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commanders.
them, and therefore had determined, if in our power, to send back the craft, which, being a fishing schuyt, might probably be the only support of an indigent family. Whilst Whitehurst and Mansell were executing the duty allotted to them, Hunter and myself got ready the foresail, and paid overboard one of the hawsers. The tide now rolled in, the vessel floated, and we hove her out to within about four fathoms of her buoy. Whitehurst and myself being ready to cut the other hawser, and hoist the sail. Hunter went to the helm, when he found the rudder was not shipped, but lying on the poop. We instantly ran aft, and got it over the stern; but the vessel pitched so heavily, that it was not possible to ship the lower pintle. We were now apprehensive of the total failure of the attempt; for to go to sea without a rudder would have been madness, and being nearly under the battery, we were in momentary expectation of being fired into. Several minutes were passed in this state of anxiety and danger, still persevering in the attempt to ship the rudder; but at length, finding it impossible, without a guide below, and feeling that our only hope was dependant upon the success of this important effort, in the excitement of the moment I jumped overboard; at the same instant the vessel springing a little a-head, and the sea washing me astern, it was not without the greatest exertion I could swim up to get hold of the stern post. Hunter, seeing that I was dashed from her by every wave, threw me a rope; this I made fast round my waist, and then, with some trouble, succeeded in shipping the rudder. The effort of swimming and getting on board again, although assisted by my comrades, so completely exhausted me, that I lay on my back for some time, incapable of moving a limb: but at length, rallying, I went forward to help hoist the foresail, whilst Hunter cut the hawser, and then ran to the helm. The sail was no sooner up than the vessel sprang off, as if participating in our impatience, and glorying in our deliverance: such, however, is the uncertainty and vanity of all human projects, that at the very moment when we believed ourselves in the arms of liberty, and our feelings were worked up to the highest pitch of exultation, a violent shock suddenly arrested our progress. We flew aft, and found that a few fathoms of the starboard quarter hawser having been accidentally left on board, as it ran out, a kink was formed near the end, which, getting jambed between the head of the rudder and the stern-post, had brought the vessel up all standing: the knife was instantly applied, but the hawser was so excessively taut and hard, that it was scarcely through one strand ere the increasing squall had swung her round off upon the beach. At this critical juncture, as the forlorn hope, we jumped out to seize another vessel, which was still afloat; when Winderkins,[1] seeing a body of men running upon the top of the sand-hills, in
- ↑ A man engaged by the landlady of the Raie-de-Chat to assist them in their escape.
