NO, 2 LAST CRUISE OF H.M.S. LOO — PETERSON 21 



below. Nothing to arouse the suspicion of Utting or Randell had been 

 seen during the latter's watch. The night was dark and cloudy, with 

 visibiHty not over a quarter of a mile.^- 



At 12: 30 a.m. and again at i : oo the deep-sea lead line was cast 

 according to orders, and no bottom was found at 300 feet. At about 

 1:15 Bishop sent the lead-line crew to the side to clear the line for 

 heaving and followed them to the gunwhale himself to see to this. To 

 his great surprise he found the ship in "white water" and saw breakers 

 ahead. He instantly "ordered the helm alee" and sent a message down 

 to Captain Utting '•'^ to call him on deck. As Utting rushed on deck 

 he found the ship coming about into the wind and away from the reef 

 on which the breakers were rolling. As the ship veered oflf the wind 

 the head sails were caught across wind and the ship struck the reef 



1\ 



hart . Uk> Pkii de Miitaii^'an 



I\kiUM.-iIjiii^aii 



Fig. I. — The Pan of Matanzas from a vignette 

 appearing on an English chart dated 1794. 



aft.^* At this the mainsail was set "in order to press her off," and 

 Utting ordered a boat out to sound around the ship.°^ The officers 

 and men oflf watch and sleeping below were awakened by the shock 

 of the ship striking the reef. John Vivian, the carpenter, rushed aft, 

 whence the shock had come, and found the tiller broken off. He re- 

 ported this to Utting just as another swell caught the ship and broke 

 off the rudder, at which she began shipping water in the hold. Utting 

 ordered all pumps manned, and the water in the hold began to fall, 

 but as the crew was getting out the boats "three or four severe seas" 

 crushed the ship against the reef and she began sinking rapidly.^" 



When it became apparent that the ship could not be saved. Captain 

 Utting ordered Mr. Bishop and Gunner Samuel Kirk to save as much 



82 Deposition of John Randolph, master's mate, at the court martial of Cap- 

 tain Utting. (ADM i, vol. 5283.) 



*2 Bishop's deposition. (ADM i, vol. 5283.) 

 ^* Utting's letter of February 15, 1744. 

 85 Bishop's deposition. (ADM i. vol. 5283.) 

 8° Utting's letter of February 15, 1744. 



