1854.] A Twenty-third Memoir on the Laiv of Storms. 515 



Wednesday, October 22nd. — Blowing hard from south-east with roaring 

 gusts. At 4 p. m. she started the anchor and dragged. I immediately let go 

 the other and gave her 50 fathoms, which brought her up, both then appear- 

 ing to have an equal strain. 



Bar. rose and fell from 29.70 to 29.60. At daybreak I found by the 

 Brig that I had dragged about 3 miles; it was then blowing a hard gale at 

 south-east. At 8 a. m. in a tremendous pitch she parted both cables, I got 

 her head to south-west, slipped the starboard chain, hove in the port, and 

 set the reefed courses. About 3 hours after, the sails blew to ribbands 

 (although nearly new) in a violent gust that also took the mizen topmast 

 and top-gallant masts with it. Bar. at 29.50. From this time the gusts of 

 wind became more frequent with increased strength, for each successive one 

 brought something down ; the topsails though securely stowed were gradu- 

 ally blown from the yards, the quarter boat was blown up the mizen rigging, 

 the weight of which carried away the mast and it went over the side. Bar. 

 now fell considerably. At 4 p. m. we were laid on our beam ends (although 

 a remarkable stiff vessel), and driving to the westward, about 6 miles an 

 hour fearfully fast, and knowing that now I could not be far from the land, 

 I cut away the masts, deeming it the only chance for the safety of our lives, 

 and let go the remaining anchor which we had with great exertion got over 

 the bows and bent to it the remainder of the port chain. As soon as the masts 

 were gone, and the ship came head to wind, it rushed in at the doors of the 

 poop and took the deck of it clean over the taffrail, leaving the sea to finish, 

 which it soon accomplished; sweeping away all our instruments, charts 

 and other effects. 



She continued dragging the anchor till about midnight, when it moder- 

 ated ; the vessel now rolled fearfully, and the wreck of boats, galley, &c. 

 rendered it impossible to get upon deck. During the extreme violence of 

 this hurricane, the Bar. fell below 28 inches, but it did not do so until that 

 time. As I have lost all memoranda of it, I cannot recollect how low it 

 did fall. This was indeed a fearful night, not one of us expected again to see 

 daylight ; but it was God's mercy to spare our lives. 



On the 23rd Oct. — A heavy sea and fresh westerly wind, and from this 

 time the ship utterly dismasted and without rudder, masts, chart, compass or 

 a serviceable anchor ; the stock and one fluke of the only remaining one 

 being gone. Drifted about Balasore Bay till Wednesday the 29th when 

 she grounded, the crew saved themselves on rafts and arrived safely at 

 Kedgeree. 



It appeared by the evidence on a trial in the Marine Court which arose 

 out of the loss of this vessel that as early as the 19th of October, the set 

 to the westward, at the Light vessel, which had begun in the night between 



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