on of two of the party, who
were frost-bitten, and who died two days after our quitting the wreck,
we were soon restored to health, and reached St. Catherine's Dock on the
30th of the following month.

[Illustration: VOYAGE OF THE ABERGAVENNY.]

LOSS OF THE ABERGAVENNY.

The Earl of Abergavenny, East Indiaman, left Portsmouth, in the
beginning of February, 1805, with forty passengers, and property to the
value of eighty-nine thousand pounds sterling on board. On the 5th of
February, at ten A.M. when she was about ten leagues to the westward of
Portland, the commodore gave a signal for her to bear up. At this time
the wind was west south-west; she had the main top-mast struck, the fore
and mizzen top-gallant mast on deck, and the jib-boom in. At three a
pilot came on board, when they were about two leagues west from
Portland; the cables were ranged and bitted, and the jib-boom got out.
The wind suddenly died away as she crossed the Shangles, a shoal of rock
and shingle, about two miles from the land; and a strong tide setting
the ship to westward, drifted her into the breakers. A sea taking her on
the larboard quarter brought her to, with her head to the northward,
when she instantly struck the ground, at five in afternoon. All the
reefs were let out, and the top-sails hoisted up, in the hope that the
ship might shoot across the reef; the wind shifting meanwhile to
north-west, she remained there two hours and a half, with four feet of
water in the hold, the tide alternately setting her on, and the surf
driving her back, beating all the while with such violent shocks, that
the men for some time could scarcely stand upon the decks. At length,
however, she was got off the rocks.

The pumps were kept constantly going, and for fifteen minutes after
clearing the rocks, kept the water at four feet; but the leak gaining
upon them, all sails were set, with the view of running for the nearest
port. But the water now rose so fast, than she refused to answer the
helm, and they resolved to run her on the first shore. The captain and
officers still thought that she might be got off without material
damage, and no signal guns of distress were fired for three quarters of
an hour, though sensible of some danger, they kept silent, lest they
should alarm the passengers. Soon however the peril appeared but too
manifest; the carpenter announced that a leak was at the bottom of the
chain-pumps, through which the water gushed so fa