The only
step to be taken was the saving the lives of the few that remained on
board the Gloucester, and getting out of her as much as was possible
before she was destroyed; and therefore the Commodore immediately sent an
order to Captain Mitchel, as the weather was now calm and favourable, to
send his people on board the Centurion as expeditiously as he could and
to take out such stores as he could get at whilst the ship could be kept
above water. And as our leak required less attention whilst the present
easy weather continued, we sent our boats, with as many men as we could
spare, to Captain Mitchel's assistance.
It was the 15th of August, in the evening, before the Gloucester was
cleared of everything that was proposed to be removed; and though the
hold was now almost full of water, yet as the carpenters were of opinion
that she might still swim for some time if the calm should continue and
the water become smooth, she was set on fire; for we knew not how near we
might now be to the island of Guam, which was in the possession of our
enemies, and the wreck of such a ship would have been to them no
contemptible acquisition. When she was set on fire Captain Mitchel and
his officers left her and came on board the Centurion, and we immediately
stood from the wreck, not without some apprehensions (as we had now only
a light breeze) that, if she blew up soon, the concussion of the air
might damage our rigging; but she fortunately burned, though very
fiercel, the whole night, her guns firing successively as the flames
reached them.
Pages:
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153