an no longer bear
The floods that o'er her burst in dread career;
The labouring hull already seems half filled
With water, through an hundred leeks distilled;
Thus drenched by every wave, her even deck,
Stripped and defenceless, floats a naked wreck.
FALCONER.

Two boats only remained, one of which was useless, her side having
been knocked in by the falling of the masts; and the other, the
launch, was therefore the sole means of preservation left. She was
already filled with men, but it was found impossible to remove her
from her position on the booms; and even if she had floated, she could
not have contained above one-fourth of the crew. For about half an
hour she continued in the same position, (the men who were in her
expecting every moment that her bottom would be knocked out by the
waves dashing against the spars on which she rested,) when suddenly a
heavy sea lifted her off the bows clear of the ship. Three loud cheers
greeted her release, and the oars being ready, the men immediately
pulled from the wreck, with difficulty escaping the many dangers they
had to encounter from the floating spars and broken masts.

These gallant fellows, however, would not desert their companions in
misfortune, and although their boat already contained more than a
hundred, they pulled towards the stern of the frigate; but so great
was the anxiety of the poor creatures upon the poop to jump into the
boat, that in self-defence they were obliged to keep at a certain
distance from the wreck, or the launch would have been instantly
swamped. They were therefore reduced to the terrible alternative,
either of leaving their comrades to perish, or of throwing away their
own lives. Nine of the men who had jumped overboard were picked up,
but to have attempted to save any more would have been to sacrifice
all. One of the officers left on board the wreck endeavoured by every
argument to persuade Captain Raynsford to save himself by swimming to
the launch, but all in vain. This intrepid man declared that he was
perfectly resigned to his fate, and was determined not to quit his
ship whilst a man remained on board. Finding that all entreaties were
useless, the officer himself jumped overboard from the stern gallery
into the sea, and swimming through the surf, gained the launch and was
taken on board.

The general cry in the boat was, 'Pull off!' and at twelve o'clock, as
the moon