OF THE GRIPER. 103 



that the cables were gone, but my friend Mr. is24. 

 Manico^ with Mr. Carr the gunner^ came aft as Sept. 

 soon as they recovered their legs, and in the 

 lowest whisper, informed me that the cables 

 had all parted. The ship, in trending to the 

 wind, lay quite down on her broadside, and as 

 it then became evident that nothing held her, 

 and that she was quite helpless, each man in- 

 stinctively took his station, while the seamen at 

 the leads, having secured themselves as well as 

 was in their power, repeated their soundings, on 

 which our preservation depended, with as much 

 composure as if we had been entering a friendly 

 port. Here again that Almighty Power which 

 had before so mercifully preserved us, granted 

 us his protection, for it so happened that it was 

 slackwater when we parted, the wind had come 

 round to n.n.w. (along the land,) and our head 

 fell off to north-east, or seaward ; we set two try- 

 sails, for the ship would bear no more, and even 

 with that lay her lee gunwale in the water. In 

 a quarter of an hour we were in seventeen fa- 

 thoms. Still expecting every moment to strike, 

 from having no idea where we had anchored, I 

 ordered the few remaining casks of the provi- 

 sions received from the Snap, to be hove over- 

 board, for being stowed round the capstan and 

 abaft the mizen-mast, I feared their fetching 



