AT SEA, 
295 
tion was in the mean while used to suffocate the 
flame with wet swabs, sail-cloths, &c., and thus 
at least to retard the disaster; but all to no pur¬ 
pose. We so plainly saw our situation, that it 
was but a little time before the whole of us had 
left the Margaret and Anne, except a few who 
remained to cut open the decks and make a last 
effort by throwing down water to extinguish the 
flames : such, however, was the ascendency they 
already had gained, and such the volumes of smoke 
and fire which instantaneously burst forth, that 
delay only endangered the lives of the men, and 
it was found necessary almost immediately to 
abandon the attempt and give up the vessel to 
her fate. By twelve or one o’clock every living 
thing, not even excepting the sheep cats and 
dogs, was secured, but of our property it was 
impossible to save any thing, excepting only a 
very few articles that were with us in the cabin; 
for the fire, at the time of its first discovery, had 
taken hold of the place in which every thing 
most valuable was kept. We were but too happy 
to escape with our lives, and with the clothes 
upon our backs, and even for this we are in no 
small degree indebted to the extraordinary ex¬ 
ertions of Mr. Jorgensen, at a time when nearly 
the whole of the ship’s crew seemed paralysed 
with fear. He, too, as would be expected by all 
