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100
BOATSWAIN DROWNED.
[Chap. V.
1840
when a wooden hoop of a cask was seen close to us. By this we felt certain that she had run past us during the time that we were hove-to for her, and was now probably far ahead; we therefore pressed all sail on the ship to endeavour to overtake her. The day being very favourable, we seized the opportunity of drying our sails and clothes, which had been most thoroughly drenched, and of repairing the damages we had sustained.
In this and many other respects we felt the fine weather to be a great advantage to us: but this afternoon it pleased God to visit us by an unlooked-for calamity,—Mr. Roberts, the boatswain, whilst engaged about the rigging, fell overboard and was drowned. The life-buoy was instantly let go, and two boats lowered down; they reached the spot where we saw him sink only a few seconds too late! The gloom which the loss of one of our small party, at the outset of our voyage, occasioned, was for a time merged in feelings of painful anxiety, and afterwards of heartfelt gratitude, for the merciful preservation of the whole crew of one of the boats, who, in their humane endeavours to save the life of our unfortunate shipmate, very nearly sacrificed their own. Mr. Oakley, mate, and Mr. Abernethy, the gunner, had returned to the ship with one boat, when the other, still at a considerable distance from us, was struck by a sea, which washed four of the crew out of her. Mr. Abernethy immediately again pushed off from the ship, and succeeded in