he ship.

The two cutters were sent to a galliot and a schuyt, that were in
sight near the land, to ask for help, but they failed in obtaining it;
and one of them in returning to the Romney was upset in the breakers,
and a master's mate with her crew perished. Lieutenant Baker, who
commanded the other cutter, finding it impossible to reach the ship
again, bore up to the Texel, in hopes of being more successful in
obtaining assistance there than he had been with the schuyt.

On board the ship, in the meantime, the minute guns were fired, and
officers and men looked anxiously for a responsive signal that would
tell them of approaching succour--but they waited in vain; no help was
at hand. The people were therefore set to work to make rafts, and
three were soon finished. Between two and three o'clock in the
afternoon the ship struck again, with such violence, that the rudder
broke away, and she seemed likely to go to pieces immediately. The
captain seized the first moment of the weather-tide slacking to order
the masts to be cut away, which was promptly done, and fortunately
without causing any injury in their fall. After this, the ship became
more easy, although the sea still made a clean breach over her.
Captain Colville saw that the slightest alteration in her position
would be attended with imminent danger, and he therefore ordered the
bower anchors to be let go--her head then swung to the wind, and this
enabled her to settle gradually on the sand, where she lay
comparatively easy. Darkness was fast gathering around, and the hearts
of the crew were becoming dreary and hopeless.

Nor sail nor shore appeared in sight,
Nought but the heavy sea and coming night.

When the tide flowed, no part of the ship below the quarter-deck was
accessible. To add to the misery of their situation, out of the four
bags of bread which had been put for safety into the cabin, one only
could be got upon deck, and that one was so soaked in salt water, that
the bread could scarcely be eaten. This, with two cheeses, and a few
gallons of wine, composed the whole of their stock of provisions, and
during the day they had had no leisure to take refreshment of any
kind.

Such was the condition of the crew of the Romney, who passed that
awful night on the quarter-deck, the starboard side of which was under
water at high tide. The wind blew in violent gusts; sleet and rain
were falling, and the sea dashed over the vessel every instant.
A