256 



ST. HELENA 



ten minutes, and within another five minutes she separated and 

 went to pieces. The shipkeepers of the other condemned slavers 

 had in the meantime been taken off on a vessel lying outside the 

 rollers. 



While the Descobrador was on her beam ends upon the beach, 

 a schooner, name and nation unknown, captured by H.M.S. Pro- 

 metheus on 22nd November last, parted her anchor, and as if pro- 

 pelled by steam, ranged herself on the outside of the Descobrador 

 then about twelve o'clock the Brazilian schooner Acquilla, with 

 another prize, St. Domingos, captured by Prometheus and brought 

 here by Mr. Clark, naval cadet, lifted their anchors, and were 

 driven upon the beach. 



The Acquilla remained perfect for some time, but the other 

 very soon went to pieces. The Acquilla was detained by H.M.S. 

 Cygnet), and near one o'clock a tremendous heavy roller, which 

 seemed determined to sweep away everything before it, broke over 

 the hull of the Rocket and lifted her stem uppermost. She totally 

 disappeared. The same roller swept away the lower crane and a 

 verandah placed at some distance from the landing place against 

 the hill-side, for the accommodation of captains and others awaiting 

 ships or boats. 



By this almost every passage and luggage boat had been swept 

 from the moorings, some thrown on shore, some swept out to sea. 

 The glacis, in front of fortifications, was impassable from the 

 immense quantity of wood, masts, casks, bunks and material 

 thrown up. Then the Eupazia, captured by H.M.S. Prometheus, 

 December 25, 1845, an d brought here by Lieut. Pollard, also the 

 brig Esperanza, captured on December 26 by H.M.S. Actaeon 

 and brought here by Mr. Lowe, second master, were buried by a 

 roller breaking over them ; the former instantly disappeared, the 

 latter, after her masts went by the board, drifted out to sea, a total 

 wreck. The rollers continued at an awful height, but the fishing- 

 boats, being out, fortunately escaped. They remained out and 

 received assistance from the merchant vessels riding in safety 

 outside the rollers. It was quite five o'clock in the afternoon 

 when the Julia, captured by H.M.S. Star, was separated from 

 her companion, the Quatro de Marco, and thrown up by a succession 

 of heavy rollers upon the West Rocks, and in an instant not a parti- 

 cle of her was to be seen. Almost immediately after the Brazilian 

 brig, Quatro de Marco, was, with four anchors down, lifted by the 

 gigantic rollers, and although buried for a time in the sea, was 

 ultimately, by a heavy wave, lodged on the shore under Patton's 

 Battery, near West Rocks, the masts having been previously carried 

 away. This Quatro de Marco was captured by H.M.S. Cygnet 

 1 8th December, 1845, an d brought here by Mr. Jones, Purser, with 

 540 slaves. When thrown up she came in contact with an old 

 anchor which has for nearly a century been embedded on the 

 projecting point of the West Rocks, and carried it away. Thus 

 ended the scenes of this memorable day, a day that will ever be 

 remembered by all who were witnesses of what took place. In 



