102 LOSS OF THE ROTHS AY CASTLE, 
rary rescue I had assisted, was raised high above all the 
others : but what availed it to us, when our cup of sorrow was 
so rapidly filling, and was now just arrived at the brim ! 
I observed the vessel parting, the bow with its quivering 
mast leaning one way, the stern the other. I pointed out 
our situation to Mr. L. who seemed surprised it should take 
place so soon. There was a bench on the starboard side, 
which I was strongly tempted to seize hold of, but it was se- 
cured by another passenger, who hung it over the side ready 
to avail himself of it on the first occasion. The two parts of 
the wreck were separating more and more, and seemed only 
to be held together by the loose tackle. Our portion of it 
now heeled over to leeward, or toward the larboard side of 
the vessel. This induced L — , S — , and myself to move over 
to windward, which was the highest part of the deck. Here 
they held on by the stanchions and the railing, whilst I grasp- 
ed the spokes of the wheel on one side, and the end of the 
main-topmast on the other — ^the latter having fallen obliquely 
across the poop. We were hardly fixed, when a wave, larger 
than any that had preceded it, came rolling over us, and pass- 
ing onward to leewg.rd, swept away a whole line of victims 
together, along with the railing, stanchions, and benches; 
among those were most of the ladies and their friends. Evert 
in this tremendous event I only heard one person shriek, who 
I believed to be the poor woman with the child, whilst the 
others passed away without cry or groan, except what my 
imagination now fancies to itself, as a deep-drawn sigh from 
the whole mass at once. Their minds, previously, seemed 
absorbed in deep devotion, and probably they were well nigh 
dead to suffering and pain. 
The scene now before me was desolate indeed — a bare 
deck — a number of dark objects, struggling and writhing in 
the water, as at their last grasp ; it was needless and indeed 
impossible for me to extend a helping hand, when it could 
only have afforded them a temporary respite, with aggravated 
suffering, and when my own approaching doom, unless by 
some striking exhibition of Providence, was impressivel}- pic- 
tured before me in their vain struggles. One individual, how- 
ever, was assisted up again on the wreck ; and a solitary body 
was seen lying across the deck, which seemed to me to be 
lifeless ; but it has since occurred to me that it was that of the 
pilot, who, with several others, was saved on a large raft. 
Every wave now told against the shattered hull, and the 
water which filled it heaved up the deck, whilst the planks 
