ant of
presence of mind in the men, a tumultuous rush would have ensued, the
rope, held as it was with difficulty by the outstretched hand, would
inevitably have been lost in the struggle, and then all would have
perished.

But good order, good discipline, and good feeling triumphed over every
selfish fear and natural instinct of self-preservation, and to the
honour of British sailors be it recorded, that each individual man of
the crew, before he availed himself of the means of rescue, urged his
captain to provide for his own safety first, by leading the way. But
Captain Baker turned a deaf ear to every persuasion, and gave but one
answer to all--'I will never leave the rock until every soul is safe.'

In vain the men redoubled their entreaties that he would go; they were
of no avail; the intrepid officer was steadfast in his purpose. There
was no time for further discussion or delay. One by one the men
slipped from the rock upon the rope, and by this assistance forty-four
out of fifty succeeded in gaining the opposite shore. Unfortunately,
amongst the six who remained, one was a woman. This poor creature,
completely prostrate from the sufferings she had endured, lay
stretched upon the cold rock almost lifeless. To desert her was
impossible; to convey her to the shore seemed equally impossible. Each
moment of delay was fraught with destruction. A brave fellow, in the
generosity of despair, when his turn came to quit the rock, took the
woman in his arms, grasped the rope, and began the perilous transit.
Alas! he was not permitted to gain the desired shore. When he had made
about half the distance, the rope parted--not being strong enough to
sustain the additional weight and strain, it broke; the seaman and his
burden were seen but for an instant, and then swallowed up in the
foaming eddies. With them perished the last means of preservation that
remained for Captain Baker and those who were with him on the rock.
Their communication with the mainland was cut off; the water rose, and
the surf increased every moment; all hope was gone, and for them a few
minutes more must end 'life's long voyage.'

The men on shore tried every means in their power to save them. They
tied every handkerchief and available material together to replace the
lost rope, but their efforts were fruitless; they could not get length
enough to reach the rock. A party was despatched in search of help.
They found a farm-house; and while they were in s