dred persons were thrown into the waves. Thus the insatiable
ocean swallowed its prey piece-meal. About five, the wreck parted by the
fore-rigging, and so many persons were thrown into the sea, that only
seventy were left on the forecastle, they being lashed to the wreck.
Even these were gradually diminished in number, some giving out from
exhaustion, and others anticipating fate, by drowning themselves.

When day dawned, on the following morning, only about thirty persons
were left alive, and these were almost exhausted. The sea was making a
clean breach into the forecastle, the deck of which was rapidly breaking
up. Parents and children, husbands and wives, were seen floating around
the vessel, many in an embrace, which even the ocean's power could not
sunder. The few who remained alive could only look up to heaven for a
hope of safety. Soon after daylight, the vessel totally disappeared, and
out of four hundred and twenty-three persons who had been on board the
vessel, only nine were saved by being washed on shore, and these were
nearly exhausted.

[Illustration: LOSS OF THE FRANCIS SPAIGHT.]

LOSS OF THE FRANCIS SPAIGHT.

On the morning of the 7th of January, 1848, the barque Francis Spaight,
lying in Table Bay, at the Cape of Good Hope, parted her anchor, and in
attempting to beat out, grounded, broadside on the beach. The gale at
the time she struck was furious, and the surf tremendous, making a clean
breach over the vessel, carrying away the bulwark, long boat, main
hatch, and part of the deck, with one of the crew.

The shore was thronged with the inhabitants of Cape Town, anxious for
the fate of the vessel. An attempt was made to send a rope from the land
to the wreck, but the rope broke. Rockets were fired with lines
attached, and one was thrown across the foremast stay, where none of the
men could reach it, on account of the fearful rolling of the sea. After
some extraordinary delay, a whale boat was brought from the town, and
manned by six daring fellows, who dashed through the surf, and were soon
alongside the vessel.

All except the carpenter, fifteen in number, got into the boat, and
pushed off. At this moment a terrific sea upset the boat, and twenty-one
persons were struggling in the surf for life. The people on the beach
were horror-stricken; and men on horseback were seen plunging into the
sea, risking their lives to save their fellow-creatures; but eighteen
sunk to rise no more. The mas