of his situation, the men who had been lying apparently half dead, in the bottom of the cutter, endeavoured to get upon their legs, and greatly increased the confusion which very naturally prevailed among his crew. Dreadful as the scene then was, a most appalling circumstance soon took place, as if to prove the possibility of his situation being rendered still more terrific.
Whilst the Ajax was propelling the cutter in the above alarming manner, the flames reached the shank-painter and stopper of her remaining bower anchor, and it fell from her bows, nearly effecting the destruction of the boat at its first dash in the water: the cable caught her outer gunwale, over which it ran, apparently a complete sheet of fire: orders, or exertion and presence of mind, were now out of the question: death to all appeared inevitable ; the only alternative left was to be burnt or drowned, for every one was too much exhausted to swim: the scene was altogether indescribable. The boats at a distance saw that the cutter was enveloped in a sheet of fire, and therefore considered it impossible to assist her: all that Lieutenant Willoughby and his companions could do, while the cable was running over and binding her more firmly to the ship, was to keep the sparks and flames as much as possible from the uncovered parts of their persons. Providentially, however, although the inner portion of the cable had been burnt through, tnc anchor took the ground, and gave the ship’s head a check to windward, before the less consumed part had entirely left the tier; and thus the very event which seemed to fix the doom of the cutter, was, in all probability, ordained by the Almighty for her preservation, the alteration in the ship’s position enabling her to get clear; but not before every individual in her was more or less dreadfully scorched, and the heat no longer to be borne. Among those who shared in the above unprecedented dangers, was Nevin Kerr, Esq. one of the principal Turkey merchants, whom Lieutenant Willoughby had just before picked up in a very exhausted state.
By reference to p. 317 et seq., of Vol. I., it will be seen that the British squadron passed the Dardanelles, Feb. 19, 1807;
