APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 



533 



■washing completely over those 

 places. The night drawing on, the 

 wind increasing, frequent showers 

 of rain, the sea washing over us, 

 and looking every instant for the 

 fore-castle giving way, when we 

 must have all perished together, 

 afforded a spectacle truly deplora- 

 ble ; the bare recollection of which, 

 even now. makes me shudder. The 

 piercing cries of the dismal night, 

 at every sea coming over us, 

 which happened every two minutes, 

 were pitiful in the extreme : the 

 water running from the head down 

 all over the body, keeping us con- 

 tinually wet. 1 his shocking night 

 the remaining strength of ever}- per- 

 son was exerted for his individual 

 safety. From the crowding so close 

 together in so narrow a compass, 

 and the want of something to moisten 

 their mouths, several poor wretches 

 were suflocated ; which frequently 

 reminded me of the black-hole, with 

 this only difference, that these poor 

 sufferers were confined by strong 

 walls, we by water; the least move- 

 ment without clinging fast, would 

 have launched us into eternity. 

 Some unfortunate wretches drank 

 saltwater, several their own urin?, 

 some chewed leather, myself and 

 many more chewed lead, from 

 which we conceived we found con- 

 siderable relief, by reason of its 

 drawing the saliva, which we swal- 

 lowed. In less than an hour after 

 the ship struck the ground, all the 

 provisions were under water, and 

 the ship a wreck, so that it was 

 impossil)le to procure any part. 

 After the most painful night that it 

 is possible to conceive, on day-light 

 appearing, we observed lieutenant 

 Hervcy and Mr. Callam again en- 

 deavouring to launch the boat. Se- 

 veral attempts were made without 



success, a number of men belong- 

 ing to the merchant ships being much 

 bruisetl and hurt in assisting. Al- 

 ternate hopes and tears now per- 

 vaded our wretched minds : fifteen 

 men got safe on shore this morning 

 on pieces of the wreck. About 

 three in the afternoon of Wednes- 

 the 4th, we had the inexpressible 

 happiness of seeing the boat launched 

 through the surf, by the indefatiga- 

 ble exertion of" the above officers, 

 assisted by the masters of the mer- 

 chant ships, with a number of Por- 

 tuguese peasants, who were encou- 

 raged by Mr. Whitney, the British 

 Consul, from Figuiera. All the 

 crew then remaining on the wreck 

 were brought safe on shore, praising 

 God for their happy deliverance 

 from a shipwreck, which never had 

 its parallel. As soon as I stepped 

 out of the boat, I found several per- 

 sons whose humanity prompted them 

 to offer me sustenance, though im- 

 properly, in spirits, which I avoided 

 as much as possible. Our weak 

 state viiay be conceived, when it is 

 considered that we received no 

 nourishment from Sunday to Wed- 

 nesday afternoon, and continually 

 exposed to the fury of the watery 

 element. After eating and drink- 

 ing a little, I found myself weaker 

 than before ; occasioned, I appre- 

 hend, from having been so long 

 without either. Some men died soon 

 after getting on shore, from i;npru- 

 dently drinking two large a quan- 

 tity of spirits. All the crew were 

 in a very weak and exhausted state, 

 the greater part being badly bruised 

 and wounded. About forty sail of 

 merchant ships were wrecked at the 

 same time on this dreadful beach. 

 Some ships sunk with all their crew, 

 and almost every ship lost from two 

 to twelve men each ; yet the situ- 

 - M ra 3 



