of them fired, to give notice to the 'Elizabeth,' or
any other ship that might be within hearing, to come in to their
assistance; but they heard no guns again to answer theirs, though they
longed for it, hoping that the 'Elizabeth,' or any other ship coming in
to them, by their boats might save the lives of some of them. Whitelocke
also caused lights to be set up in the top-gallant, used at sea by those
in distress to invite help; but the lights were not answered again by any
other ship or vessel; particularly they wondered that nothing was heard
or seen from the 'Elizabeth.'

Whitelocke then ordered the sails of the ship to be reversed, that the
wind, being high, might so help them off; but no help was by it, nor by
all the people's coming together to the stern, then to the head, then to
the sides of the ship, all in a heap together; nothing would help them.
Then Whitelocke ordered the mariners to hoist out one of the boats, in
which some of the company would have persuaded Whitelocke to put himself
and to leave the rest, and seek to preserve his own life by trusting to
the seas in this boat; and they that advised this, offered willingly to
go with him.

But Whitelocke knew that if he should go into the boat, besides the
dishonour of leaving his people in this distress, so many would strive to
enter into the boat with him (a life knows no ceremony) that probably
the boat would be sunk by the crowding; and there was little hope of
escaping in such a boat, though he should get well off from the ship and
the boat not be overladen. He therefore ordered the captain to take a few
of the seamen into the boat with him, and to go round the ship and sound
what water was on each side of her, and what hopes they could find, and
by what means to get her off, himself resolving to abide the same fortune
with his followers.

The captain found it very shallow to windward, and very deep to leeward,
but no hopes of help; and at his return the master advised to lighten the
ship by casting overboard the goods in her. Whitelocke held it best to
begin with the ordnance, and gave order for it. Mr. Earle was contriving
how to save his master's jewels, which were of some value; his master
took more care to save his papers, to him more precious jewels; but there
was no hope of saving any goods or lives. Whitelocke put in his pocket a
tablet of gold of his wife's picture, that this, being found about his
dead body when it should be taken up, m