178 LOSS OF THE NOTTINGHAM GALLEY. 
land, sailed for Boston, in New-England, the 25tli of Septem- 
ber, 1710. Meeting with contrary winds and bad weather, it 
was the beginning of December when we first made land to 
the eastward of Piscataqua, and proceeding southward for the 
bay of Massachusetts, under a hard gale of wind at north- 
east, accompanied with rain, hail, and snow, having no obser- 
vation for ten or twelve days, we, on the 11th, handed all our 
sails, excepting our fore-sail and maintop-sail double-reefed, 
ordering one hand forAvard to look out. Between eight and 
nine o'clock, going forward myself, I saw the breakers ahead, 
whereupon I called out to put the helm hard to starboard ; but 
before the ship could wear we struck upon the east end of the 
rock called Boon-Island, four leagues to the eastward of Pis- 
cataqua. 
The second or third sea heaved the ship along side of it: 
running likewise so very high, and the ship laboring so exces- 
sively, that w^e were not able to stand upon deck ; and though 
it was not distant above thirty or forty yards, yet the weather 
was so thick and dark that we could not see the rock, so that 
we were justly thrown into consternation at the melancholy 
prospect of immediately perishing in the sea. I presently 
called all hands down to the cabin, where we continued a few 
minutes, supplicating the mercy of heaven ; but knowing that 
prayers, without personal efforts, are vain, I ordered all up 
again to cut the masts by the board ; but several were so op- 
pressed by the terrors of conscience that they were incapa- 
ble of any exertion. We, however, went upon deck, cut the 
weathermost shrouds, and the ship heeling toward the rocks, 
the force of the sea soon broke the masts, so that they fell 
right toward the shore. 
One of the men w^ent out on the bowsprit, and returning, 
told me he saw something black ahead, and would venture 
to get on shore, accompanied with any other person : upon 
which I desired some of the best swimmers (my mate and one 
more) to go with him, and if they gained the rock, to give no- 
tice by their calls, and direct us to the most secure place. Re- 
collecting some money and papers that might be of use, also 
ammunition, brandy, &c. I then went down and opened the 
place where they were ; but the ship bulging, her decks 
opened, her back broke, and her beams gave way, so that the 
stern sunk under water. I was, therefore, hastened forward 
to escape instant death, and having heard nothing of the men 
who had gone before, concluded them lost. Notwithstanding, 
I was under the necessity of making the same adventure upon 
