138 Star anfr Meatber <3ossip 



did this out of consideration for his gallant crew, or 

 because of his wife and children, perhaps, at old- 

 world Caen, or St. Malo. 



But, alas ! he quickly changed his mind ; round 

 went the Fran$ais to the wind again. To this day his 

 action has seemed inexplicable to me. His indecision 

 nearly brought about his immediate undoing, for he 

 cleared the Longscar Reef by so narrow a margin as 

 to impress hundreds of persons with the belief that he 

 had struck. The Seaton Carew lifeboat was ready 

 horsed and the rocket apparatus down on the beach, 

 so certain was everyone there that the barque would 

 not clear the reef. 



And now the weary ship sought a haven of rest. 

 Through the deepening gloom it was observed that she 

 had hoisted a flag for a pilot. Earlier in the day two 

 steamers had each been provided with one, the men 

 having been dragged from the tug through the water. 

 But the sea was running too high for one to be put on 

 board the Fran$ais. A tug, however, managed to 

 take her in tow, when she was labouring heavily about 

 a quarter of a mile from the West Hartlepool piers. 



IV 



Thereafter, an unkind fate pursued the beaten, 

 baffled barque. I have indeed frequently heard it 

 said that a judgment fell upon her for her master's 

 persistent defiance of the forces of nature. 



The tug which had hold of the Fran$ais had come 

 out of Hartlepool, and thither it attempted to tow 

 her. All went well for a while, and then in the fast 

 gathering darkness and through the storm-mist on 



