fire reached them. Captain Blackwood
retained his composure and cheered us up by reminding us, that the boats
of the squadron would soon arrive. They came at last. It was no easy
matter to get on board. Many of the men jumped into the sea, in their
eagerness to reach them. Others stood, shouting and shrieking to them
to come nearer. I, at last seeing a boat which had not as yet taken
many men aboard her, and thinking it was time to save myself, leapt
overboard, and was soon picked up. Many who had imitated my example
were of necessity left swimming or floating, and would have perished had
not other boats arrived and saved them. The ship's cable had some time
before this been burnt through. All this while she was drifting towards
the island of Tenedos--now her stern, now her broadside alternately
presented to the wind. One of the men in the boat had been hurt. I
took his oar. I found that the boat I was aboard of belonged to the
`Saint George,' and was under the command of Lieutenant Willoughby. As
soon as we fell in with another boat, we put the rest of the people on
board her, and rowed back again, to try and save some more. This we
succeeded in doing. The third time we returned to our burning ship.
Just then she rounded-to, and we saw several men hanging by ropes under
her head. The brave Lieutenant resolved to rescue these poor fellows
before she again fell off. Straining at our oars, we dashed up to her,
and succeeded in taking all of them on board, but before we could get
clear of the ship she again fell off, carrying us with her, and as she
surged through the water nearly swamping us. At the same time flames
reached the shank and stopper, when her remaining bower anchor fell over
her sides, very nearly right down upon us. Just then, the cable caught
our outer gunwale, over which it ran, apparently one sheet of fire. The
flames were at the same time raging above our heads, and rushing out
from her bow-ports. Our destruction seemed certain; we might have left
the boat to try and save ourselves by swimming, but we were too much
exhausted to try and reach any of the other boats; all we could do was
to try and keep the flames from off our own. Just as we had given up
all expectation of escape, the anchor took the ground, and though the
cable was nearly burnt through, it had strength sufficient to check the
ship's head, which enabled us to clear ourselves; though we were
somewhat scorched, no one was