"
The frigate now began to fire right and left, and the hissing of the shot
overhead was a fearful augury of what was to take place; so sudden was the
accident, that they had not had time to draw the round shot. The other
transports were equally fortunate with ourselves, in weathering the shoal,
and presently we were all close hauled to windward of the reef, until we
weathered the easternmost prong, when we bore up. But, poor Rayo! she had
struck on a coral reef, where the Admiralty charts laid down fifteen
fathoms water; and although there was some talk at the time of an error in
judgment, in not having the lead going in the chains, still do I believe
there was no fault lying at the door of her gallant captain. By the time
we had weathered the reef, the frigate had swung off from the pinnacle of
rock on which she had been in a manner impaled, and was making all the sail
she could, with a fothered sail under her bows, and chain--pumps clanging,
and whole cataracts of water gushing from them, clear white jets spouting
from all the scuppers, fore and aft. She made the signal to close. The
next, alas! was the British ensign, seized, union down in the main rigging,
the sign of the uttermost distress. Still we all bowled along together,
but her yards were not squared, nor her sails set with her customary
precision, and her lurches became more and more sickening, until at length
she rolled so heavily, that she dipped both yardarms alternately in the
water, and reeled to and fro like a drunken man.
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