to leave the
roads, which unfortunately was not noticed by many of the officers of
the different vessels. At 5 P. M. the gale commenced; but through
neglect the royal and top-gallant yards were not sent down, nor could
the officer commanding be persuaded that any danger would arise from
remaining at our anchorage; the ship's company now came aft and
expostulated; but the officer in command called them all cowards, and
said he would not start her anchor if it blew the masts out of her.

About 2 A. M. on the 25th, the gale commenced with the utmost fury,
and she rode her scuttles under water, but as they were not secure,
the sea came inboard and made very fast upon us. At 6 A. M. the water
was three feet on the lee-side of our gun-deck, and from the continual
working of the ship the chests broke from their fastenings.

After seeing a vessel go down at her anchors close on our starboard
bow, the officer then gave orders for our cable to be slipped, which
was immediately put into execution. John Gardener, a seaman, wishing
to go aloft, and not taking proper hold, was blown from the rigging,
and never seen again. We set the fore-sail, which immediately split;
the mainsail, met with the same fate; the gaskets of the topsails gave
way, and the sails split. At half past eight we found we had sprung a
leak, owing to the ship's labouring so much; in the course of ten
minutes we sounded, and found three feet water in the hold. The pumps
were choaked; by 9 A. M. they were cleared, and by this time we had
eight feet water in the well, and three on the gun-deck; the ship
rolled very much, and the chests, guns, and water-casks, being all
cast adrift, were dashing from larboard to starboard with the greatest
fury. At 10 A. M. the ship labouring so much, and her being eight
streaks of her main-deck under water, abreast of her main-hatchway, so
that we had very little prospect of her living two minutes above
water, it was thought necessary to send her mizen-mast by the board,
in order to righten her; but while going, the mizen-mast heeled to
windward and caught her royal-yards in the top-sail tye, and stayed
her so, that we were compelled to cut away the main-mast, which
carried the fore-top-mast and jib-boom; and, while in the act of going
by the board, it knocked an invalid down and killed him on the spot.
The ship rightened a little; but the sea was very boisterous, and we
appeared to be in a valley in the midst of a number of treme