In this pressing danger Mr. Suamarez, our first lieutenant, who now
commanded on board, ordered several guns to be fired and lights to be
shown, as a signal to the Commodore of our distress; and in a short time
after, it being then about one o'clock, and the night excessively dark, a
strong gust, attended with rain and lightning, drove us off the bank and
forced us out to sea, leaving behind us on the island Mr. Anson, with
many more of our officers, and great part of our crew, amounting in the
whole to one hundred and thirteen persons. Thus were we all, both at sea
and on shore, reduced to the utmost despair by this catastrophe; those on
shore conceiving they had no means left them ever to leave the island,
and we on board utterly unprepared to struggle with the fury of the seas
and winds we were now exposed to, and expecting each moment to be our
last.
CHAPTER 28.
ANSON CHEERS HIS MEN--PLANS FOR ESCAPE--RETURN OF THE CENTURION.
The storm which drove the Centurion to sea blew with too much turbulence
to permit of either the Commodore or any of the people on shore hearing
the guns which she fired as signals of distress, and the frequent glare
of the lightning had prevented the explosions from being observed; so
that when at daybreak it was perceived from the shore that the ship was
missing, there was the utmost consternation amongst them. For much the
greatest part of them immediately concluded that she was lost, and
entreated the Commodore that the boat might be sent round the island to
look for the wreck; and those who believed her safe had scarcely any
expectation that she would ever be able to make the island again; for the
wind continued to blow strong at east, and they knew how poorly she was
manned and provided for struggling with so tempestuous a gale.
Pages:
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162