ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 291 



ment, to our consternation and horror, the fine ship struck, hung 

 by her keel, and leaned over 'till her yards were in the water. 

 She soon righted again, only to go over upon the other side. 

 Her sails were still set, and drew well with the wind which came 

 freshly off the land, but she would not move ahead, and kept roll- 

 ing and grinding upon the rough coral, showing her clean copper 

 bottom at every moment. The intense and painful interest which 

 we took in the situation of our poor neighbor, would not suffer 

 us to run away and leave him in his extremity, and accordingly, 

 Captain Shaw, Mr. Skinner, and myself went off to him in our 

 boat. When we arrived, we found that the whale boats belong- 

 ing to all the ships in the port, had come out with their com- 

 manders and crews to render all the assistance they could to 

 their unfortunate brother. Most of the boats were made fast 

 to the bowsprit of the ship, and it was attempted to tow her off ; 

 hawsers were carried out, and kedge anchors, and every other 

 means resorted to to get her clear, but all to no purpose. The 

 devoted vessel continued forging higher and higher upon the 

 reef, and in a few minutes more it was found necessary to cut 

 away the masts, in order to lighten and right her. I scarcely 

 ever in my life felt more distressed than when I heard this order 

 given ; it was, however, necessary that it should be done for the 

 sake of the cargo. The poor ship seemed like a human creature 

 in its agony, tossing and groaning as on a bed of pain. A dozen 

 men with axes in their hands mounted on the weather rail, and 

 in a minute the shrouds and back-stays were cut away. The 

 heavy masts reeled and swayed from side to side, for an instant, 

 and then fell with a crash into the sea. Then indeed 



" A wreck complete she roll'd." 



One little hour before, she had been a noble and stately ship in 

 all the majesty of her beauty, and contained within many a 



