Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v2p2.djvu/185

 placed in a similar state of danger. It is thus described by an officer who served under him at that period:

“The ship was anchored in the evening of Dec. 16th, 1812, between the reef of Chasseron and that of Isle Rhé, nearly mid-channel, in sixteen fathoms water; the courses reefed, top-sails close reefed, and top-gallant yards got down. At eight o’clock, the weather appearing suspicious, and the wind beginning to blow, the top-gallant-masts were got down on deck: at half-past it came on squally, and we veered away to a cable and a half. At nine the ship was found to be driving, and in only eleven fathoms water; the small bower was instantly let go, which brought her up in ten fathoms, The lower-yards and top-masts were now struck, as close down as they could be got. The moon was not visible, but we had sufficient light to shew us our dangerous situation; the sea breaking with great violence on the reef, about a quarter of a mile astern, and on the starboard quarter. As soon as the top-masts were down, orders were given to heave in upon the best-bower, which appeared to be slack, as though the anchor had broken. Three quarters of a cable were got in, when the stock appearing to catch a rock, it held fast: service was of course put in the wake of the hau-se, and the cable secured. The inner best bower cable was then unspliced, and bent to the spare anchor; and a man was placed in the chains to heave the lead, the same as though the ship had been underway; whilst the deep-sea lead, thrown over the gangway, was carefully attended to by a quarter-master. By means of the hand-lead the ship was found to be immediately over a rock, three fathoms in height, and in this state, with the wind at W. S.W. blowing a gale, with small rain, and a heavy sea, we remained till day-light, when the man at the gangway declared the ship to be driving. The spare anchor was directly cut away, and the range taken out, when she brought up again. On the ebb tide making she took the whole cable service, and rode with the two bowers a-head, and the spare anchor broad ou the starboard bow. The gale appeared to increase; and as the sea broke sometimes outside the ship, it proved that she was in the midst of rocks, and that the cables could not remain long without being cut. The wind at this period was West, St. Marie church bore East, and the shoalest part of the reef was only about two cables’ length distant. The wind afterwards shifted a point to the northward; but to counteract this favourable change, it was a lee tide, and a heavy sea setting right on to the reef: neither officers nor men thought it possible, in any way, to cast her clear thereof, and to make sail, more particularly as the yards and topmasts were down. Captain Hayes, however, gave orders to sway the foreyard two-thirds up outside the top-masts; and, while that was doing, to pass a hawser from the starboard quarter, and bend it to the spare cable, as a spring to cast the ship by; but before the latter could be accomplished the cable parted. The main-yard was next swayed up in a manner similar to the fore, and the spring fastened to the small-bower cable. People were sent aloft to stop each yard-arm of the top-sails and courses in four