|770. ROUND THE WORLD. 129 



board side, the water deepened to eight, ten, and 

 twelve fathom. As soon as the long boat was out, 

 w r e struck our yards and topmasts, and carried out 

 the stream anchor on the starboard bow, got the 

 coasting anchor and cable into the boat, and were 

 going to carry it out the same way ; but upon sound- 

 ing a second time round the ship, the water was 

 found to be deepest astern : the anchor therefore 

 was carried out from, the starboard quarter instead 

 of the starboard bow, that is, from the stern instead 

 of the head, and having taken ground, our utmost 

 force was applied to the capstern, hoping that if the 

 anchor did not come home, the ship would be got 

 off) but to our great misfortune and disappointment 

 we could not move her : du rinse all this time she 

 continued to beat with great violence against the 

 rock, so that it was with the utmost difficulty that 

 we kept upon our legs ; and to complete the scene of 

 distress, we saw by the light of the moon the sheath- 

 ing boards from the bottom of the vessel floating 

 away all round her, and at last her false keel, so 

 that every moment was making way for the sea to 

 rush in which was to swallow us up. We had now 

 no chance but to lighten her, and we had lost the 

 opportunity of doing that to the greatest advantage, 

 for unhappily we went on shore just at high water, 

 and by this time it haoj considerably fallen, so that 

 after she should be lightened so as to draw as much 

 less water as the water had sunk, we should be but 

 in the same situation as at first ; and the only allevi- 

 ation of this circumstance was, that as the tide ebbed 

 the ship settled to the rocks, and was not beaten 

 against them with so much violence. We had in- 

 deed some hope from the next tide, but it was 

 doubtful whether she would hold together so long, 

 especially as the rock kept grating her bottom under 

 the starboard bow with such force as to be heard in 

 the fore store-room. This however was no time to 

 indulge conjecture, nor was any effort remitted iu 



VOL. II. k 



