A NOBLE-HEARTED LADY. 317 



carried to the rock and there secured, I perceived that one man got upon it. Had he alone 

 ventured, all would be right ; but the eagerness of another poor fellow was so great that he 

 attached himself to it, and the weight of the two was overmuch for the rope to bear, and it 

 consequently broke. How we felt at this dreadful occurrence your readers may imagine ; I 

 cannot describe the fearful thrill of horror which pervaded every breast. It was now dark 

 night ; we had therefore to discontinue our efforts until the next morning. We left the lines 

 during the intervening night as we had adjusted them the evening before. My brother left 

 two of his men, with one of Lieutenant Chat-lesson's, to preserve the rope and property 

 during the night. 



" To return to the subject of my communication, I should state that, on ascending the 

 cliff I met Lady Roberts and Captain Knolles. I told them of the loss of one man, not 

 knowing at the time that a second had also suffered this information, indeed, I afterwards 

 received from yourself. I, notwithstanding this sad disaster, felt persuaded that if I had a 

 sufficient quantity of rope all would be saved. I mentioned this to Lady Roberts, upon which 

 her ladyship assured me that I should be plentifully supplied with this article. Though painful 

 to our feelings to be obliged to leave you to spend another night of gloom and horror, we were 

 under the necessity of doing so for want of a sufficient quantity of rope. On the following 

 morning (Monday) I arrived at the cliff, accompanied by my brother and his men, an hour 

 before daylight. The weather was dreadful beyond conception, rain and snow falling inces- 

 santly. We immediately proceeded to bring into operation the plan of the former day. We 

 were at this time much better enabled to do so, having obtained a sufficiency of rope by the 

 directions of Lady Roberts, who, to the honour of her sex, was present at that early hour, 

 exposed to the inclemency of the weather. Lieutenant Irwin, Inspector of the Coastguard at 

 Kinsale, arrived about this time with Captain Manby's apparatus. This gentleman, having, I 

 presume, had some previous experience of the capability of similar machines, commenced 

 discharging balls from it. This suspended the operation of my p]an for some time, but it 

 was found altogether ineffective ; but I consider it right to state that no man could have 

 manifested a greater anxiety than Mr. Irwin to do good. The lines and ropes which he 

 brought us were essentially necessary in putting the successful plan into execution ; he also 

 brought the cot 



" In about two hours I had the satisfaction of seeing fourteen persons safely landed 

 from the rock, but one of them, I regret to say, died of exhaustion a short time after 

 having been brought on shore. 



" The hawser, as you perceived, had to be taken down a precipice of nearly three hundred 

 feet. To the end of it was joined the line which you had primarily received upon the 

 rock, also a basket of refreshments. I myself took it all down to the lower cliff, 

 where I received each person on being drawn from the rock. The dangers to which myself 

 and three of the coastguard were exposed on that occasion were not, I assure you, trifling/' 



About a fortnight after the wreck of the Killarney, a large portion of the rock upon 

 which the remnant of the crew and passengers had suffered so much was carried away in 

 a storm. It is worthy of remark that during the American War a vessel conveying a 

 company and band of the 3nd Regiment of Foot was lost on the same rock, when all 

 perished. 



