EFFORTS TO SAVE. 311 



nearest cliff had to bend over its edge to see it. Meantime the storm beat on violently, 

 .and no boat could have approached the rock. Sea-weed and salt water was all the food (!) 

 they could get from dinner hour on board the steamer on Friday, about five o'clock, till 

 Monday afternoon. All this within almost a stone's throw of land ! 



"To return/' says the narrator, "to Sunday. I have in a previous page stated that 

 during the whole of the morning of that day, indeed up to the afternoon, all we saw was a 

 crowd of peasants on the beach, each carrying his or her burden from the spoils of the wreck 

 of the steamer Killarney ; and on the cliff above us, numbers altogether amounting 

 to some hundreds. It was in vain we looked for some respectable person among them who 

 -would be likely to tender us the desired assistance, till ... we hailed the presence of a 

 respectable gentleman, by whose kind gestures we could understand (for it was impossible to 

 hear his voice) that we yet should be saved. After waving his hat, and doing all in his 

 power to cheer us, he retired, and ascended the lofty cliff, and in a reasonable time afterwards 

 again returned, with several other gentlemen. 



" Several descended with him to the edge of the precipice a dangerous declivity 

 bringing with them ropes, slings, &c., and indeed every other requisite that the short period of 

 their absence allowed them to procure, or whatever appeared to them necessary for the object 

 they had in view. Having arrived at the brink of the precipice, somewhat in a direct line 

 (though still above us) with the rock upon which we were the distance I would compute to 

 be from a hundred and fifty to two hundred feet they commenced throwing stones to which 

 were attached small lines, several in their turn ; one having failed, another tried, and so on, 

 till they were sufficiently convinced that all such efforts were altogether fruitless the 

 strongest of them not being able to pitch such stone more than half way towards us. 



" Some one then suggested the propriety of trying slings, which they immediately 

 prepared in turn taking off their cloaks, coats, &c., having first tied round their waist a 

 strong rope as a prudent precaution of security for their safety in making the bold attempt, 

 viz., of slinging a stone, having attached to it a line, to us unfortunate expectants upon 

 the rock. These efforts, too, like the former, were attended with want of success. 



"Mr. John Galwey, with whom was Mr. Edward Hull and other gentlemen, appa- 

 rently in a most perilous position confronting us, formed a footing with crowbars, &c. Mr. 

 Galwey was then observed several times to try to pass a duck with a small line fastened 

 to its leg, but without effect. We also discerned him coiling a wire or line into the barrel 

 of a musquet, with the view of firing off the ball to which it was connected, hoping that 

 when the ball should have passed the rock the line might fall upon it. This expedient 

 too was ingenious, but unsuccessful. 



" The next attempt for our rescue was thought of and entered upon by a brave young 

 gentleman, Richard Knolles, Esq. son of the worthy Captain Knolles of that neighbour- 

 hood by which he nearly lost his life. He had with him a favourite dog, well trained 

 to the water, and apparently to his command, with which fine animal he descended as nearly 

 to the edge of the beach as the billows, breakers, and foaming spray would allow him, and 

 rather farther, for, being young, brave, and anxious to be the means of saving us, he ventured 

 somewhat too far for his safety, being met by a tremendous surf, which struck him, and 

 dashed him above some twenty feet or more with such violence, that he was not only wetted to 



