breaking some of her oars. At that moment it
seemed as if the lifeboat herself was doomed to destruction. She was
but small, pulling only six oars, and scarcely fitted for the arduous
work in which she was engaged. Captain Wasey now anchored, and
attempted to veer her down to the wreck, but the strong tide running
defeated his intention. The anchor being then weighed, another attempt
was made to board the vessel to leeward; but a heavy sea striking her,
she was thrown over altogether, her masts falling within a few feet of
the lifeboat, whose brave crew thus narrowly escaped destruction.
Again, therefore, Captain Wasey determined to anchor to windward, and
once more to veer down. This time success attended the efforts of the
lifeboat's crew, lines being thrown on board of the wreck and secured.
One of the people from the schooner then threw himself into the sea, and
was hauled into the boat; but unhappily the others appeared to be either
fearful or unable to follow his example; and, from the pitchy darkness
and the noise of the sea and wind, it was impossible to communicate
intelligibly with them. Captain Wasey learned from the man saved, that
three persons remained; one--the master--had his back hurt, and
another--a boy--his leg broken. While endeavouring to carry out their
humane purpose, a heavy sea broke over both vessel and boat, carrying
away the lines, and sweeping the boat some 300 yards to leeward. Many
seamen might have despaired of regaining the wreck, but the men of the
lifeboat, encouraged by their gallant leader, pulled up once more, in
the hopes of saving the poor fellows on the wreck. Great was their
disappointment, however, on again getting alongside, to discover that
the last heavy sea had washed them all off. Captain Wasey and his
gallant followers having done all that men could do, had at length to
return to the shore with one only out of the four people who had formed
the crew of the _Ann Mitchell_. They had been thus occupied for nearly
nine hours of a dark winter's night, with untiring exertion and
exposure. The lifeboat had been launched at six p.m. on the 22nd, and
did not return to the shore till forty minutes past two a.m. on the
23rd.

Their labours in the cause of humanity were, however, not over for that
day. Soon after daylight broke, it was reported to Captain Wasey that
another vessel had apparently sunk on the shoals which surround and
extend to a long distance from the po