erde Island, with a view of coming
to, and getting my vessel snug before the gale should come on.
When I had nearly approached the anchorage, the look-out at the
masthead cried "Sail ho!" a second time. On applying my glass to
the direction indicated from aloft, I perceived this second sail
to be a brig in the N. E., standing apparently for Vera Cruz (she
did afterwards run between the inner Anegada and the Blanquilla).
I immediately abandoned my intention of anchoring, as the gale
had not yet set in, and hauling on a wind, under top-sails and
courses, commenced to beat up the passage a second time, (p. 301)
with the view of placing myself between the strange sail
and the Port, to prevent the possibility of her running the
blockade, if she should be so inclined. I made one tack towards
the Pascoros reefs, and at the time of the catastrophe, was
standing on the larboard tack, with the northern point of the
Verde Island reef a couple of points on my lee bow. We were still
under topsails, courses, jib and spanker, and the Brig did not
appear too much pressed. I was myself standing on the lee
arm-chest, having just passed over from the weather quarter, and,
with my spy-glass in hand, was observing the reef on our lee bow
to see whether it were possible to weather it, or in the event of
our not being able to do this, to give timely notice to the
officer of the deck to tack ship. I had not been long in this
position before the officer of the deck, 2d Lieut. Jas. L.
Parker, remarked to me that he thought it looked a little squally
to windward. I immediately passed over to the weather side, and
as it looked a little darker than it had done, I ordered him to
haul up the mainsail, and brail up the spanker, and directed the
helm to be put up. These orders were promptly obeyed. Lieut.
Parker took the mainsail off her, and had got the spanker about
half brailed up, when the squall struck us. It did not appear to
be very riotous, nor was its approach accompanied by any foaming
of the water, or other indications which usually mark the
approach of heavy squalls. But the Brig being flying light,
having scarcely any water or provisions, and but six tons of
ballast on board, she was thrown over almost instantly, so far as
to refuse to obey her helm, the pres