ll:--

"This axident happened on the 23rd of December, and on the 25th the
boats left us with moast of the officers and a great part of the seamen.
The master-gunner, purser, one master's mate, one midshipman, and a
parson, with nine seamen, was got into the longboat and cleared the
ship. The doctor and four or five men got into a cutter and was upset
close to the ship, and all of them was drowned. As for the rest of the
boats, I believe they must be lost and all in them perished, for wee was
about six hundred leagues from any land. There was about fifty-six men
missing; a number drowned jumping into the boats; the sea ran so
high that the boats could scarce live. The commander had a strong
resulution, for he said he would sooner go down in the ship than he
wold quid her. All the officers left in the ship was the commander, the
carpenter, one midshipman, and myself. After the boats left us we had
two chances--either to jump or sink. We cold just get into the sailroom
and got up a new forecourse and stuck it full of oakum and rags, and put
itt under the ship's bottom; this is called fothering the ship. We found
some benefit by itt for pumping and bailing we gained on hur; that gave
us a little hope of saving our lives. We was in this terable situation
for nine weeks before we got to the Cape of Good Hope. Sometimes our
upper-deck scuppers was under water outside, and the ship leying like
a log on the water, and the sea breaking over her as if she was a rock.
Sixteen foot of water was the common run for the nine weeks in the hold.
I am not certain what we are to doo with the ship as yet. We have got
moast of our cargo out; it is all dammaged but the beef and pork, which
is in good order. I have lost a great dele of my cloaths, and I am
thinking of drawing of about six pound, wich I think I can make shift
with. If this axident had not hapned I shold not have had aney call for
aney. As for my stores, there is a great part of them thrown overboard;
likewise all the officers stores in the ship is gone the same way, for
evry thing that came to hand was thrown ovarboard to lighten the ship.
I think that we must wait till ordars comes from England to know what we
are to do with the ship."

The chronicles of the time also relate how at daylight on Christmas
morning, when the water was reported as being up to the orlop deck
and gaining two feet an hour, many of the people desponded and gave
themselves up for lost. A part of those