ing the orders of their officers, while we were cool and did
our best to save ourselves.

We kept the helm a-starboard, and steered to a spot where there appeared
to be less surf; but it was a fearful choice of evils. In two or three
minutes the ship struck; it must have been on a rock, for she trembled
throughout, and the foremast went by the board. All hands had run aft,
knowing what must occur. Again she lifted and flew forwards several
yards, but it was to strike with more violence; and the following sea,
before most of us could secure our hold, came rushing furiously on
board, and sweeping everything before it.

I found myself lifted off my feet, and whirled round among the foaming
billows. I knew nothing more till I felt my arm grasped at by some one;
and when I returned to consciousness I was on the beach uninjured, with
Andrew leaning over me.

I asked for our companions; he shook his head sorrowfully. Three of
them were missing--poor Tom and two others. Nearly all the Frenchmen
were lost. We two, Terence, David, and the two others, and six
Frenchmen, were the only ones who had escaped. Before the ship struck
we had instinctively thrown off our shoes and the greater part of our
clothing, so that we had nothing on but our shirts and trousers; and as
none of the bodies of our unfortunate shipmates nor any clothes were
washed on shore, we had no means of supplying ourselves.

We suspected that we had been cast away on the west coast of Ireland;
and we found, on inquiry of some people who flocked down to the shore,
that we were not wrong. I am sorry to say, that so eager were they in
hunting for whatever might come on shore, that they seemed little
disposed to afford us any assistance. The Frenchmen were anxious at
once to proceed to Dublin, where they might get relief from their
consul; and Andrew and the rest wished to go there also, to cross over
to England or Scotland, and Terence because he belonged to that city.

I, however, was eager to return home direct. The yearning to see my
parents and brothers and sisters again was stronger than I could repress
I felt sure, also, that Captain Dean and Mary, to whom I had given my
father's address, would have communicated with him, and that I should
receive some news of them.

With sincere regret I parted from that excellent man, Andrew Thompson,
and with not much less from Terence and the rest; but the two first
promised to write to me as soon as they g