118 LOSS OF AN ENGLISH SLOOP. 
I 
entered the gulf Avhen the ship began to make considerably 
more water, and though two pumps were kept constantly go- 
ing, we still had two feet water in the hold. On the other 
hand, the severity of the frost had increased, and the ice col- 
lected about the ship so as to render us apprehensive of being 
entirely surrounded. We had on board only nineteen persons, 
six of whom w^ere passengers, and the others bad seamen. As 
for the captain, to whom it was natural to look up for assist- 
ance in this predicament, instead of attending to the preserva- 
tion of the ship, he passed his time in getting drunk in his 
cabin, without bestovv^ing a thought upon our safety. 
The wind continued to blow with the same violence, and the 
water having risen in the hold to the height of four feet, cold 
and fatigue produced a general despondency among the crew. 
The seamen unanimously resolved to desist from iheir work. 
They abandoned the pumps, and showed the utmost indiffer- 
ence to their fate, declaring they would rather go to the bot- 
tom with the ship than exhaust themselves by useless labor 
in such a desperate situation. It must be acknowledged, that 
for several days they had undergone excessive fatigue, with- 
out any interval of relaxation. The inactivity of the captain 
had the effect of disheartening them still more. However, by 
encouragement and promises, and by the distribution of wine, 
which I ordered very seasonably to refresh them, I at length 
overcame their reluctance. During the interruption of their 
labor the water had risen another foot in the hold ; but their 
activity had so increased by the warmth of the liquor which I 
gave them every half hour, and they stuck so closely to their 
work, that the water was soon reduced to less than three feet. 
It was now the 3d of December. The wind appeared 
every day to become more violent instead of abating. The 
cracks in the vessel continued to increase, while the ice at- 
tached to her sides augmented her weight and checked her 
progress. It was necessary to keep constantly breaking this 
crust of ice which threatened to envelope the ship. The brig 
by w^hich we were accompanied, so far from being able to 
lend us any assistance, was in a situation still more deplorable, 
having struck upon the rocks near the island of Coudres,* 
through the ignorance of the pilot. A thick snow, which then 
began to fall, concealed her from us. The guns which we 
fired alternately every half hour, formed the whole of our 
correspondence. We soon had the mortification to find that 
our signals were not answered. She perished, together with 
* Jsk des Coudres (Hazel Island.) 
