Page:Melancholy loss of the whale-fishing ship Oscar, of Aberdeen, on Thursday, April 1, 1813.pdf/4

4 some of the crew who were absent, the vessel put about stood into the bay, and succeeded in geting the last of her hands on board. By this time she was far in-shore; and a fatal calm, with a heavy rolling sea and strong flood-tide coming on, rendered it impracticable to clear the Girdleness. _ The vessel continuing to fall to the leeward, was again nnder the necessity of bringing up in the face of the rocky shore, within the Ness. Soon after which, the great violence of the gale which commenced from N.E. with thick snow, rendered her situation perilous in the extreme, and filled the minds of the people on shore with the most painful apprehensions.

About half-past eleven o’clock, A.M., the Oscar, after dragging her anchor, was seen to go ashore in the Grey Hope, near the Short Ness. A considerable number of people succeeded in getting across by the Ferry, and hastened to the spot, in order to render such assistance as might be found in their power. The heart-rending scene which, however, now presented itself, made it too apparent that all human efforts for preservation of the unfortunate ship and crew must be unavailing. The vessel lay among large rocks, and from the tremendous sea which went over her, was already breaking up. At this time an attempt was made by the crew to form a sort of bridge to the nearest rocks, by cutting away the main-mast, which unfortunately fell alongside the ship instead of towards the shore as they had fondly expected. Many of the men who had clung to the rigging were now plunged