C H R O N 1 C L E. 



19 



thick ami hazy, tluil, iiijoii dis- 

 cerning' the kind, we luuiul oui- 

 selves nearly embayed. The mas- 

 ter bore up to weather what was 

 vmiversally supposed the entrance 

 into Cove, but which proved to 

 be the Old Head of Kinsale ; 

 and after every exertion to wea- 

 ther that point, and run tlie ship 

 into Kinsale harbour, he was 

 compelled to beai' away for some 

 friendly looking strand, upon 

 which he might runup the vessel, 

 and await the going out of the 

 tide, in thehope bf saving the lives 

 of so many persons, vevy justly 

 not holding in competition the 

 ultimate security of the ship. In 

 endeavouring most ardently to 

 effect this object, the vessel was 

 irrccovci'ably driven upon a bed 

 of rocks by the \iolcncc of the 

 gale, distance between three and 

 four hundred yards of the shore, 

 the tide then making in. No 

 tiuic was lost in passing a rope 

 from the shiji to the shore, and 

 cutting away the fore and main 

 masts, to case the tremendous 

 shocks of the ship against the 

 rocks, by which her bottom was 

 almost innnediatcly stove in, and 

 several foet of water in her cabin. 

 At thi.i time it was about three 

 o'clock ]). m. : our situatiim he- 

 coming most critical b\ the vio- 

 lence of the sea breaking into 

 the cabin, and over the stein, to- 

 gether with her continual dash- 

 ing against the rocks, a boat was 

 manned for the ladies on board to 

 endeavour making the shoie: — 

 two ofliccrs' wives, with their ser- 

 vants, sohlicrs of the 5nth rcgi- 

 iti(!nt, a Serjeant's wife and ehild 

 of the .'9tli regiment, six of the 

 crew, together with Capt. Rad- 

 ford of the C)'id regiment (who 



was in a weak state of health), 

 got into the boat, and made for 

 the shore ; butj ilistressing to add, 

 they had not reached half-way, 

 when the boat was swamped, and, 

 with the exception of one sailor, 

 all perished ! 



Nothing possiljly remained for 

 those on board but to await, with 

 hope of preservation, the falling 

 of the tide, when, should the 

 vessel keep together, it was de- 

 termined to lash a long spar from 

 the bow to the nearest dry rock, 

 and pass every person over it, to 

 make good their way along the 

 r;mge of roeks that extended to 

 the shore. Between ten and eleven 

 o'clock the attempt appeared prac- 

 ticable, and, to my greatest satis- 

 faction, succeeded beyond our ut- 

 most hopes. After the laj;sc of 

 somp time, every indiA idual hav- 

 ing happily descended from the 

 ship without any accident. Lieu- 

 tenant Ilarty, of the neighbour- 

 ing signal-station, with a party 

 of men, after the most praise- 

 worthy exertions, had arranged 

 those men along the rocks ^vhh 

 lighted sticks, affojding the most 

 essential assistance, and thereby 

 l)revcnting the loss of the lives of 

 several, who would otherwise have 

 rortainly fallen into the many 

 large recesses of dee]) water that 

 encompassed and obstructed our 

 jirogress to the main land, and 

 over which the breakers occasi- 

 onally washed. Every person hav- 

 ing at last safely reached the 

 shore, Lieut. Ilarty, with equal 

 promptitude, had arranged for 

 their being distributed amongst 

 the neighbouring cabins, and they 

 were marched off accordingly, to 

 return early next morning for 

 the piupoic of endear otirini;- to 



C 2 " get 



