144 ¥rRECKS ON THE PDRBECK COAST. 



helm's, or in the vulgar, St. Alban's Head: again the current 

 at the spring ebb catching her, she was sent back, against the 

 gale, and finally was driven ashore by the cross action of wind 

 and tide, under the tower at Kimmeridge. 



Again, on the sad occasion of the loss of the Amazon, not 

 only was one of her life boats, on the eighth day after the fire, 

 drifted to the shore between Freshwater and High-ledge, but 

 many pieces of burnt wood, and a large quantity of her cabin 

 candles, all reached the same place. 



From information kindly given me by my friend Lieut. Smith, 

 R. N., the Chief Officer of the Coast Guard at Kimmeridge, I 

 find that ten vessels from the year 1836, have become total 

 wrecks along the southern coast. 



On only two occasions out of these ten was there a sacrifice of 

 life : those were on the loss of the " Samuel " Schooner, on No- 

 vember 14, 1836, off St. Aldhelm's Head, when three men were 

 drowned; and on that of the "Edouard," which struck at 

 eleven, p. m., of November 29, 1842, on High Ledge. A 

 violent gale was blowing, and the darkness combined with the 

 tempest made attempts to get out to her impossible. With the 

 early dawn it was hoped the attempts might be more successful, 

 but as morning began to break she went to pieces, and, though 

 a boat came on shore not stove in, no living thing except one 

 Newfoundland dog ever reached the shore: ten men, one woman, 

 and a child perished in the vessel. 



But though life was on the remaining occasions preserved, it 

 was not without, in many instances, much risk on the part of 

 those who were the means of preserving it. In a very heavy gale 

 on November 28, 1838, a French Chasse Maree, the "Joseph 

 Desire," taking the Clavell tower for a beacon, ran on shore in 

 Kimmeridge Bay. Her crew of eight men and one boy, were 

 saved by the Coast Guard; and evidence of the gallantry shewn 

 may be seen in the gold medal awarded by the French govern- 

 ment to the officer, Lieut. Smith, and the silver ones given to 

 the preserving crew. 



Not less again was their courage evinced, on the loss in 

 April, 1845, of H. M's. Brig, " Skylark," with Supernumeraries, 



