90 



LOSS OF A BOAT. 



1820-32. 



Stream anchors with half a cable on each, and riding with a 

 whole cable on each bower, in four fathoms water, over very 

 soft tenacious ground. Part of her forecastle netting was 

 washed away by the sea, though she was an excellent roadster, 

 and at that time drawing a foot less water than usual. She also 

 lost a boat in a manner so likely to be of future occurrence, 

 that I will yet digress, in hopes of being useful, by relating 

 the incident. 



Her barge, ably managed by an experienced seaman,* had 

 tried to beat off from the town to the ship, during the com- 

 mencement of the gale, but could get no farther than the 

 ieewardmost merchantman in the outer road. Astern of that 

 vessel she was made fast by a strong hawser, and there rode 

 out the gale admirably until the current began to set out of 

 the river : when the boat was carried against the vessel, and 

 knocked to pieces before any thing could be done to save 

 her, as the sea was running high, and the wind still blowing 

 a gale. The Druid frigate, when lying thercj-f* would have 

 lost a boat in the same way, had it not been one of those 

 excellent diagonal boats, built by Mr. Johns; for it was 

 taken, by the strong weather current, under the ship's bot- 

 tom, and kept striking there long enough to have broken 

 any ordinary boat into a thousand pieces ; but nevertheless 

 she appeared again with only her gunwales injured, the bottom 

 being still perfectly sound. 



The Plata has been called by the Spaniards ' El Infierno de 

 los marineros sufficient stress has not however been laid on 

 the redeeming qualities which it possesses in having anchoring 

 ground every where, and in soundings, whose nature tells 

 whether you are approaching danger; as on and near the 

 banks the bottom is hard ; while in the deeper water it is very 

 soft. 



I have remarked that before a continuance of southerly 

 winds the water rises considerably in this river ; and I may 

 * The first who took a steam-vessel to the West-Indies, 

 t In 1832. 



