whose course she checked, returned with fury and broke over the deck. The cabin in which we had again taken refuge, afforded a feeble protection against the howling tempest, and scarcely sheltered us from the icy waves. We were every moment apprehensive of seeing our rudder carried away, and our mast go by the board. The gulls and wild ducks which hovered around us, testified, it is true, that the land could not be far distant; but the very approach to it was a new subject of terror. How were we to escape the breakers with which it might be surrounded, unable as we were to avoid, or even to perceive them through the cloud of snow in which we were enveloped? Such, for a few hours, was our deplorable situation, when the weather having suddenly cleared, we at length perceived land at the distance of three leagues.

The sentiment of joy, with which the first sight of it inspired us, was much abated upon a more distinct view of the enormous rocks which appeared to rise perpendicularly along the coast in order to repel us. The vessel, besides, shipped such heavy seas as would have sunk her, had she been deeply laden. At each successive shock we were afraid of seeing the ship go to pieces. Our boat was too small to contain the whole of the crew, and the sea too rough to trust to such a frail support. It appeared as if we had made this fatal land only to render it a witness of our loss.

Meanwhile we continued to approach it. We were not above a mile distant, when we discovered with transport, around the menacing rocks, a sandy beach, towards which our course was directed, while the water decreased so fast in depth, as to prevent our approaching within fifty or sixty yards, when the ship struck. The fate of our lives was now about to be decided in a few minutes.

At length the vessel struck upon the sand with great vio lence. At the first shock the main-mast went by the board and the tiller was unshipped with such force that the bar almost killed one of the seamen. The furious seas which dashed against the ship on every side, stove in the stern, so that having no longer any shelter in the cabin, we were obliged to go upon deck, and to hold fast by the riggiug, for fear of being washed overboard. In a few minutes the vessel righted a little, but the keel was broken, and the body of the ship seemed ready to go to pieces. Thus all our hopes were reduced to the boat, which I had infinite trouble to get over. board, being so covered within and without, with lumps of ice, of which it was necessary to clear her. Most of the

w having taken wine to endeavor to overcome the fright which they were seized, I gave a glass of brandy to who were sober, and asked if they were willing to emwith me in the boat for the purpose of getting on shore. Sea was so rough that it seemed impossible for our crabark to keep it a moment without being overwhelmed. y the mate two seamen, and a young passenger, resolved k themselves in the boat.

In the first moment of danger, I put my despatches in a Cerchief, which I tied round my waist. Regardless of rest of my property, I seized a hatchet and a saw, and w myself into the boat, followed by the mate and my serwho, more thoughtful than myself, had saved out of my a purse of one hundred and eighty guineas. The pasger not springing far enough fell into the sea, and our hands Te so benumbed with cold as to be almost incapable of afing him the smallest assistance. When the two seamen d got into the boat, those who had most obstinately refused iry the same fortune, implored us to receive them; but gapprehensive that we should founder with the weight of h a number, I ordered the boat to put off from the vessel. on had occasion to congratulate myself for having stifled Sentiment of commiseration which might have proved fatal them. Though the shore was not above fifty yards distant, were met half way by a prodigious wave, which half fillthe boat, and would infallibly have upset her had she been hore heavily laden. A second wave threw us with violence pon the shore.

The joy to find ourselves, at length secure from those dangers which had so long kept us in the most cruel alarms, caused us to forget, for a moment, that we had only escaped one kind of death, probably to endure another more terrible and painful. While we embraced each other, in our first transports, and congratulated ourselves on our escape, we could not but be sensible of the distresses of our companions whom we had left on board, and whose lamentable cries we heard amidst the hoarse noise of the waves. What augmented the affliction into which we were plunged by this sentiment, was, our being unable to afford them any kind of assistance. boat thrown upon the sand by the angry waves, plainly testinpossibility of her breaking their force and returnessel.

Our

fast approaching, and we had not been long shore, when we found ourselves benumbed with