A DOUBLE WREoK. 307 



the moment of hoisting the jib. The sail gone, 

 they were now helpless, and dr fted with light- 

 ning speed down upon the Margaret. 



A few minutes decided her fate. Half a ship's 

 length ahead would have cleared the Earl of Har- 

 wood. But that half ship's length could not be 

 got. In less time than it takes to read the account, 

 the two vessels were hopelessly fouled. There 

 was a sharp crash heard above the gale, and in the 

 next moment the Margaret, jib boom and foremast 

 hanging over the side, was drifting toward the 

 surf, with the Harwood. The barque was un- 

 touched. Fortunately for her, the Harwood's jib 

 and the opposing forces of the collision gave the 

 vessels another direction. 



In less than ten minutes after the Margaret got 

 adrift, both vessels were bilged, ashore. It was a 

 clear, moonlight night. We could see them, ae 

 they were tossed about like two chips, in the 

 mountain surf. The Harwood came down, head 

 on, the foresail being set for a moment, as she got 

 into the surf, to give her a proper direction. The 

 Margaret had lost all her forward spars, and was 

 obliged to drift on helplessly, broadside to. 



One high toss on the surf, and the two vessels 

 si ruck. Then for a few minutes the hulls were 

 concealed by the surf which broke furiously over 

 them. But each wave washed them higher up, 

 and in twenty minutes after they struck, both 

 hulls were lying mastless, on their bilge, almost 

 beyond reach of a common swell. 



