Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/179

Rh were chopped off and a few strokes made at the masts, these fell to leeward. The ship had now been boosted over the divide of the reef, but its further progress was stayed by masts falling over and acting as stays.

One man was crushed as the first boat was lowered, and the fate of the others was surmised; but the captain still fearing the wreck would soon go to pieces, called for his boat, intending to launch her with the eleven men remaining. But Holden believed this was the most dangerous course. It had ever been a motto with him, "Don't give up the ship," and he considered the wreck would still be the safest place; he decided therefore to hold on to the last plank. Noticing his attitude, some of the boys said, "Are you going in the boat?" and he answered "No.' "Then we will not,' they replied. Three, however, were found ready to try it with the captain, but it proved only a hazardous failure.

As the ship was lying on her beam ends it was with great difficulty that the boat was gotten ready, and at every wave a sea of water fell over the decks that threatened to wash anyone without a strong handhold overboard. Holden went into the captain's cabin for the sextant and log book, etc., and found the task very difficult, but succeeded in obtaining them. It was a fearful place inside the ship. Then the captain and the three men were ready to be committed to the sea. At what seemed an opportune moment the order came, "lower away," and the boat dropped; but the lull was but just before a violent sea that caught the boat, and with one stroke dashed it against the ship's bottom, shattering it to fragments. The men were tossed into the water, but one of them seized the gripe of a loose lanyard, and swinging around by the stern of the vessel reached the lee side, and there crawled aboard. The captain had tied himself, before getting into a boat, by a, towline