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The fails being taken in, and boats hoifted out to examine the depth of water, theyfound that The (hip had been carried over a ledge of the rock, and lay in a hollowwithin it. Finding that the water was deepeft aftern, they carried out the anchor fromthe (larboard quarter, and applied their whole force to the capftern, in hopes to getthe veflel off, but in vain. She beat fo violently againft the rock, that the crew couldfcarcely keep on their legs. The moon now (hone bright, by the light of which theycould fee the (heathing boards float from the bottom of the veflel; till at length thefalfe keel followed, fo that they expected inftant deftruction. Their bed chance ofefcaping feemed now to be by lightening her; but as they had (truck at high water,they would have been but in their prefent (ituation, after the veflel (hould draw asmuch lefs water as the water had funk; but their anxiety abated a little, on findingthat the (hip fettled to the rocks as the tide ebbed. They, however, flattered them-felves that if the (hip (hould keep together till next tide, they might have fome chanceof floating her. They therefore inftantly darted the water in the hold, and pumped itup. The decayed dores, oil-jars, calks, ballad, fix of their guns, and other things,were thrown over-board, in order to get at the heavier articles; and in this bufinefsthey were employed till day-break, during all which time it was obferved, that not anoath was fworn; fo much were the minds of the failors impreflfed with a fenfe of theirdanger.
At day-light they faw land at eight leagues didance; but not a fingle ifland betweenthem and the main, on which part of the crew might have been landed, while the boatwent on (hore with the red ; fo that the dedru&ion of the greater part of them wouldhave been inevitable, had the (hip gone to pieces. It happened, however, that the winddied away to a dead calm before noon. As they expelled high water at eleven o’clock,every thing was prepared to make another effort to free the (hip ; but the tide fell f°much fhort of that in the night, that (he did not float by eighteen inches, thoughthey had thrown overboard near fifty tons weight; they now, therefore, renewed theirtoil, and threw overboard every thing that could be poflibly fpared. As the tide felhthe water poured in fo rapidly, that they could fcarcely keep her free by the conftantworking of two pumps. Their only hope now depended on the midnight tide, andpreparations were accordingly made for another effort to get the (hip off. The tidebegan to fife at five o’clock, when the leak likewife increafed to fuch a degree, thattwo more pumps were manned; but only one of them would work; three, therefore*were kept going till nine o’clock, at which time the fhip righted; but fo much waterhad been admitted by the leak, that they expected (he would fink as foon as the water(hould bear her off the rock. Their fituation was now deplorable beyond defcription *and the imagination muff paint what would baffle the powers of language to defcri&e*They knew that when the fatal moment (hould arrive, all authority would be at an ell •The boats were incapable of conveying them all on (hore; and they dreaded a contefor the preference, as more (hocking than the (hipwreck itfelf j yet it was confidere >that thofe who might be left on board, would eventually meet with a milder fate tnthofe who, by gaining the (hore, would have no chance but to linger the remainslife among the rudefl favages in the univerfe, and in a country, where fire-arms woubarely enable them to fupport a wretched exiftence. ,
At twenty minutes after ten the (hip floated, and was heaved into deep water; wthey were happy to find (lie did not admit more water than (he had done before; ;as the leak had for a confiderable time gained on the pumps, there was now three ^nine inches water in the hold. By this time the men were fo worn by fatigue or ^