Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p2.djvu/296

 ten the first division went to the pumps; and each man was ordered a dram and other refreshments, which seemed to give them fresh spirits. At midnight the water had increased to six feet, and it was then blowing a very strong gale. At day-light on the 25th, a few hands were set about filling one of the lower studding-sails with oakum, which they found some difficulty to get under the ship’s bottom. By unwearied exertions at the pumps, the leak became reduced, and continued to diminish until eleven o’clock, when there was only nineteen inches. In half an hour the leak began again to gain upon them, and a second sail was fothered and got under the bottom; but the gale was so strong, attended with a heavy sea, which broke frequently over the ship, that it had little, if any effect. At four in the afternoon, Mr. Clements, the master, went down by the way of the rudder into the gun-room, and from thence into the bread and spirit-rooms, to endeavour to discover the leak; not being able to succeed, it was thought necessary to scuttle the deck close aft, which being out of the roll of the water, would enable them to get up and throw overboard some of the provisions and stores.

“This being done, Mr. Riou, the chaplain, the purser, and two men were employed in this business; but unfortunately in endeavouring to get up a cask, it fell back on Mr. Riou, and bruised his hand in so shocking a manner, as to disable him from giving any farther assistance. They then gave up all farther attempts to lighten the ship in this part, and again assisted at the pumps.

“At midnight the water had increased to four feet and a half; at the same time the winch of the starboard pump breaking, it became disabled, and the water at six in the morning had increased to seven feet; the night had also been very tempestuous, and by the violence of the wind the fore and main-top-sails were blown to pieces, and the ship left entirely at the mercy of a most tremendous sea. The people began to break off from the pumps, and to secrete themselves, and could only be kept to their duty by threatening to have them thrown overboard. They were kept ignorant of the true state of the ship, until one of the carpenters stationed to sound the well, came up, and reported that the water was as high as the orlop-deck, and gaining above a foot every half hour. The officers could not possibly suppress this report; and many of the people, who were really unable to bear the fatigue any longer, immediately desponded, and gave themselves up to perish with the ship. A part of those who had any strength left, seeing that their utmost efforts to save the ship were likely to be in vain, applied to the officers for the boats, which were promised to be got in readiness for them, and the boatswain was directly ordered to put the masts, sails, and compass in each. The cooper was also set to work to fill a few quarter-casks of water out of some of the butts on deck; and provisions and other necessaries were got up from the hold.

“Many hours previous to this. Lieutenant Riou had privately declared to his officers, that he saw the final loss of the ship was inevitable; and