SCRAPS OP LOCAL HISTORY. 51 



light was sighted, and the captain maintained that the hght was 

 on the Island of Anticosti, although he was assured that no light 

 was then kept there. As a matter of fact, the light was that of 

 Perce on the southeastern shore of Gaspe, and instead of entering 

 the St. Lawrence River, the Colborne was making her way along 

 the dangerous northern shore of the Bale de Chaleur. A great 

 and a fatal mistake had been made in reckoning the ship's course, 

 and the disaster in whi-h it resulted was now close at hand. 

 Shortly before midnight, related Mr. Acteson, "while Capt Kent 

 and Capt. Hudson were taking a glass of wine together in the 

 cabin, the watch was called ; and while aloft reefing topsails, one 

 of the hands sung out, 'Breakers ahead !' Before the ship could 

 be put about she struck heavily, starting sternpost and unship- 

 ping rudder. In an instant there was a tumult on board. In 

 their night clothes, women and children rushed to the deck in a 

 state of frenzy, seizing on all the wearing apparel they could at 

 the instant lay hands upon, to clothe themselves and their little 

 children. , The pumps were at once tried and there was found to 

 be already in the hold eight feet of water, and it was rising 

 rapidly. In the moment of peril Capt. Kent seemed to have been 

 as ineffi lent as he had been in laying the ships course, for when 

 the mate asked permission to cut away the masts and get the 

 boats out, the Captain replied that there was no danger and that 

 the masts should not be cut 



THREW ALL ON DECK INTO THE SEA. 



"Although the rudder was gone, by shifting the sails the ship 

 was got into deeper water. Finding that the ship was filling fast, 

 an attemi)t was made to beach her on a shelving rock, but the 

 attempt failed through want of a rudder, although when she first 

 struck she was not more Ihan a stone's throw from the shore. 

 The wind freshened, and within half an hour the ship struck 

 again, and fell over on her side. This threw all on deck into the 

 sea. The w'omen, wild with terror, the poor dear children, said 

 Mr. Acteson, whom we sailors used to play with on deck, uttering 

 piercing cries. Acteson and five other sailors managed to get into 

 the jolly-boat, which was amidship and had served as a roof to 

 protect some poultry housed in the lou;;^' boat. At that moment 

 the shi]) was struck hy a huge wave which turned it completely 



