LOSS, BY FIRE, OF THE PRINCE. 167 
from the great pannel. The captain ordered the boats over- 
board, but fear had exhausted the strength of the most intre- 
pid. The jolly boat was fastened at a certain height, and 
preparations were made for hoisting her over; but, to com- 
plete our misfortunes, the fire, which increased every mo- 
ment, ascended the main-mast wath such violence and rapidity 
as to burn the tackle , the boat, pitching upon the starboard 
guns, fell bottom upward, and we lost all hope of raising her 
again. 
We now perceived that we had nothing to hope from hu- 
man aid, but only from the mercy of the Almighty. Dejec- 
tion filled every mind; the consternation became general; 
nothing but sighs and groans were heard ; even the animals 
we had on board uttered the most dreadful cries. Every one 
began to raise his heart and hands toward heaven; and in 
tlie certainty of a speedy death, each was occupied only with 
the melancholy alternative between the two elements ready 
to devour us. 
The chaplain, who was on the quarter-deck, gave the gene- 
ral absolution, and went into the gallery to impart the same 
to the unhappy wretches who had already committed them- 
selves to the mercy of the weaves. What a horrible specta- 
cle ! Every one was occupied only in throwing overboard 
whatever promised a momentary preservation ; coops, yards, 
spars, every thing that came to hand was seized with despair, 
and disposed of in the same manner. The confusion was ex- 
treme ; some seemed to anticipate death by jumping into the 
sea, others, by swimming, gained the fragments of the vessel; 
while the shrouds, the yards, and ropes, along the side of the 
ship, were covered with the crew, w^ho were suspended from 
them, as if hesitating between two extremes, equally immi- 
nent and equally terrible. 
Uncertain for what fate Providence intended me, I saw a 
father snatch his son from the flames, embrace him, throw 
him into the sea, then following himself, they perished in each 
other's embrace. I had ordered the helm to be turned to star- 
board; the vessel heeled, and this manoeuvre preserved us 
for some time on that side, while the fire raged on the lar- 
b'ard side from stem to stern. 
Till this moment I had been so engaged that my thoughts 
were directed only to the preservation of the ship; now, how- 
ever, the horrors of a twofold death presented themselves ; 
but, through the kmdness of heaven, my fortitude never for- 
sook me. 1 looked round and foimd myself alone upon the 
