Page:Castaway on the Auckland Isles (IA castawayonauckla01musg).pdf/20

4 I slip the cable with a spring, she would not clear the point, or I would slip and run out to sea. At every heave of the swell she is dragging the anchor home, and getting nearer the shore. From 10 till midnight the gale blew with the most terrific violence, and precisely at midnight the ship struck, but we hung on to the cable, in hopes that the wind would moderate as the tide rose, as it was then low water. Wind, from N.W. to W.N.W., and sometimes W.

Sunday, January 3, 1864.—After midnight the gale increased and blew with the most unimaginable violence, and we found that she was an unavoidable wreck; she lay broadside on to the beach, and the sea made a clean breach over her. At every surge we expected the masts to go over the side. We had veered out all the cable. We saw pieces of her keel coming up under her lee, and she made much water, but we kept at the pumps till we found she was filling fast, and the water was rushing into her like a boiling spring; this was at a quarter past 2 o'clock in the morning. We abandoned the pumps, and commenced getting the provisions on deck, which did not occupy much time, as our stock was very small. In a quarter of an hour she was full up to the top of the cabin table, and the sea was breaking heavily over her. The sea was so heavy on the beach that I considered it dangerous to attempt landing till daylight. We remained on deck, and at daylight commenced landing our provisions and clothes; we had much difficulty in landing; as it is a stone beach, the boat was in danger of breaking up. However, by 10 we had succeeded in landing the things most important without doing much damage to the boat. We brought the mainsail and gaff on shore and made a tent of it. We are obliged to lie on the ground, which is very wet. Raynal has walked about 100 yards to-day, from the beach to the tent. Wind, N.W. to W.N.W.

Sunday, January 10, 1864.—It is now a week since we landed here, and my time has been so much occupied in