BURNING OF THE SHIP.

7

through the smoke into my cabin, and assisted at the pumps. When the hatches were taken off, to allow of water being poured into the hold, flames and clouds of smoke issued forth as from a furnace, increasing every instant in heat and density. It was soon found that all exertion was in vain the vessel must perish!

From the pumps we ran to the boats: the gig hung over the larboard quarter, so as to be lowered in a moment; but we should have lost its valuable services, had not a gentleman threatened to send a bullet through the head of the carpenter, who, insane with terror, had brought a hatchet to cut the ropes and drop it at once into the sea. The yawl, a larger boat, was our great difficulty: it was turned, keel upwards, over the long boat, to serve as a roof to the live stock kept in the latter. Many attempts were made in vain to raise it from its situation; the long boat was already on fire, by the flames bursting from the main hold. I climbed into it (without feeling that, in doing so, I broke my shins severely,) to give my assistance; and when we were just ready to despair, the yawl eased and rose, no one knew how, and was over the side and in the water, more quickly, the sailors said, than they had ever before seen it done.

Captain Dacre had already affirmed, in answer to my inquiries, that the two boats could not carry all the ship's company, passengers and crew: and under other circumstances, we should not have dared to try them but the trial must now be made. The two ladies, one of whom had to be hurried from her bed, where she had retired for the night, were first put safely into the yawl; some other passengers and myself, with part of the crew, followed, and our weight sank it nearly to the water's edge: the captain and others entered the smaller boat and sufficiently filled it, leaving the vessel with honourable reluctance; while the first mate, Mr. Ibbetson, gallantly remained on board to the last, suggesting the best arrangements, and assisting

to hand to us any article that could be got at the moment, that might be useful to us in the extreme perils we were about to encounter.

Many of the party, having retired to their hammocks before the electric fluid struck the vessel, were half naked; but were supplied with trousers and jackets, by those seamen who had been on the watch; who in consequence of the heavy rain, had cased themselves in double or treble their usual quantity of clothing. My own dress was merely a nankeen jacket and trousers, a shirt and neckcloth: I had lost my hat in assisting to get out the boat.

We happily succeeded in bringing away two compasses from the binnacle, and a few candles from the cuddy table, one of them lighted: one bottle of wine and another of porter, were handed to us, with the table-cloth and a knife, which proved very useful; but the fire raged so fiercely in the body of the vessel, that neither bread nor water could be come at.

It was now about nine o'clock: the rain poured in torrents; the lightning continued to stream from one side of the heavens to the other, one moment dazzling us by its glare, and the next leaving us in darkness, relieved only by the red flames of the conflagration from which we were trying to escape.

Our first object was to get clear of the vessel, lest she should explode, and overwhelm us. But to our great distress we discovered, that the yawl had no rudder, and that in the two boats we had only three oars, all exertions to obtain more from the ship having proved unsuccessful. From the gig, which had a rudder, they gave us a rope's end, to keep us in tow; and by means of a few spars, found at the bottom of the boat, we assisted in moving ourselves slowly through the water. Providentially the sea was very still, or our boats would have swamped and we must have perished. There was also very little wind; but it sometimes

DIFFICULTIES OF ESCAPE.

9

changed, and assisted by the prevailing current, urged forward the burning ship: for the sails, being drenched with rain, did not easily take fire. Our situation therefore was for some time exceedingly perilous. The vessel neared us more than once; and seemed to threaten to involve us in its own destruction. The cargo consisting chiefly of hams, cheeses, ale, porter, spirits, and other things equally combustible, burned with violence and rapidity, and the flames rose to an amazing height.

We succeeded in increasing the distance between us and the vessel; directing our course towards land, by help of the compasses, which we could see by the light of the candles we had with us. About ten o'clock, we saw the masts go overboard, and the sides of the vessel seemed to be burnt down to the water's edge. The spectacle was awfully grand, even contemplated abstractedly from a recollection of our own circumstances. The destruction by fire, of the animals on board, dogs, sheep, &c., at another time would have excited our deepest commiseration; but, at present, the total loss of property, the awfully sudden death of the two seamen, our own narrow escape, and the great probabilities, even yet, that we should never again see the light of day, or set our feet on solid ground, seemed to absorb our faculties and feelings: for some time the silence was scarcely broken, and I doubt not, that many, like myself, were engaged in thoughts most suitable to immortal beings on the brink of eternity; in thankfulness, and in prayer.

The number of persons in the two boats was forty-eight; and all, with the exception of the two ladies, who, I must observe, bore these awful circumstances with extraordinary fortitude, took it in turns to work at the oars and paddles. After some time, to our great relief, the rain ceased; the labour of baling water from the boats was considerably diminished: we hailed each other frequently during the

night, and the honest tars, true "hearts of oak," occasionally gave a simultaneous "hurra," to cheer each other, and to keep up our spirits.

The Tanjore must have risen in the water, as it gradually consumed: we saw it burning the whole night, and at daybreak could distinguish a column of smoke arising from it; which, however, soon ceased; and we saw and heard no more of our favourite ship. Some months afterwards, during my residence at Negapatam, on the Coromandel coast, about three hundred miles from the spot where the disaster occurred, a spar, partially consumed by fire, was thrown on the beach by the surf; and appeared to me to have been the fore-sail yard, or fore-top-sail yard, of the unfortunate Tanjore.

When the sun rose, we could clearly discern land a head: the sight of it filled us with grateful joy, and nerved us with fresh vigour for our exertions in managing the boats. We then discovered, that the purser was the only person in our party, decently attired: the wretched and forlorn appearance presented by the rest, in either only half clothing, or the unsuitable clothing of others; increased by exposure, want of rest, and the anxieties of the past night; could not but provoke a smile and a few good natured remarks.

As the day advanced, we more clearly discovered the nature of the country. It was wild and covered with jungle, without any appearance of population: could we have got ashore therefore, our condition would have been little improved; many of us might have perished, before assistance could have been procured: but the breakers dashing upon the rocks, convinced us that landing was impracticable, even had we desired it.

About seven o'clock, A. M. we discovered a Dhoney or native vessel, lying at anchor at some distance; the wind just then began to favour us, and we exercised our ingenuity

to avail ourselves of it. In the yawl, we managed to extend the table-cloth as a sail; and in the other boat, a blanket, (which the butcher had brought away with him, being the whole of his property,) was made to serve the same purpose. We were delighted with this additional help, which was the more seasonable, as the rays of the sun became intolerably hot, and greatly increased our sense of weariness. One of the officers gave Mrs. Mowat his tartan cap, to serve as some cover from the heat; and I thought myself happy in securing a hat that had been used during the night for baling water; it was soon partially dry, and screened the top of my head from the direct rays of the Some of the sailors began to drink salt water, but

sun.

the passengers abstained from it.

It was near noon before we reached the Dhoney. The natives on board of it, were astonished and alarmed at our appearance, and expressed some unwillingness to entertain us: but our circumstances would admit of no denial, and we scarcely waited till Alexander, the Singhalese, could interpret to them our situation and our wants, before we took possession of their vessel; assuring them, that every expense and loss sustained on our account, should be

amply repaid.

They treated us very kindly; gave us water sparingly, but as many cocoa-nuts as we could devour: they also boiled some rice for us, which they presented in cocoa-nut shells, with curried fish, and jaggery, a sort of coarse black sugar; and laughing at our method of eating, made for us a few rude spoons of bits of cocoa-nut shell and splinters of bamboo. They informed us that Trincomallee, which we knew to be one of our mission stations, was not far distant; and agreeing to take us thither, proceeded to weigh anchor, while we stretched our cramped and weary limbs on the pent-roof thatch, which served as a deck to the vessel.

In the evening they cast anchor for the night: the