130 FUTURE PROCEEDINGS CONSIDERED. 



ing to any vessel without her immediately found- 

 ering, and it is quite evident that, under Provi- 

 dence, nothing but the judicious precaution of 

 lining the vessels with felt prevented the occur- 

 rence of that disaster. 



As soon as the extent of the damage the 

 Dorothea had. sustained was communicated to 

 Captain Buchan, he began seriously to consider 

 the propriety of complying with that part of 

 his Instructions which directed that, in the event 

 of his own vessel being disabled, he should 

 abandon her, and prosecute the voyage singly in 

 the Trent.* The subject was naturally one of 

 great anxiety, from the conflicting arguments 

 which arose in the course of its consideration ; 

 and the urgent request of the commander of 

 the Trent that he might be allowed to proceed 

 in his own vessel upon the interesting service 

 still unexecuted, rather increased than diminished 

 the embarrassment. To have taken command of 

 the Trent himself would have been Captain Bu- 

 chan's straightforward line of duty as pointed out 

 by the Instructions ; but, either to have done 

 this, or have complied with Lieutenant Frank- 

 lin's solicitation, would have subjected the Do- 

 rothea to the necessity of returning home un- 

 accompanied, which might have proved fatal to 



* See Instructions. 



