on, which continued to increase in fury, until it became a perfect
hurricane. The ship was dismasted, and when the mainmast fell, three
poor fellows were crushed to death. A little before sunset, on the
second day of the gale, the appalling cry of "Breakers ahead!" was
raised. All eyes were instinctively turned in one direction; and, about
a mile off, the sea was as a boiling caldron. Toward the breakers the
hull was now drifting, unmanageable, every moment threatened with
destruction. For about half an hour, there was intense anxiety, and an
agony of suspense on board. At length she entered the breakers. A large
wave raised her, and she struck heavily on the rocks as the waves
receded; it was evident, from constant striking upon the bottom, that
the vessel must soon go to pieces; and the sea made a clean break over
her, about half of the length from the stern. The officers and crew were
huddled together upon the deck forward, intent upon devising means of
escape; at last the captain thought of a plan, which, though novel,
proved successful. He fastened ropes to the horns of several bullocks,
and drove them into the sea, their strong, instinctive love of life
impelled them forward, and several of them reached the shore. The ropes
were fastened by some men, who had assembled for the relief of those on
the vessel, and after much exertion and danger all on board were rescued
from their perilous situation, and landed in safety.

DESTRUCTION OF A SHIP BY A WHALE.

The following thrilling account of the destruction of the whale ship Ann
Alexander, Captain John S. Deblois, of New Bedford, by a large sperm
whale, is from the lips of the captain himself. A similar circumstance
has never been known to occur but once in the whole history of
whale-fishing, and that was the destruction of the ship Essex, some
twenty or twenty-five years ago, and which many of our readers fully
remember. We proceed to the narrative as furnished by Captain Deblois,
and which is fully authenticated by nine of the crew, in a protest under
the seal of the United States Consul, Alexander Ruden, Jr., at Paita.

The ship Ann Alexander, Captain J.S. Deblois, sailed from New Bedford,
Mass., June 1st, 1850, for a cruise in the South Pacific for sperm
whale. Having taken about five hundred barrels of oil in the Atlantic,
the ship proceeded on her voyage to the Pacific. Nothing of unusual
interest occurred until when passing Cape Horn, one of the men, name