er
security against his tyranny, knocked him down. Some, reduced before by
long sickness and the scurvy, became on this occasion, as it were,
petrified and bereaved of all sense, like inanimate logs, and were bandied
to and fro by the jerks and rolls of the ship, without exerting any efforts
to help themselves. So terrible was the scene of foaming breakers around
us, that one of the bravest men we had could not help expressing his dismay
at it, saying, it was too shocking a sight to bear; and would have thrown
himself over the rails of the quarterdeck into the sea had he not been
prevented; but at the same time there were not wanting those who preserved
a presence of mind truly heroic. The man at the helm, though both rudder
and tiller were gone, kept his station; and being asked by one of the
officers if the ship would steer or not, first took his time to make trial
by the wheel, and then answered with as much respect and coolness as if the
ship had been in the greatest safety, and immediately after applied himself
with his usual serenity to his duty, persuaded it did not become him to
desert it as long as the ship kept together. Mr Jones, mate, who now
survives not only this wreck, but that of the Litchfield man of war upon
the coast of Barbary, at the time when the ship was in the most imminent
danger, not only shewed himself undaunted, but endeavoured to inspire the
same resolution in the men, saying, "My friends, let us not be discouraged,
did you never see a ship amongst breakers before? Let us endeavour to pass
her through them. Come, lend a hand: here is a sheet, and here is a brace,
lay hold: I don't doubt but we may stick her yet near enough to the land to
save our lives." This had so good an effect, that many who before were half
dead, seemed active again, and now went to work in earnest. This Mr Jones
did purely to keep up the spirits of the people as long as possible; for he
often said afterwards, he thought there was not the least chance of a
single man's being saved. We now run in between an opening of the breakers,
steering by the sheets and braces, when providentially we stuck fast
between two great rocks; that to windward sheltered us in some measure from
the violence of the sea. We immediately cut away the main and fore-mast,
but the ship kept beating in such a manner, that we imagined she could not
hold together but a very little while. The day now broke, and the weather,
that had been extremely thick,