266 WRECKS ON THE PUBBECK COAST. 



the excitement of such an occasion, it is easy to understand 

 how grievously such occurrences must have in former days in- 

 terfered with steady and honest work ; and how little worldly 

 wise were those Ministers of the Gospel, (happily not of 

 English race), who are said to have been accustomed to pray 

 that ** Heaven would send plenty of wrecks on their coasts." * 

 But we are concerned with the question whether anything can 

 be done to prevent this constant grounding of vessels on the 

 Pui'beck shores; and certainly, were scientific investigation re- 

 quisite, few objects could be held out that would offer a nobler 

 aim for our Society than to aid in pointing out the means of 

 avoiding the evil. 



But in truth it does not appear that there is any unknown 

 cause of disaster to be investigated, or any hitherto unknown 

 remedy to be suggested. It seems to be quite well known to 

 those at all acquainted with the coast that with the ebb tide 

 there is a current more or less strong on the Kimmeridge 

 Ledges. 



And again, if there is any faith to be placed in soundings, a 

 careful sailor should be able to know about where he is in 

 these parts. "Within the transit line from St. Alban's Head 

 to Portland nothing like a large ship ought, it is said, to 

 come; and within that line so much as 15 fathoms is only to 

 be got, according to local evidence, in one spot. 



It would seem then that these very unwelcome visitors, as 

 the "Tyne" in 1857 and the ''Hardy" in 1861, (within a 

 week of each other in the time of year selected), ought to bo 

 able to avoid us. The loss of property in the case of the 

 latter vessel is reported to be nearly equal to the sum supposed 

 to have been expended in removing and refitting the former; 

 since the ship is said to have been insured at £5000 and the 

 cargo at not much less than 20,000. The formal investigation 

 resulted in the expression of opinion by those called upon to 



* Mc CuUoch's Comm. Diet. " Wrecks." 



