tween the captains, that half of our people should
remain in the schooner, and the captain, mate, eight of the crew, and
myself, should get on board the brig. On our arrival at Antigua we met
with much kindness and humanity.

LOSS OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP LITCHFIELD.

The Litchfield, Captain Barton, left Ireland on the 11th of November,
1758, in company with several other men of war and transports, under
the command of Commodore Keppel, intended for the reduction of Goree.
The voyage was prosperous till the 28th, when at eight in the evening
I took charge of the watch, and the weather turned out very squally
with rain. At nine it was extremely dark, with much lightning, the
wind varying from S. W. to W. N. W. At half past nine, had a very hard
squall. Captain Barton came upon deck and staid till ten; then left
orders to keep sight of the commodore, and to make what sail the
weather would permit. At eleven, saw the commodore bearing south, but
the squalls coming on so heavy, were obliged to hand the
main-top-sail, and at twelve o'clock, were under our courses.

November the 29, at one in the morning, I left the deck in charge of
the first lieutenant; the light, which we took to be the commodore's
right ahead, bearing S. wind W. S. W. blowing very hard; at six in the
morning I was awakened by a great shock, and a confused noise of the
men on deck. I ran up, thinking some ship had run foul of us, for, by
my own reckoning, and that of every other person in the ship, we were
at least 35 leagues distant from land; but, before I could reach the
quarter-deck, the ship gave a great stroke upon the ground, and the
sea broke all over her. Just after this, I could perceive the land,
rocky, rugged and uneven, about two cables' length from us. The ship
lying with her broadside to windward, the masts soon went overboard,
carrying some men with them. It is impossible for any one but a
sufferer to feel our distress at this time; the masts, yards, and
sails hanging alongside in a confused heap; the ship beating violently
upon the rocks; the waves curling up to an incredible height, then
dashing down with such force as if they would immediately have split
the ship to pieces, which we, indeed, every moment expected. Having a
little recovered from our confusion, saw it necessary to get every
thing we could over to the larboard side, to prevent the ship from
heeling off, and exposing the deck to the sea. Some of the people were
very