WRECKS ON THE PURBECE COAST. 158 



one life-boat, and I believe one or two small ones, were moored 

 a short distance from the vessel. As the sea rose, a surf broke 

 between the ship and these boats, and they remained during the 

 day useless. 



As the day advanced, a small fishing boat belonging to the 

 Encombe Estate, was most gallantly brought along from Chap- 

 man's Pool across Egmont Bight, to a point beyond Freshwater 

 steps where the cross sea is less violent than elsewhere, and 

 where the two Tatchells, cousins, who manned her, knew from 

 experience they could best reach the vessel. This was about 

 eleven o'clock. She was reached at the same time by the Kim- 

 meridge Coast Guard boat, and by a six-oar from Bottom and 

 St. Aldhelm's Head. A second boat from the same Station, 

 approaching her from the Chapman's Pool side, was most un- 

 fortunately swamped, and though three or four men in her were 

 saved by their comrades in the six-oared galley, one poor fellow 

 was, with the boat itself, swept away. 



Now it was considered safe to commence the landing. Dr. 

 Acland, who had been personally requested, in a note brought 

 to the vessel by the Tatchells, to come on shore, did so, with 

 two or three other gentlemen, in the Encombe boat, not without 

 a good deal of danger ; the life-boat being kept for the women 

 and children who were on board. The lowering, by ropes, of the 

 passengers into the boats, was no easy matter. The life-boat, in 

 the first instance received its freight on board, (wliich con- 

 sisted of the women and children, and the Belgian Consul General 

 at Rio Janeiro,) and was lowered, bodily. The landing of the 

 passengers, valuables, and eventually of the crew, proceeded, 

 not rapidly, both by reason of the difficulty of the task, and of 

 the small number of boats, owing to the inefficacious position of 

 those of the ship. However, by five o'clock all were landed, and 

 almost all the passengers had proceeded to Wareham. Exercisiiig 

 what they subsequently considered to have been, considering the 

 immense strength of the vessel, and her comparatively safe 

 position, an almost unnecessary prudence, the officers determined 

 on leaving no one on board during the night; but, at an early 

 hour in the morning, the sea having then moderated, a return 

 was made to the vessel. The cargo, baggage, &c., having been 

 speedily removed, an examination was made of her state. The 



