4

3
A great hole having
been found in her stern, through which
the water was rushing, the anchors
were let go, lest she would drift
into deeper water & founder. As
it was, the ship, through the length
of her cables swung into five fathoms
of water.

Shortly after she struck several
of the men commenced making
rafts. Two were completed before
she foundered & launched with about
thirty men on board. Just before
daybreak the Captain left for the
land to get, as he said, assistance.
He took the finest boat and six hands.
A few minutes before she went down
about twenty five men, myself amongst
the number, took refuge in the rigging
When the ship sank on the reef she
listed so much to port that the top-
gallant mast heads were not many
feet from the water's edge. The lives
of the whole of us were consequently
in great jeopardy. About an hour
afterwards fifteen of us were rescued
by the two boats. When we started
for the shore (about 8 a.m.) eight
or ten men were left on the rigging
One boat carried fifteen men, the
other thirteen. The former, in which
I was, made for the most northern
of the Palm Islands - the other keeping
much more to windward. The two rafts

[marginalia]

[in left margin, next to Line 3]
i