Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p2.djvu/474

 him to take charge of the ship's books and accounts, together with the chronometers, and his own stores, and proceed to seek a place of safety for them on the island. During the night three planks of the larboard bow were stove in, and the cutwater completely ground away to the wood-ends against the rocks.

“Nov. 30th – At 7, crept up the end of the cable parted from yesterday, lashed both messengers to it, and hove taut through the rudder hole. Crept up the small rudder chain which had parted on the 28th, passed the end of a hempen bower-cable, with a splicing piece on it, through the starboard after-port on the half-deck, and hove it taut.

“The Lieutenant-Governor came on board, and remained all night, his offers of assistance were much felt by all on board. He was kind enough to express his approbations at the exertion and perseverance manifested by all. As the ship was again secured, and the sea-breeze continued to blow fresh, we made no attempts to heave the ship off, but lightened her as fast as possible, by getting out guns shot, ballast, provisions, and other stores; – the carpenters plugging up the holes made in the bow; – the ship at this time making eight feet water per hour. During this and the former days, the people were without interval kept at the chain-pumps and the cheerful manner in which this was performed could alone give us any hope.

“As it was necessary that some officer should be landed to direct the necessary arrangement of all the stores, and receive the sick, acting Lieutenant Blackwood was selected for this service, who merits my approbation in every way from his great wish to do duty at the time the ship grounded, although he had been in the sick list for several months before and was still in a weakly state.

“December 1st. – Landed the assistant-surgeon with the sick on Pulo-Carnac, and part of the stores. At 3, made an attempt to heave the ship off, having shifted the stern-cable to one of the larboard quarter main-deck ports. She started a few feet when the cable parted. Succeeded in clinching it again, hove taut, seized the end to the side bolts just inside the port, keeping the messenger also on it, and brought-to; – people continually employed at the pumps, clearing ship of all her stores to the ballast, thrumming a sail, and rafting the spars. As a rise of tide was anticipated we had still a hope of saving the ship.

“Dec. 2d. – Continued landing stores of every description. At 3, made an attempt to heave off by the Sulphur’s anchor, with two hempen cables an end on the larboard quarter, leading through the second after port on the main-deck; to these were hitched and seized our own two messengers, the hempen one brought to the capstan on the main-deck; the coir, with a runner on it, was bitted forward: the latter was intended to assist the former, but from having a less purchase was more of a standby: they were cut off as soon as we had end enough to bring the cable to the capstan – two round turns were taken, and luff’s used for holding on. 