( 43 
idea of thofe fublime effects winch the vkr* 
ience and raging of the elements produce,, 
and which, at this tremendous hour, feeni- 
ed to threaten nature itielf with diffolution. 
The fliip railed on mountains of water, wat; 
in a moment precipitated into an abyfe, 
where fiie appeared to wait until the coming 
fea raifed her . again into the clouds. The 
perpetual roaring of the elements echoing 
through the void, produced fuch an awful 
fenfation in the minds of the moil experi- 
enced of the feamen, that feveral of them 
appeared for fome time in a ftate of ftupe- 
faftion ; and thoie lefs accuftomcd to the 
dangers of the fea, added to this fccne of 
mifery by their fliriekings and exclam^ations. 
The terrors of the day could cn!y be fur- 
paflcd by thofe of the night.- — When the 
darknefs came on, it is impofiible for man 
to defcribe, or human imagination to con» 
ceive a fcene of more tranfcendant and com^ 
-plicated horror. To fill up the meafure of 
our calamities, about the hour of midnight, 
a fudden fhift of wind threw the fiiip into 
the trough of the fea, which ftruck her aft; 
tore away the rudder, ftarted the fiern poft 
from the hauden ends, and fhattercd the 
whole of her ftern frame. The pumps were 
immediately founded ; and in the courfe of 
a few minutes, the water had increafed to 
forcr feet. I immediately ordered one gang 
to work the pump35 and the remainder were 
employed in getting up rice out of the run 
j^f the fliip, and hcaying it overboard, in 
