150 WRECKS ON THE PURBECK COAST. 



in Brazil, to Southampton, touching at Madeira, and Lisbon. 

 She performed, up to the moment of the disaster, a favourable 

 voyage; and, on the evening of the 12th, the passengers, about 

 fifly three in number, passed a vote of thanks to the captain for 

 his care on the voyage. Ushant had been sighted early in the 

 morning of the 12th. At 8, p. m., of the same day, they 

 sounded in 36 fathoms, going at half speed, about seven and a 

 half knots. They then supposed themselves to be forty miles 

 from Portland. At 11 30, p. m., the Portland lights being 

 observed N. E. and E., the course, which had been E. by N., 

 half N., was altered eastward. At midnight, the Portland lights 

 were N. E., and soundings 30 fathoms in gravel. This was 

 the last time of sounding, and the distance from Portland was 

 supposed to be twelve miles, the wind S. S. E. 



At 1, a. m., of the 13th, the lights bore N. N. E., half E. 

 At 1 40, N. At 2 18, the lights blended, bearing N. N. W., 

 half W. At 2 25, a. m., the lights dipped, the weather being 

 thick and foggy. The Captain soon after half past 3, having 

 reference to his supposed position, was meaning to lie to in 

 about half an hour, but finding the weather very hazy, on going 

 down to consult his chart, had determined to stop at once, and 

 was proceeding to the engine room to give the order to that 

 effect, when he heard the cry of one of the officers of the watch 

 "Hard-a-port!" His impression being that a collision with some 

 other vessel was at hand, he rushed up on deck, heard the 

 breakers, holloaed the tardy "Stop her!," and found the ship 

 a-ground, "bumping" heavily. Confusion from that moment 

 there could not but be : Passengers of both sexes rushed on deck 

 in their night clothes, and gradually as their eyes became accus- 

 tomed to the light, or rather to the darkness, found that the 

 cliffs were looming as it seemed over them, at a small distance; 

 that the ship was a-ground, was all that was certain ; where, 

 was absolutely unknown, though the confident assertion of some 

 made the rest partially or entirely believe, that they were over 

 against Black Gang Chine, under St. Catharine's Down, on the 

 South Coast of the Isle of Wight. 



The interval between the striking and the daylight, was em- 

 ployed on the part of the Captain and Officers, in calming the 



