early in the morning we descried, about a cable's length 

 to leeward, a wild and rocky coast, up whose steep 

 precipices the sea was dashing its spray. One small 

 nook of white sand, among the rocks, was at last seen. 



" A boat was sent on shore with a rope ; its crew 

 managed to land and to fasten it. By this means we got 

 the rest of the crew on shore, at first, by tying round 

 each man a line which was conveyed to the party on 

 shore, who hauled him to land, half drowned, through the 

 surf. But we improved upon this by anchoring a boat 

 immediately outside the breakers, and thus the drag 

 through the water was shorter. Thus every man of our 

 500 got on shore in safety. 



"Next day the gale ceased, and the frigate, to our 

 nurprise, still rode a.t her anchors. . Was it possible yet 



