l
was done rapidly. The moment we shoved off our crew gave way, and we
were soon aboard the snow. While Nettleship returned for more men, Tom
and I stood watching them anxiously. It seemed even now that before
they could escape the ship would go down. Though the sea had much
decreased, there was no little danger, while the boats were alongside
the _Hector_, of their being swamped. As fast as they could the boats
went backwards and forwards, taking their cargoes in through the lower
ports. I saw Captain Drury and the first lieutenant pressing Captain
Bouchier to leave the ship, but in spite of his wound he insisted on
remaining to the last. Our men, as they arrived, stood watching the
ship from the deck of the snow, and gave a cheer as they saw him
descending, the last man, into the cutter, for they knew that not a soul
was left on board the gallant _Hector_, Scarcely had the captain been
helped up the side, than we saw the ship's head begin to sink. Lower
and lower it went, then down she plunged, her ensign flying from the
spar secured to the stump of her mainmast, streaming upwards, alone
showing us the spot where she was sinking into the depths of the ocean.
A groan escaped from the breasts of many of those who had long sailed in
her. We found that we were on board the _Hawk_ snow, a letter-of-marque
belonging to Dartmouth, Captain John Hill, and bound from Lisbon to
Saint John's, Newfoundland. When Captain Bouchier expressed his
gratitude to the master for receiving him and his people, the reply
was--

"Don't talk of it, sir; I'm but doing my duty. I would wish to be
treated the same way by others."

Besides his own crew of five-and-twenty men, he had now two hundred of
the _Hector's_ on board. We had brought neither provisions nor water,
and were still many a long league from our port. The _Hawk_ had
fortunately hitherto had a quick passage. We had, therefore, more
provisions and water on board than would otherwise have been the case.
Still two hundred mouths in addition was a large number to feed, yet
neither the captain nor his ship's company grumbled or made the
slightest complaint. To stow us all away was the difficulty. To solve
it, the captain at once ordered his men to heave overboard the more
bulky portion of his cargo. His owners, he said, would not complain,
for he himself was the principal one, and he trusted to the justice of
his country to replace his loss. We were, of course, put on