, and about three o'clock in the morning of the 17th flew
suddenly round to the contrary point, blowing most tremendously, and
accompanied with rain, thunder and lightning; the Ramillies was taken
by the lee, her main-sail thrown back, her main-mast went by the
board, and mizen-mast half way up; the fore-top mast fell over the
starboard bow, the fore-yard broke in the slings, the tiller snapped
in two, and the rudder was nearly torn off. Thus was this capital
ship, from being in perfect order, reduced, within a few minutes to a
mere wreck, by the fury of the blast and the violence of the sea,
which acted in opposition to each other. The ship was pooped, the
cabin, where the Admiral lay was flooded, his cot-bed jerked down by
the violence of the shock and the ship's instantaneous revulsion, so
that he was obliged to pull on his boots half leg deep in water,
without any stockings, to huddle on his wet clothes, and repair upon
deck. On his first coming thither, he ordered two of the lieutenants
to examine into the state of the affairs below, and to keep a
sufficient number of people at the pumps, while he himself and the
captain kept the deck, to encourage the men to clear away the wreck,
which, by its constant swinging backwards and forwards by every wave
against the body of the ship, had beaten off much of the copper from
the starboard side, and exposed the seams so much to the sea that the
decayed oakum washed out, and the whole frame became at once
exceedingly porous and leaky.

At dawn of day they perceived a large ship lying under their lee,
lying upon her side, water-logged, her hands attempting to wear her by
first cutting away the mizen-mast, and then her main-mast; hoisting
her ensign, with the union downwards in order to draw the attention of
the fleet; but to no purpose, for no succour could be given, and she
very soon went down head fore-most, the fly of her ensign being the
last thing visible. This was the Dutton, formerly an East Indiaman,
and then a store-ship, commanded by a lieutenant of the navy, who in
his agitation, leaped from her deck into the sea; but, as might be
expected, was very soon overwhelmed by its billows. Twelve or
thirteen of the crew contrived, however, to slide off one of the
boats, and running with the wind, first endeavored to reach a large
ship before them, which, not being able to fetch, and afraid of
filling if they attempted to haul up for the purpose, they made up for
another sh