THE TOLL OF THE BRAVE 343 



Hero was anchored. When the day broke, however, it 

 was seen that both ships were inside the North Haaks, 

 about five miles from Texel Island, and that the Hero 

 was lying on her broadside, a total wreck. 



The situation of the warship was hopeless and terrible. 

 The heavy seas were sweeping over the ship's company, 

 who were huddled on the poop and forecastle. The 

 little Grasshopper, pounded and thrashed by the waves, 

 made a gallant effort to succour her big consort ; but 

 she was helpless, and the Hero, as a forlorn hope, fired 

 a gun and hoisted a flag of truce. Dutch boats put out, 

 but the wind and tide prevented them from getting nearer 

 than three miles to the wreck. Throughout the day the 

 Hero was mercilessly hammered by the seas and bumped 

 on the sands, then, during the night, she went to pieces, 

 and all hands were lost. 



The Grasshopper, as the only means of salvation, cut 

 her cable and made for the H elder Point, where she was 

 surrendered to the Dutch. 



The loss of the St. George and the Defence was a 

 calamity which filled the English people with horror, 

 accustomed though they were at that period to dreadful 

 happenings at sea. The boldest sailor shrank from 

 navigating the treacherous and dangerous southern 

 stretch of the North Sea in winter-time, for in thick, 

 heavy weather even the pilots themselves were hopelessly 

 bewildered as to their exact position. There were not, 

 a century ago, the wonderful and complete systems of 

 lightships, buoys, and lighthouses which we have to-day, 

 and the appliances for ascertaining a ship's rate of 

 progress were few and imperfect. Time after time ships 

 had sailed from England or the Continent to cross the 



