d to his cabin, but had scarcely closed the
door, before he was summoned upon deck by the officer of the watch.

The officers in the gun-room were upon the point of retiring to their
berths, when they were startled by a sudden jerk, which they at first
supposed to be a gun broken adrift, but the next moment the ship gave
a heavy lurch, as if filling, and her whole frame appeared shaken, and
every beam loosened. It would be in vain to attempt to describe the
dismay of the crew of the ill-fated Avenger, when thus roused from a
sense of comparative security, to find themselves in an instant upon
the verge of destruction. Already the deck was crowded with people,
most of them only partially clothed, and the rest almost naked. On the
bridge between the paddle-boxes stood the captain and master; Mr.
Ayling, the master's assistant, the quarter-master, and two seamen
were at the wheel. In another minute the ship gave a heavy lurch to
starboard, and the sea poured over the forecastle. The captain then
gave the order, 'Out boats--lower away the boats.' These were his last
words, for he was immediately afterwards washed overboard and drowned.

Lieutenant Rooke, who never appears to have lost his presence of mind,
immediately went forward to assist in lowering the boats, but under
the firm impression that the ship was fast sinking, and with little
hope that there was time enough to get out the boats, or even if
lowered, that they could live in such a heavy sea. He saw, however, if
anything was to be done, it must be done immediately; he therefore
went amongst the men endeavouring to persuade them to lower the
starboard cutter; Mr. Betts, the second master, at the same time
attempted to lower the port one. Every entreaty and persuasion that
Lieutenant Rooke could use was, however, of no avail; the men seemed
paralysed with the sudden panic and the apparent helplessness of their
situation. Instead of affording assistance, they clustered together,
exclaiming, 'Oh, my God, Sir, we are lost--we are lost!' Mr. Rooke,
finding that all his arguments were of no avail, crossed the deck to
the port side for the purpose of helping Mr. Betts in lowering the
port cutter. In his way he met Larcom, the gunner, who had just come
from below, with his clothes under his arm, having been in bed when
the ship struck. Hastily acquainting him with his intention, they made
the best of their way to the cutter, where they were joined by Dr.
Steel, the surge