the boats was swinging
it was dashed against the ship's side so violently as to be stove in and
rendered useless. This accident happened also to another boat, so that,
even by overloading those that remained, it would now be impossible to
accommodate every one.

In this dilemma, the captain at once gave orders to heave overboard all
the spare spars and the hencoops, together with enough of cordage for
the construction of a raft. This was promptly done, and the raft was
sufficiently far advanced in the course of an hour to admit of the
emigrants being placed upon it.

It was during the formation of this raft that the great value of the
life-belts became manifest. While the spars were in a loose and
half-fastened state, the men were obliged to work in the water. To have
done this without the support of the belts would have been very
exhausting, almost impossible; but with their floating power the men
could work with both hands, and move about almost as freely in the water
as on land.

The life-buoys were also of the greatest value at this time; for the
burning ship became so hot, before the raft was ready, that the
passengers were obliged to jump overboard and get upon it as they best
could, or float about until there was room for them all. In these
circumstances the buoys were the means of saving the lives of some who
could not swim.

It was late in the evening when the raft was commenced, and night was
far advanced before it was completed. During all this time the boats
remained close to it, after having hauled it a short distance from the
burning ship, which latter was now a mass of flame from the deck to the
mast-heads, rendering the whole scene as bright as day. After the
rigging was consumed, and the masts had fallen over the side, the hull
continued to burn, for a considerable time, with less flame but with a
dull red glow that afforded sufficient light to the workers. It was
fortunate the light lasted so long, for the night was so dark that it
would otherwise have been almost impossible to have worked at the raft--
tossed and rolled about as it was by the heavy sea.

It was a strange weird sight, that busy glowing scene of disaster out
upon the black ocean at midnight; and wonderful--unaccountable--did it
appear in the eyes of the night-watch on board the "Trident," as that
ship came over the sea, ploughing up the water before a steady breeze
which had sprung up soon after the sun went down.

"What