re was to get rid of the
mainmast. The necessary preparations having been made, Peters cut away
at the mast (having found axes in the cabin), while the rest of us stood
by the stays and lanyards. As the brig gave a tremendous lee-lurch, the
word was given to cut away the weather-lanyards, which being done, the
whole mass of wood and rigging plunged into the sea, clear of the brig,
and without doing any material injury. We now found that the vessel
did not labour quite as much as before, but our situation was still
exceedingly precarious, and in spite of the utmost exertions, we
could not gain upon the leak without the aid of both pumps. The
little assistance which Augustus could render us was not really of any
importance. To add to our distress, a heavy sea, striking the brig to
the windward, threw her off several points from the wind, and, before
she could regain her position, another broke completely over her, and
hurled her full upon her beam-ends. The ballast now shifted in a mass
to leeward (the stowage had been knocking about perfectly at random for
some time), and for a few moments we thought nothing could save us from
capsizing. Presently, however, we partially righted; but the ballast
still retaining its place to larboard, we lay so much along that it was
useless to think of working the pumps, which indeed we could not have
done much longer in any case, as our hands were entirely raw with
the excessive labour we had undergone, and were bleeding in the most
horrible manner.

Contrary to Parker's advice, we now proceeded to cut away the foremast,
and at length accomplished it after much difficulty, owing to the
position in which we lay. In going overboard the wreck took with it the
bowsprit, and left us a complete hulk.

So far we had had reason to rejoice in the escape of our longboat,
which had received no damage from any of the huge seas which had come on
board. But we had not long to congratulate ourselves; for the foremast
having gone, and, of course, the foresail with it, by which the brig had
been steadied, every sea now made a complete breach over us, and in
five minutes our deck was swept from stern to stern, the longboat
and starboard bulwarks torn off, and even the windlass shattered into
fragments. It was, indeed, hardly possible for us to be in a more
pitiable condition.

At noon there seemed to be some slight appearance of the gale's abating,
but in this we were sadly disappointed, for it only lu