numbers came on board of us, both of sea and land kinds: some I took notice of, which happened to be to leeward, turned to windward like a ship-tack and tack - for they could not fly against it; and when they had come over the ship, dash themselves down on the deck, and never attempt to stir till picked up; and when let go again, would not leave the ship, but endeavour to hide themselves from the wind. At eight o'clock a hurricane the sea roaring, but the wind still steady to a point: did not ship a spoonful of water. However, got the hatchways all secured, expecting what would be the consequence should the wind shift placed the carpenters by the mainmast with broad axes, knowing from experience, that at the moment you may want to cut away to save the ship, an axe may not be found. Went to supperbread, cheese, and porter: the purser frightened out of his wits about his bread-bags; the two marine officers as white as sheets, not understanding the ship's working so much, and the noise of the lower deck guns, which by this time made a pretty screeching to people not used to it: it seemed as if the whole ship's side was going at each roll. Wooden, our carpenter, was all this time smoking his pipe and laughing at the doctor; the second lieutenant upon deck, the third in his hammock. At ten o'clock I thought to get a little sleep; came to look into my cot it was full of water; for every seam, by the straining of the ship, had begun to leak; stretched myself, therefore, upon deck between two chests, and left orders to be called should the least thing happen.

"At twelve, a midshipman came to me Mr. Archer, we are just going to wear ship, sir.'-' Oh, very well, I will be up directly; what sort of weather have you got?'. - It blows a hurricane.' Went upon deck, found Sir Hyde there : It blows damn'd hard, Archer.' It does indeed, sir.' I don't know that I ever remember its blowing so hard before; but the ship makes very good weather of it upon this tack, as she bows the sea; but we must wear her, as the wind has shifted to the S. E., and we

are drawing right upon Cuba; so do you, go forward, and have some hands stand by; loose the lee-yardarm of the foresail, and when she is right before the wind whip the clue garnet close up, and roll the sail up.'-'Sir, there is no canvas can stand against this a moment; if we attempt to loose him, he'll fly into ribbands in a moment, and we may lose three or four of our people; she'll wear by manning the fore-shrouds.'- No, I don't think she will.'—' I'll answer for it, sir; I have seen it tried several times on the coast of America with success.'—

Well, try it; if she does not wear, we can only loose the foresail afterwards.' This was a great condescension from such a man as Sir Hyde. However, by sending about two hundred people into the fore rigging, after a hard struggle she wore found she did not make so good weather on this tack as the other, for as the sea began to run across, she had not time to rise from one sea before another dashed against her. Began to think we should lose our masts, as the ship lay very much along, by the pressure of the wind constantly upon the yards and masts alone; for the poor mizen-staysail had gone in shreds long before, and the sails began to fly from the yards through the gaskets into coach-whips. My God! to think that the wind could have such force!

"Sir Hyde now sent to see what was the matter between decks, as there was a good deal of noise. As soon as I was below, one of the marine officers calls out, Good God! Mr. Archer, we are sinking; the water is up to the bottom of my cot.' Poo, poo, as long as it is not over your mouth you are well off; what the devil do you make this noise for?' I found there was some water between decks, but nothing to be alarmed at; scuttled the deck, and let it run into the well found she made a great deal of water through the sides and decks; turned the watch below to the pumps, though only two feet of water in the well; but expected to be kept constantly at work now, as the ship laboured much, with hardly a part of her above water but the quarter-deck, and that but seldom.

Come, pump away, my boys: Carpenters, get the weather chain pump rigged.' All ready, sir.' — ' Then man it, and keep both pumps going.'

"At two o'clock the chain-pump was choaked: set the carpenters at work to clear it; the two hand-pumps at work upon deck. The ship gained upon us while our chain-pumps were idle; in a quarter of an hour they were at work again, and we began to gain upon her. While I was standing at the pumps cheering the people, the carpenter's mate came running to me with a face as long as my arm Oh, sir, the ship has sprung a leak in the gunner's room.'

Go, then, and tell the carpenter to come to me, but don't speak a word to any one else.'-' Mr. Goodinch, I am told there is a leak in the gunner's room; go and see what is the matter, but don't alarm any body, and come and make your report privately to me.' A little after this he returned: Sir, there's nothing there, 'tis only the water washing up between the timbers that this booby has taken for a leak.' 'Oh, very well; go upon deck, and see if you can keep any of the water from washing down below.' - Sir, I have had four people constantly keeping the hatchways secure, but there is such a weight of water upon deck that nobody can bear it when the ship rolls.'

"Shortly afterwards the gunner came to me: Mr. Archer, I should be glad you would step this way into the maga zine for a moment.' I thought some damned thing was the matter, and ran directly, Well, what's the matter here?' -The ground tier of powder is spoiled; and I want to show you that it is not out of carelessness in me in stowing it, for no powder in the world could be better stowed: Now, sir, what am I to do? if you don't speak to Sir Hyde, he will be angry with me.' I could not but smile, to see how easy he took the danger of the ship, and said to him, Let us shake off this gale of wind first, and talk of the damaged powder afterwards.'

"At four, we had gained upon the ship a little, and I went upon deck, it being my watch. The second lieutenant

relieved me at the pumps. Who can attempt to describe the appearance of things upon deck? if I was to write for ever I could not give you an idea of it: a total darkness all above-the sea on fire, running as it were in Alps, or Peaks of Teneriffe-mountains are too common an idea; the wind roaring louder than thunder (absolutely no flight of imagination); the whole made more terrible, if possible, by a very uncommon kind of blue lightning. The poor ship very much pressed, yet doing what she could; shaking her sides, and groaning at every stroke. Sir Hyde upon deck, lashed to windward. I soon lashed myself alongside of him, and told him the situation of things below; the ship not making more water than might be expected with such weather; that I was only afraid of a gun breaking loose. I am not in the least afraid of that; I have commanded her six years, and have had many a gale of wind in her, so that her iron work is pretty well tried, which always gives way first - Hold fast! that was an ugly sea; we must lower the lower yards, I believe, Archer the ship is much pressed.'If we attempt it, sir, we shall lose them, for a man aloft can do nothing; besides, their being down would ease the ship very little. The mainmast is a sprung

mast

I wish it was overboard without carrying any thing else along with it; but that can soon be done, the gale eannot last for ever, 'twill soon be daylight now.

"Found by the master's watch it was five o'clock, though but a little after four by ours; glad it was so near daylight, and looked for it with much anxiety. Cuba, thou art much in our way!Another ugly sea! Sent a midshipman to bring news from the pumps: the ship was gaining on them very much, for they had broke one of their chains, but 'twas almost mended again. News from the pump again she still gains! - a heavy sea! Back water from to leeward half way up the quarter-deck- -filled one of the eutters upon the booms, and tore her all to pieces; the ship lying almost upon her beam ends, and not attempting to right again. Word from below that the ship

still gained on them, as they could not stand to the pumps, she lay so much along. Said to Sir Hyde, This is no time, sir, to think of saving the mastsshall we cut the mainmast away ?'

Aye, as fast as you can.' I accordingly went into the weather-chains with a pole-axe to cut away the lanyards; the boatswain went to leeward, and the carpenters stood by the mast: we were all ready; when a very violent sea broke right on board of us, carried every thing upon deck away, filled the ship full of water; the main and mizen-masts went, the ship righted, but was in the last struggle of sinking under us. As soon

.

as we could shake our heads above water, Sir Hyde exclaimed, We are gone at last, Archer-foundered at sea!'-'Yes, sir, farewell; and the Lord have mercy on us!' I then turned about to look forward at the ship, and thought she was struggling to get rid of some of the water but all in vain she was almost full below. God Almighty! I thank thee, that now I am leaving this world, which I have always considered as only a passage to a better, I die with a full hope of thy mercies, through the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son, our Saviour!' I then felt sorry that I could swim ; as by that means I might be a quarter of an hour longer dying than a man who could not, as it is impossible to divest ourselves of a wish to preserve life. the end of these reflections, I thought I felt the ship thump, and grinding our feet it was so. Sir, the ship is ashore.' 'What do you say?' The ship is ashore, and we may save ourselves yet.' By this time the quarter-deck was full of men that had come up from below, and, the Lord have mercy upon us! flying about from all quarters.

1

At

The ship made every body sensible now that she was ashore, for every stroke threatened a total dissolution of her whole frame; 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- Keep to the quarter-deck, my ladswhen she goes

to pieces 'tis your best chance.' A pro. vidential circumstance got the foremast

cut away, that she might not pay round broadside to lost five men 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 shew us! the ship upon a bed of rocks, mountains of them on one side, and cordilleras of water on the other; our poor ship grinding, and crying out at every stroke between them; going away by piecemeal: however, to show the unaccountable workings of Providence, that often what 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 a very strong ship, and did not go to pieces at the first thumping, though her decks tumbled in. We found afterwards that she had beat over a ledge of rocks, almost a quarter of a mile without us; where, if she had struck, every soul of us must have perished. I now began to think of getting on shore; so stripped off my coat and shoes for a swim, and looked for a line, to carry the end with me. I luckily could not find one, which gave 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 first, I'll see every man, sick and well, out of her before me.'

was

"I now thought there was not a probability of the ship's going soon to pieces, therefore had not a thought of instant death: took a look round with a sort of philosophic eye, to see how the same situation affected my companions; and not surprised to find the most swaggering, swearing bullies in fine weather, were now the most pitiful wretches on earth, when death appeared before them. Several people that could swim went overboard to try for the shore; nine of them were drowned before our eyes. However, two got safe; by which means, with a line we got a

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hawser on shore, and made fast to the rocks, upon which many went, and arrived safe. There were some sick and wounded on board, who could not go this way; so we got a spare topsail-yard from the chains, and got one end on shore and the other into the cabin window, so that most of the sick got ashore this way. As I had determined, so I was the last man out of the ship, which was about The gale now began to ten o'clock. break. Sir Hyde came to me, and, taking me by the hand, was so affected as to be hardly able to speak: I am happy beyond expression to see you on shore; but look at our poor Phoenix!' I turned about, but could not say a single word, being too full: my mind had been too actively employed before, but every thing now rushed upon me at once, so that I could not contain myself, and I indulged for a full quarter of an hour. By twelve it was pretty moderate; got some sails on shore, and made tents; found great quantities of fish drove up by the sea in holes amongst the rocks; knocked up a fire, and had a most comfortable dinner.

In the afternoon we made a stage from the cabin windows to the rocks, and got out some provisions and water, lest the ship should go to pieces, and then we must all perish with hunger and thirst; for we were upon a desolate part of the coast, and under a rocky mountain, which could not supply us with a single drop of water.

Got

"But to proceed. Instantly sent off an express to the admiral; another to the Porcupine man of war; and went myself to Martha Brae, to get vessels; for all their vessels here, as well as many of their houses, were gone to Moco. three small vessels, and set out back again to Cuba; where I arrived the fourth day after leaving them. I thought the ship's crew would have devoured me on my landing; they wisked me up on their shoulders presently, and carried me to the tent where Sir Hyde was. I must omit many little anecdotes that happened - on shore, for want of time; but I shall have a number of stories to tell you when I get alongside of you; and the next time I visit you, I shall not be in such a hurry to quit you as I was the last; for then I hoped my nest would have been But my tale is pretty well feathered. I found the Porcupine had

forgot.