THE "LONDON" SWAMPED. 293 



and mizen stay-sails were set, and she steamed along- moderately at the rate of five or six 

 knots. In the course of the morning, the masts, which up to that time had been swinging 

 ahout aloft, were secured, and the wreck of the jibboom cleared away. Observations taken 

 that day indicated that she was about 200 miles from the Land's End. At 6 p.m. both 

 the fore and mizen stay-sails were carried away in a furious squall ; another life-boat and 

 the cutter were washed clean overboard and lost. At 9 p.m. the wind increased to a perfect 

 hurricane from the north-west, the squalls blowing with a degree of fury seldom paralleled. 

 The engines were stopped, and the ship put under the main top-sail only, which was soon 

 blown away in shreds. The captain once more ordered the engines to be set in motion. Up 

 to this time, notwithstanding the heavy seas she encountered, it does not appear that the 

 vessel had shipped much water. 



At half -past 10 p.m. a terrific sea broke upon the ship over the weather or port 

 gangway, and an immense mass of water, the crest of a mighty wave, descended almost 

 perpendicularly over the hatch of the engine-room, smashing it right in, admitting tons 

 upon tons of water, washing from the deck into the engine-room two men, a seaman and a 

 passenger. There being nothing to obstruct the influx of sea, the engine-room began to 

 fill with water. The fires were extinguished at once, and in about eight minutes the engines 

 ceased to work. The engineers remained below till the water was above their waists, and they 

 could work no more. The large bilge-pumps also proved useless, and the condition of the 

 ship became utterly helpless, often rolling into the trough of the sea, rolling gunwale under, 

 and labouring heavily. The captain called on those who were baling, " Men, put down 

 your buckets, and come and try to secure the engine-room hatch, for that's our only chance 

 of saving the ship ! Secure that, and we may keep her afloat yet." Every endeavour, 

 however, to replace the hatch proved unavailing. Efforts were made to stop the opening 

 with sails, mattrasses, and spars, but without success ; and although the donkey-engine and 

 pumps were kept at work, yet the water quickly gained upon them, and all their efforts 

 were fruitless. It was then that the captain uttered words of which he knew the full 

 meaning, and which must have thrilled through many of the passengers' bosoms who had 

 hitherto been hoping against hope " Boys, you may say your prayers ! " All was over 

 with them. 



At 4 a.m of the llth a tremendous sea struck the ship abaft, which stove in four 

 windows, or stern-ports, of the upper or poop cabin. Through the breaches thus made the 

 sea rushed into the ship in such quantities that the 'tween decks were soon half full of 

 water. The ship at this time was settling fast; the captain went into the engine-room, 

 and, with the engineer, took soundings, when it was found that there was fourteen feet 

 of water in her. The captain then told Greenhill that he had abandoned all hope of 

 saving her, and shortly afterwards made a similar communication to the passengers. At 

 about 10 a.m. the captain ordered the boats to be got ready, which was done, and the 

 starboard pinnace, which was of iron, was lowered into the water, but was almost imme- 

 diately upset by the sea, and lost. Shortly after this the captain entered the saloon, and 

 said, " Ladies, there is no hope for us, I'm afraid. Nothing short of a miracle can 

 save us ! " 



During the hours of agony and horror which had preceded this announcement the 



