t of November that year that the Packet made her last
cruise. The weather was freezing cold, with a thick sky, and heavy
squalls from the south of west, when she struck on the East Bar, near
the main channel. They put down the helm, thinking to slide off; but she
only swung broadside to the waves, and as the tide was at ebb, she was
soon hard and fast, with the sea making a clean breach over her.

"Captain Coffin, with the four other men, got into the rigging with a
flag of some kind, which they fastened at half mast, as a signal of
distress. It was about midday when they ran on the bar, and Bridges saw
them, and realized their danger at once; and their cries for help at
times rose above the roar of the ravenous seas. With the help of his
wife he launched a light boat, but long before he got into the sweep of
the heavier breakers, he saw that she could never live on the bar, and
it was with great difficulty that he regained the shore. At nightfall,
although the hull was badly shattered, no one had perished, and the tide
had so far abated that the party could easily have waded ashore; and
Captain Coffin and another man, after vainly attempting to induce the
other three to accompany them, started themselves.

"The others charged them with cowardice in leaving the vessel, said that
the wind would go down, and they could get the craft off at flood-tide,
and so prevailed over the better judgment of the captain and his
companion that they returned to the fated vessel, and prepared, as well
as possible, for the returning tide.

"As the tide rose, the sea came with little, if any, diminution of fury;
and until nearly midnight Bridges watched the signal lantern, which
called in vain for the aid which it was not in the power of man to
bestow. Intense cold was added to the other horrors of their situation,
and the heavy seas came each hour in lessened fury, as the water
thickened into 'sludge.' At eleven o'clock the tide was at its height;
the seas had ceased to sweep across the hogged and sunken hull, and a
sheet of thin ice reached from the shore to the vessel's side. Captain
Coffin tried the ice, and, finding that it would bear his weight,
decided to try to reach the Blockhouse Light, which shone brightly three
miles away.

"He summoned the others; but two of the others, who had persuaded him to
remain on board, were already frozen to death; the third decided to make
the attempt, but walked feebly and with uncertain steps, a