53!2 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1 804. 



for, out of 240 persons on board, 

 ■vvhen the ship first struck, i sup- 

 pose 20 to have previously perished 

 between decks and otherwise. Mr. 

 Lawton, the gunner, the first per- 

 son who attempted to swim ashore, 

 was drowned : afterwards lieute- 

 nant Wilson, Mr. Runcie, surgeon, 

 Mr. M'Cabe, surgeon's mate, Mr. 

 Stanley, master's mate, and several 

 men, shared the same fate, by rea- 

 son of the sea breaking in enormous 

 surges over them, though excellent 

 swimmers. About thirty persons had 

 ■the good fortune to reach the shore, 

 upon planks and spars ; among 

 whom were, lieutenant Hervey and 

 Mr. Callam, master's mate. JNIon- 

 day night our situation was truly 

 horrid, the old men and boys dying 

 through hunger and fatigue; also 

 Messrs. Proby and Hayes, midship- 

 men. Captain Dixon remained 

 all this night upon the bowsprit. 

 Tuesday morning presented us no 

 better prospect of being relieved 

 from the jaws of death, the wind 

 blowing stronger and the sea much 

 more turbulent. About noon this 

 day, our drooping spirits were 

 somewhat raised by seeing lieute- 

 nant Ilervey and Mr. Callam hoist- 

 ing out a boat from one of the 

 merchant ships, to come to the as- 

 sistance of their distressed shipmates. 

 They several times attempted to 

 launch her through the surf; but 

 being a very heavy boat, and the 

 sea on the beach acting so power- 

 fully against them, they could not 

 possibly effect it, though assisted 

 by nearly 100 of the merchant 

 sailors and Portuguese peasants. Se- 

 veral men went upon rafts this day 

 made from pieces of the wreck, but 

 jiot one soul reached the shore ; the 

 wind having shifted, and the current 

 setting out, they were all driven to 



sea ; among whom was our captain^ 

 who, about three in the alternoon, 

 went on the jib-boom with three 

 seaman ; anxiotis to save the re- 

 mainder of the ship's company, and 

 too sanguine of getting safe on 

 shore, he ventured upon the spar, 

 saying, on jumping into the sea, 

 " My lads, I'll save you all.'' hi 

 a few seconds he lost his hold of the 

 spar, which he could not regain : 

 he drifted to sea, and perished. 

 Such was also the fate of the three 

 brave volunteers who chose his for- 

 tune. 



The loss of our captain, who, 

 until now, had animated the almost 

 lifeless crew ; as well as the noble 

 exertions of lieutenant Hervey and 

 Mr. Callam to launch the boat not 

 succeeding ; every gleam of hope 

 vanished, and we looked forward 

 for certain death the ensuing night ; 

 not only from cold, hunger, and fa- 

 tigue, but the expectation of the re- 

 maining part of the wreck going to 

 pieces every moment. Had not the 

 Apollo been a new and well-built 

 ship, that small portion of her could 

 never have resisted the waves, and 

 stuck so well together ; particularly 

 as all the after-part from the chess- 

 trees was gone, the starboard-bow 

 under water, the fore-castle-deck 

 nearly perpendicular, the weight of 

 the guns hanging to the larboard- 

 bulwark on the inside, and the 

 bower and spare anchors on the 

 outside, which it was not prudent to 

 cut away, as they afforded resting- 

 places to a considerable number of 

 men, there being only the fore- 

 chains and cathead were it was pos- 

 sible to live in, and about which 

 were stowed upwards of 150 men ; 

 it being impracticable (o continue 

 any longer in the head, or upon the 

 bowsprit, by reason of the breakers 



washing 



