428 LOSS OF THE PHOENIX. 
ashore, and we may save ourselves yet ! By this time the 
quarter deck is full of men who had come up from below ; and 
the " Lord have mercy upon us," flying about from all quar- 
ters. The ship now made every body sensible that she was 
ashore, for every stroke threatened a total dissolution of her 
whole frame ; we found she was stern ashore, and the bow 
broke the sea a good deal, though it was washing clean over 
at every stroke. Sir Hyde cried out, " Keep to the quarter deck, 
my lads ; when she goes to pieces it is your best chance!" 
Providentially got the foremast cut away, that she might not 
pay round broad side. Lost five in cutting away the foremast, 
by the breaking of a sea on board just as the mast went. That 
was nothing; every one expected it would be his own fate 
next ; looked for daybreak with the greatest impatience. At 
last it came ; but what a scene did it show us ! The ship upon 
a bed of rocks, mountains of them on one side, and Cordille- 
ras of water on the other; our poor ship grinding and crying 
out at every stroke between them ; going away by piece-meal. 
However, to show the unaccountable workings of Providence, 
that which often appears to be the greatest evil, proves to be 
the greatest good ! That unmerciful sea lifted and beat us up 
so high among the rocks, that at last the ship scarcely moved. 
She was very strong, and did not go to pieces at the first 
thumping, though her decks tumbled in. We found after- 
ward that she had beat over a ledge of rocks almost a quarter 
of a mile in extent beyond us, where, if she had struck, every 
soul of us must have perished. 
I now began to think of getting on shore, so I stripped off 
my coat and shoes for a swim, and looked for a line to carry 
the end with me. Luckily I could not find one, which gave 
me time for recollection : " This won't do for me, to be the 
first man out of the ship, and first lieutenant ; we may get to 
England again, and people may think I paid a great deal of 
attention to myself, and did not care for any body else. No, 
that won't do ; instead of being the first, I'll see every man, 
sick and well, out of her before me." 
I now thought there was no probability of the ship's soon 
going to pieces, therefore had not a thought of instant death : 
took a look round with a kind of philosophic eye, to see how 
the same situation affected my companions, and Avas surprised 
to find the most swaggering, swearing bullies in fine wea- 
ther, now the most pitiful wretches on earth, when death 
appeared before them. However, two got safe; by which 
means, with a line, we got a hawser on shore, and made fast 
