68 



LOSS OF THE THETIS. 



December 



starboard tack until Ih. 30m. p.m., when it was considered 

 that Cape Frio bore about N. 40° E,, distant thirty-eight 

 miles. The position at noon, by dead reckoning, gave the 

 Cape bearing N. 43. E., distant forty-one miles ; all the cal- 

 culations giving results between that and N. 51. E., fifty-three 

 miles ; but by dead reckoning only, as neither sun, moon, or 

 stars had been seen. At Ih. 30m. the wind being scant, the 

 ship was steered E. by N., and at two, a cross sea checking her 

 way through the water, the course was altered to E.N. E. At 

 two, when the course was thus changed, she had run nineteen 

 miles since noon, and at four, twenty more miles had been 

 made on the E.N.E. course ; at which time, four p.m. (under 

 the idea that she was almost abreast of Cape Frio, supposed ta 

 be then distant about twenty-four miles), seeing a large ship, 

 ' courses down,"* in-shore of her, steering west or W. by N.y 

 with all sail set ; and the weather clearing, for an interval, 

 without any land being seen ; it was concluded that the Thetis 

 was still further from the shore than had been estimated, and 

 her course was altered to N.E. by E. At five, the crew Avas 

 mustered at quarters, after which the reefs were mended, and 

 the fore top-gallant sail, jibs, spanker, and reefed fore top- 

 mast studding-sail were set. From four oVlock to six she ran^ 

 by log, twenty-one miles ; after six the weather became very 

 thick and rainy : and vvhen the look-out men were relieved at 

 eight o'clock, it was so dark, and rained so fast, that nothing 

 could be distinguished half a ship's length distant. Soon after 

 eight one of the look-out men, named Robinson, said to ano- 

 ther man on the forecastle,* " Look how fast that squall is 

 coming*" (this was the cliff looming indistinctly through the 

 rain and darkness), and next moment, " Land a-head,'' "Hard 

 a-port,'' rung in the ears of the startled crew, and were echoed 

 terribly by the crashing bowsprit, and thundering fall of the 

 ponderous masts. 



The hull did not then strike the rocks, having answered 

 the helm so fast as to be turning off shore when the bowsprit 



• Borsworthick, Both these men afterwards sailed with me in the 

 Beagle. 



