Page:True and correct narrative of the dreadful burning of the steam-ship Amazon.pdf/7

 succeeded after three attempts, and then slid down hands and face over the paddle-box into the boat; several slid down by the tackles. Two of the watch board (Williams and Foster,) had their hair burnt while burning on deck. When the life-boat left there were sixteen on board; they heard some one shouting in the water, and threw over a keg and some oars. They endeavoured to approach, but a sea carried the boat off. They then took Mr Vincent, Mr Williamson, Mr Sisley, and two sailors from the dingy, and making her fast to the stern, towed after the burning wreck, thinking to save more lives ; but the dingy having filled, they were obliged to cut her adrift, and fearing that they themselves should be swamped, their boat's head was put to face the sea. Twelve oars were at work, the wind was increasing, and heavy squalls coming on. They saw the ship’s gig full of people, shouting as if for assistance, and at the same time descried a sail standing apparently to the southward. The vessel appeared to pass between the two boats, and after this the gig was not seen; whether she swamped or was taken up by the stranger is unknown. The strange vessel came pretty close under the lifeboat’s stern, when all shouted together, and thought they were answered on board. She was a barque, under close-reefed topsails, foresail, and fore-topmast staysail; her spanker was hanging in the brails as if she was in the act of wearing. Soon after her helm was put up, and she bore right down towards the wreck, behind which she disappeared. The masts of the steamer went over before four o'clock in the morning, the foremast on the port, and the mainmast on the starboard side. One poor fellow appeared at the jib-boom end; the jib was cut loose, and was blown away. Her mizenmast was standing while she was in flames from stem to stern. About five o'clock, when the life-boat was passing the ship in a lewardly direction, the gunpowder in her two magazines aft exploded ; and in about twenty minutes, the mizen having gone by the board, she made a heavy lurch and went down, her funnels being red hot, and still standing.

"Those in the boat now pulled before the sea and wind, thinking to make the French coast, which was, as they thought, the nearest. Mr Vincent’s monkey jacket, being mounted on an oar, was their only sail, and the boat kept dry by bailing her with his boots. At half-past ten o’clock on Sunday morning they saw a brig, and, taking down the jacket, they hoisted handkerchiefs,