160 LOSS OF THE CENTAUR. 
it right to make the attempt, though I knew our booms could 
not float half the ship's company in fine weather; but we 
were in a situation to catch at a straw. I therefore called 
the ship's company together, told them my intention, recom- 
mending them to remain regular and obedient to their officers. 
Preparations were immediately made for this purpose ; the 
booms were cleared; the boats, of which we had three, viz. 
cutter, pinnace, and five-oared yawl, were got over the side ; 
a bag of bread was ordered to be put in each, and any liquors 
that could be got at, for the purpose of supplying the rafts. I 
had intended myself to go in the five-oared yawl, and the 
coxswain was desired to get any thing from my steward that 
might be useful. Two men, captains of the tops, of the fore- 
castle, or quarter-masters, were placed in each of them, to 
prevent any person from forcing the boats, or getting into 
them till an arrangement was made. While these prepara- 
tions were making, the ship was gradually sinking, the orlop- 
decks having been blown up by the water in the hold, and 
the cables floated on the gun deck. The men had some time 
quitted their employment of bailing, and the ship was left 
to her fate. 
In the afternoon the weather again threatened, and blew 
strongly in sqtialls; the sea ran high, and one of the boats 
(the yawl) was staved'^long side and sunk. As the evening 
approached, the ship appeared little more than suspended in 
water. There was no certainty that she would swim from 
one minute to another ; and the love of life, which I believe 
never showed ttself later in the approach to death, began now 
to level all distinctions. It was impossible, indeed, for any 
man to deceive himself with a hope of being saved upon a 
raft in such a sea ; beside that, the ship in sinking, it Avas 
probable, would carry every thign down with her in a vortex, 
to a certain distance. 
It was near five o'clock, when, coming from my cabin, I 
observed a number of people looking very anxiously over the 
side; and looking over myself, I saw that several men had 
forced the pinnace, and that more were attempting to get in. 
I had immediate thoughts of securing this boat before she 
might be sunk by numbers. There appeared not more than 
a moment for consideration ; to remain and perish with the 
ship's company, to whom I could not be of use any longer, or 
seize the opportunity which seemed the only way of escap- 
ing, and leave the people with whom I had been so well sa- 
tisfied on a variety of occasions that I thought I could give 
