LOSS OF THE CENTAUR. 159 
was without remedy, there being too much water in the well 
to get to it; we also had but six leathers remaining, so that 
the fate of the ship was not far off Still the labor went on 
without any apparent despair, every officer taking his share 
of it, and the people were always cheerful and obedient. 
During the night the water increased ; but about seven in 
the morning of the 23d I was told that an unusual quantity of 
water appeared, all at once, in the fore-hold, which, upon my 
going forward to be convinced, I found but too true ; the stow- 
age of the hold ground-tier was all in motion, so that in a 
short time there was not a whole cask to be seen. We were 
convinced the ship had sprung a fresh leak. Another sail 
had been thrumming all night, and I was giving directions 
to place it over the bows, when I perceived the ship settling 
by the head, the lower deck bow ports being even with the 
water. 
At this period the carpenter acquainted me the well was 
staved in, destroyed by the wreck of the hold, and the chain- 
pumps displaced and totally useless. There was nothing left 
but to redouble our efforts in bailing ; but it became difficult to 
fill the buckets, from the quantity of staves, planks, anchor- 
stock, and yard-arm pieces, which were now washed from 
the wings, and floating from side, to side with the motion of 
the ship. The people, till this period, had labored, as if de- 
termined to conquer their difficulties, without a murmur or 
without a tear; but now, seeing their efforts useless, many of 
them burst into tears and wept like children. 
I gave orders for the anchors, of which we had two re- 
maining, to be thrown overboard, one of which (the spare an- 
chor) had been most surprisingly hove in upon the forecastle 
and mid ships, when the ship had been upon her beamends, 
and gone through the deck. 
Every time that I visited the hatch-way I observed that the 
water increased, and at noon washed even with the orlop- 
deck ; the carpenter assured me the ship could not swim long, 
and proposed making rafts to float the ship's company, whom 
it was not in my power to encourage any longer with a pros- 
pect of their safety. Some appeared perfectly resigned, went 
to their hammocks and desired their messmates to lash them 
in ; others were lashing themselves to gratings and small rafts ; 
but the most predominant idea was, that of putting on their 
best and cleanest clothes. 
The weather, about noon, had been something moderate, 
and as rafts had been mentioned by the carpenter, I thought 
