348 THE OCEAN. 
manoeuvre which they construed into abandonment, 
and the air rang with the most agonizing shrieks 
of misery: hope appeared to have been rekindled 
at the eleventh hour, but to render despair more 
desperate, and death more frightful. 
“The excitement on board was intense. <A boat’ 
was immediately lowered, in which the hawser was 
placed, with a small line attached to it, as a mes- 
senger, and was thrown to the wreck for the pur- 
pose of towing her to the ship; but this intention 
was frustrated by the breaking of the windlass to 
which it was fastened. The anxiety of these un- 
fortunate people to quit their perilous position was 
so great, that it became dangerous to approach 
them: one man, in a paroxysm of despair, jumped 
overboard after the hawser, as the windlass broke; in 
the vain hope of reaching the boat; he was an 
expert swimmer, but no human power could prevail 
against that sea; the furious Ocean mocked his 
efforts; he rose and sunk upon the swelling billows 
until nature was exhausted: he was lost in sight 
of his companions in misfortune and of the persons 
sent to their aid, without any being able to afford 
him relief. 
“Fears were entertained for the boat and her 
crew, as seen from the ship contending with the 
violence of the element in which she floated, and 
a moment of doubt passed the mind as to the ex- 
pediency of permitting another attempt. It was 
only for a moment: the piercing cries borne upon 
the hollow blast, fell upon the sense with such ter- 
rific horror, that indecision seemed a crime; direc- 
