WRECKS AND RESCUES 263 



and was completely at the mercy of the waves and 

 weather. 



The dreadful and inevitable end was not long delayed, 

 for the ship was hurled against a jagged rock and her 

 bows were crushed in. Almost instantly a big sea lifted 

 the Forfarshire high up, then dropped her on the rock 

 with such tremendous force that she broke in two. The 

 entire upper part was carried away, and with it the chief 

 cabin, in which the agonised passengers were huddled 

 together. Every soul from that part perished. 



Immediately after the vessel struck, a boat was 

 launched, and eight of the crew and a passenger 

 managed to get into it. The fore part of the steamer 

 held fast to the rock which the Forfarshire would have 

 avoided if she had been a few yards farther to the south- 

 west. 



A mile away from the rock was the Fern Lighthouse, 

 the keeper of which was named Darling, with whom 

 lived his wife and his daughter Grace. Of the disaster 

 itself they saw nothing and knew nothing till the wild 

 night had given place to morning, then, at about seven 

 o'clock, the wreck was noticed. There was little likeli- 

 hood of any of her people being alive, and it seemed 

 impossible for any boat to live in the sea that was 

 running ; but Grace implored her father to try and reach 

 the wreck, and vowed that she herself would take an oar 

 and help to pull the boat. What man, so impelled, could 

 answer " No " ? Not Darling and he got his coble 

 afloat, his wife and daughter helping with the launch. 

 The two managed to fight their way across the stretch 

 of sea that was like a whirlpool, and if they had needed 

 any reward for their labour they had it in the sight of 



