SOUTHERN CRUISE. 145 
of the rollers, and immediately disappeared. Some few minutes 
after, the boat was seen bottom up among the rollers. Presently, 
the other boat's crew were seen pulling in haste towards a person ; 
one was picked up, then another. We looked intently for the 
rest, but no signs of them were seen. We then endeavoured to 
count the party on shore, and we thought it had increased, but the 
constant motion of the vessel rendered it impossible to keep our 
glasses fixed on them for a sufficient length of time to ascertain their 
number. We now saw the boat returning ; it soon reached the 
vessel, and Lieutenant Hartstein and Samuel Stretch proved to be 
the two that had been saved. Both were much exhausted. The 
persons in the boat, while yet at a distance from the brig, to relieve 
our anxiety, gave us the joyful intelligence that Williams and Moore 
had reached the shore in safety. 
Lieutenant Hartstein, on recovering from his exhaustion, informed 
me, that on arriving at the surf and anchoring the boat, he found it 
impossible to carry into effect the intention of getting a line on shore. 
He then concluded that in the surf-boat, with oars, and a line from 
the boat outside, they might land in safety. Samuel Stretch, John 
Williams, and Samuel Moore, volunteered to accompany him. They 
strapped on their life-preservers, with which they were provided, and 
were preparing themselves for the trial, when a wave curling without 
them, carried them forward with rapidity ; in an instant the boat was 
thrown end over, and they found themselves struggling for life in a 
furious surf. Had it not been for the life-preservers, they must all 
have been drowned. The undertow assisted in bringing Stretch and 
himself out, (neither of whom could swim,) together with the boat. 
Williams and Moore swam to the beach. 
The night proved dark and stormy, and the squalls were furious. 
The morning of the 21st dawned with no better prospect. All our 
endeavours to get a supply of provisions to the party on shore by 
kites, &c, failed, and it was now deemed advisable for the safety of 
the brig, to slip our cables and go to sea on the making of the flood, 
which sets out of the bay. Previous to this time, we were employed 
in supplying the yawl with provisions, intending to leave her as a 
buoy to our cable and anchor, and to prevent her from sinking our 
India-rubber life-spars were lashed in her. 
When the time arrived there appeared no alteration for the better. 
We slipped our cable and stood out of the bay under our storm-sails. 
A very heavy sea was encountered in the straits, and particularly 
vol. i. 37 
