14 LOSS OF THE KENT. 
England, and entered the wide Atlantic, without the expecta- 
tion of again seeing land until we reached the shores of India. 
On the night of Monday the 28th of February, when the 
Kent was in lat. 47 deg. 30 min. long. 10 deg. a violent gale 
blew from the west, and gradually increased during the fol- 
lowing morning. The rolling of the vessel became tremen- 
dous about midnight, so that the best fastened articles of fur- 
niture in the principal cabins were dashed about with violence, 
and the main chains were thrown at every lurch under water. 
It was a little before this period, that one of the officers of 
the ship, Avith the well-meant intention of ascertaining that all 
was fast below, descended with two of the sailors into the 
hold, where they carried with them, for safety, a light in the 
patent lantern ; and seeing that the lamp burned dimly, the 
officer took the precaution to hand it up to the orlop-deck to 
be trimmed. Having afterward discovered one of the spirit 
casks to be adrift, he sent the sailors for some billets of wood 
to secure it ; but the ship in their absence having made a 
heavy lurch, the officer unfortunately dropped the light ; and 
letting go his hold of the cask in his eagerness to recover the 
lantern, it suddenly stove, and the spirits communicating with 
the lamp, the whole place was instantly in a blaze. 
As long as the devouring element appeared to be confined 
to the spot where the fire originated, and which we were as- 
sured was surrounded on all sides by Avater casks, we ventur- 
ed to cherish hopes that it might be subdued ; but no sooner 
was the light blue vapor that at first arose succeeded by vo- 
lumes of thick dingy smoke, which speedily ascended through 
all the four hatchways, rolled over every part of the ship, 
than all farther concealment became impossible, and almost 
all hope of preserving the vessel was abandoned. " The 
flames have reached the cable tier," was exclaimed by some 
individuals, and the strong pitchy smell that pervaded the deck 
confirmed the truth of the exclamation. 
In these awful circumstances Captain Cobb, with an ability 
and decision of character that seemed to increase with the 
i-mminence of the danger, resorted to the only alternative now 
left him, of ordering the lower deck to be scuttled, the comb- 
ing of the hatches to be cut, and the lower ports to be opened 
for the free admission of the waves. 
These instructions were speedily executed by the united ef- 
forts of the troops and seamen : but not before some of the 
sick soldiers, one woman, and several children, unable to gain 
the upper deck, had perished. On descending to the g-uu- 
