s
below, perished beneath the feet of their miserable companions. Their
dying groans and exclamations for pity, only tended to awaken more
painful apprehensions, and increase the terror of the survivors.

At length after three hours, which appeared so many ages, day broke,
but instead of bringing relief to the sufferers, it only served to
disclose the horrors of their situation. They now found, that had the
country been alarmed by the guns of distress which they had continued
to fire for many hours before the ship struck, but which were not
heard, owing to the violence of the storm, they could neither be
observed by the people from above, nor could any boat live below. They
were completely overhung by the cliff, so that no ropes let down could
reach them; nor did any part of the wreck remain as a guide to their
retreat.

The only prospect of saving themselves, was to creep along the side of
the cavern to its outward extremity, and on a ledge scarcely as broad
as a man's hand, to turn the corner, and endeavor to clamber up the
precipice, almost perpendicular, and nearly 200 feet high from the
bottom.--And in this desperate effort some did succeed, while others,
trembling with fear, and exhausted by the preceding conflict, lost
their footing and perished in the attempt.

The first who gained the top, were the cook and James Thompson, a
quarter-master; the moment they reached it, they hastened to the
nearest house and made known the condition of their comrades. This was
Eastington, the habitation of Mr. Garland, steward to the proprietors
of the Purbeck quarries. He immediately collected the workmen, and
procuring ropes with all possible despatch, made the most humane and
zealous exertions for the relief of the surviving people.

Mr. Meriton made a similar attempt to that of the two others, and
almost reached the edge of the precipice. A soldier who preceded him
had his feet on a small projecting rock or stone on which also Meriton
had fastened his hands to aid his progress. At this critical moment
the quarrymen arrived, and seeing a man so nearly within their reach,
they dropped a rope to him, of which he immediately laid hold; and in
a vigorous effort to avail himself of this advantage, loosened the
stone on which he stood, and which supported Mr. Meriton. It giving
way, Mr. Meriton must have been precipitated to the bottom, had not a
rope at that instant providentially been lowered to him, which he
seized, when abs