LOSS OF THE KILLARNEY." 



305 



moderating, the Killarney again got under weigh for her port of destination, Bristol. 

 Again a storm rose, and the mist became so dense that they could scarcely see the vessel's 

 length ahead of them. During the night 150 pigs about a fourth of the number on the 

 vessel were washed overboard; the cabin was a wreck of furniture and crockery; and Dr. 

 Spolasco's gig had been forced from its lashings, broken up, and partly washed away. The 

 engine stopped for some time, and the vessel lay to, the captain not knowing his position. 

 A suspicious circumstance, showing that the men were disheartened and greatly fatigued, 



BEAUMAEIS. 



was that they came down to the cabin and asked for bottles of porter, &c. a most unusual 

 request, of course. Lieut. Nicolay, a military passenger, remarked, " I don't like to see these 

 men getting porter in this way ; I was once at sea in great danger, and the sailors through 

 desperation commenced to drink/' If the sailors were doubtful of the vessel's safety, there 

 can be little wonder that the passengers generally were in a state of grave alarm. Baron 

 Spolasco had his boy, a helpless child of nine years of age, on board, and between his care, 

 giving advice to passengers, and setting the leg of the under-steward, who had broken it in 

 a violent fall caused by the lurching of the ship, he had enough to do. At noon of Saturday 

 it was whispered that the captain intended to try for land, but no one on board appeared 

 to know whether they were twenty or fifty miles from it. The weather increased in 

 severity. 

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