again. The few
hands who were employed in this business now plainly saw the land on the
larboard beam, bearing N, W., upon which the ship was driving bodily.
Orders were then given immediately by the captain to sway the fore-yard up,
and set the foresail; which done, we wore ship with her head to the
southward, and endeavoured to crowd her off from the land; but the weather,
from being exceedingly tempestuous, blowing now a perfect hurricane, and
right in upon the shore, rendered our endeavours (for we were now only
twelve hands fit for duty) entirely fruitless. The night came on, dreadful
beyond description, in which, attempting to throw out our topsails to claw
off the shore, they were immediately blown from the yards.

In the morning, about four o'clock, the ship struck. The shock we received
upon this occasion, though very great, being not unlike a blow of a heavy
sea, such as in the series of preceding storms we had often experienced,
was taken for the same; but we were soon undeceived by her striking more
violently than before, which laid her upon her beam-ends, the sea making a
fair breach over her. Every person that now could stir was presently upon
the quarter-deck; and many even of those were alert upon this occasion that
had not shewed their faces upon deck for above two months before: Several
poor wretches, who were in the last stage of the scurvy, and who could not
get out of their hammocks, were immediately drowned.

In this dreadful situation she lay for some little time, every soul on
board looking upon the present minute as his last, for there was nothing to
be seen but breakers all around us. However, a mountainous sea hove her off
from thence; but she presently struck again, and broke her tiller. In this
terrifying and critical juncture, to have observed all the various modes of
horror operating according to the several characters and complexions
amongst us, it was necessary that the observer himself should have been
free from all impressions of danger. Instances there were, however, of
behaviour so very remarkable, they could not escape the notice of any one
who was not entirely bereaved of his senses; for some were in this
condition to all intents and purposes; particularly one, in the ravings
despair brought upon him, was seen stalking about the deck flourishing a
cutlass over his head, and calling himself king of the country, and
striking every body he came near, till his companions, seeing no oth