About twenty minutes past four in the morning, the moon opening rather brighter than before, shewed to Lieutenant Bell, who was watchfully looking out on the forecastle, a glimpse of the land, which he had scarcely reported to Sir Edward Pellew, before the breakers were seen. At this time the Indefatigable was close under the enemy’s starboard bow, and the Amazon as near her on the larboard; not an instant could be lost every life depended upon the prompt execution of orders; nothing could equal the activity of her brave crew, who, with incredible alacrity, hauled the tacks on board and made sail to the southward. Before day-light they again saw breakers upon the lee bow, and wore to the northward. Not knowing exactly on what part of the coast they were embayed, the lingering approach of day-light was most anxiously looked for; and soon after it opened; the land was seen very close a-head; the ship was again wore in twenty fathoms water, and stood to the southward. A few minutes after the Indefatigable discovered and passed within a mile of the enemy who had so bravely defended himself; the ship was lying on her broadside, and a tremendous surf beating over her. The miserable fate of her brave crew was perhaps the more sincerely lamented by those of the Indefatigable, from the apprehension of their suffering a similar misfortune, having at that time four feet water in the hold, a great sea, and the wind dead on the shore.
Sir Edward Pellew was now able to ascertain his situation to be that of Hodierne Bay, and that their fate depended upon the possible chance of weathering the Penmark Rocks, which, by the uncommon exertions of her fatigued and exhausted crew, in making all the sail they could set, was happily accomplished at eleven o’clock, passing about a mile to windward of them.
The fate of the Amazon was not so fortunate; when the Indefatigable had hauled her wind to the southward, she had hauled hers to the northward; Captain Reynolds, notwithstanding every effort, found his masts, yards, rigging, and sails so miserably cut and shattered, with three feet water in his hold, that it was impossible to work off the shore; in this condition, a little after five in the morning, the Amazon struck the ground; and almost at the same moment the ene-
