LOSS OF THE HERCULES. 55 
ship, raised on mountains of water, was in a moment preci- 
pitated into an abyss, where she appeared to wait until the 
coming sea raised her again into the clouds. The perpetual 
roaring of the elements echoing through the void, produced 
such an awful sensation in the minds of the most experienced 
of the seamen, that several of them appeared for some time in 
a state of stupefaction ; and those less accustomed to the dan 
gers of the sea added to this scene of misery by their shncU 
ings and exclamations. 
The terrors of the day could only be surpassed by those of 
the night. When the darkness came on, it is impossible lor 
man to describe, or human imagination to conceive, a scene 
of more transcendent and complicated horror. To fill up the 
measure of their calamities, about the hour of midnight a sud- 
den shift of wind threw them into the trough of the sea, which 
struck her aft, tore aw^ay the rudder, started the stern-post 
from the hauden ends, and shattered the whole of her stern 
frame. The pumps were immediately sounded, and in the 
course of a few minutes the water had increased to four feet. 
A gang Avas immediately ordered to the pumps, and the re- 
mainder were employed in getting up rice out of the run of 
the ship and heaving it overboard, if possible to get at the 
leak. After three or four hundred bags were thrown into the 
sea, the principal leak was discovered, and the water poured 
in with astonishing rapidity. In order, therefore, to decrease 
as much as possible the influx of water, sheets, shirts, jackets, 
bales of muslin, and every thing of the like description were 
thrust into the aperture. Had not these exertions been attended 
with some success, the ship must certainly have gone down, 
although the pumps delivered fifty tons of water an hour. 
As the next day advanced, the weather began to moderate. 
The men worked incessantly at the pumps, and every exertion 
was made to keep the ship afloat. They were at this tima 
about two hundred miles from the eastern coast of Africa. 
On the 9th, although the violence of the tempest had in a 
great measure subsided, yet the swell of the sea was tremen- 
dous. The long-boat was ordered out ; but the captain hav- 
ing reason to suspect that some of the crew would endeavor 
to make ofl' with her, he directed the second mate and three 
seamen to take possession of her ; at the same time giving 
them arms and express orders to shoot the first man who at- 
tempted to board her without his permission. They were also 
instructed to keep astern, but to stick by the ship until they 
eame to an anchor. 
