432 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



temple, offered up to their gods a 

 solemn sacrifice, invoking them to 

 protect the Engelees, to avert every 

 danger, and restore them in safety 

 to their native land ! In the man- 

 ner of this adieu there was an air 

 of sublimity and benevolence com- 

 bined, by far more touching to 

 the heart than the most refined 

 compliment of a more civilized 

 people. It was the genuine be- 

 nignity of artless nature, and of 

 primitive innocence. Immediately 

 following this solemnity, our par- 

 ticular friends crowded on hoard 

 to shake hands, and say " Fare- 

 well!" whilst the tears which 

 many of them shed, evinced the 

 sincerity of their attachment. 



NARRATIVE OF THE SHIPWRECK. 



A course was now shaped to 

 avoid the numerous rocks and 

 shoals, not well defined, which 

 lie in that part of the Chinese sea 

 more immediately to the west- 

 ward of tlie Philippines, and to the 

 north-westward of Borneo ; and 

 having by the 14th passed the 

 whole, and got into the usual track 

 for the passage of either the Straits 

 of Banca or Caspar, it was resolved 

 to proceed through the latter, as 

 being more direct and less subject 

 to calms than the former, and con- 

 sidering them equally safe, from 

 the latest surveys and directions 

 being on board, some of them by 

 those who had personally examined 

 them. At day-light in the morn- 

 ing of the 18th we made Gaspar 

 Island, exactly at the time ex- 

 pected, and, passing it, stood on 

 for the straits. As is customary 

 in approaching any coast or pas- 

 sage whatever, but more especially 

 one that all are not faraiUfuly ac' 



quainted with, the utmost precau- 

 tion was taken by keeping the 

 leads going in both chains, men 

 looking out at the mast-heads, 

 yard-aiTOs, and bowsprit end ; the 

 captain, master, and officer of the 

 watch, on whom the charge of 

 the ship at such a time more par- 

 ticularly devolves, having been 

 vigilantly on deck during the 

 whole of the previous night and 

 this morning. Steering under all 

 these guarded circumstances, the 

 soundings exactly corresponding 

 with the charts, and following the 

 express line prescribed by all con- 

 curring directions to clear every 

 danger (and the last danger of this 

 sort between us and England), the 

 ship about half- past seven in the 

 morning struck with a horrid 

 crash, on a reef of sunken rocks, 

 and lemained immoveable ! 



It was veiy soon indeed but too 

 evident that any attempt to move 

 her would be attended with the 

 most fatal consequences ; for, on 

 each side of the rocks on which 

 she hung, the water deepened 

 from ten to seventeen fathoms im- 

 mediately around her ; and, from 

 the injury received, she must have 

 gone down in a few minutes, had 

 she forced her way over this nar- 

 row reef. The best bower anchor 

 was therefore let go, to keep her 

 fast ; and the pumps were soon 

 abandoned, being clearly of no 

 avail. 



The boats were hoisted out, and 

 Lieutenant Hoppner, with the 

 barge and cutter, ordered to pro- 

 ceed with the embassador and 

 suite; and' all those not essentially 

 required, to the nearest part of the 

 island, which seemed about three 

 miles and a half distant, Mean- 

 While §Y«ry exef tion was used by 



th« 



