falling upon her deck. Providentially, the cutter received no damage, although she was within a boat-hook’s length of the log, and endeavouring to push clear of it only a moment before.
The cries of the unhappy creatures on board the Lady Burgess were now dreadful in the extreme, and some lifeless bodies soon appeared floating from her in various directions. Finding it impracticable to take any person from the stern or quarters. Lieutenant Tayler next proceeded under the bows, and, watching the rise of the sea, succeeded repeatedly in throwing a block, with the boat’s halliards and sheets attached to it, over the stump of the bowsprit[1]. The first man that got hold of the rope, thus placed within reach, secured it to his arm, jumped overboard, and was dragged into the cutter; 20 others were successively rescued by the same means; but several unfortunately perished in their attempt to reach the bowsprit. All this time, the Leopard’s other boat, commanded by one of her master’s-mates, and a cutter belonging to the Lady Burgess, kept to leeward, out of Lieutenant Taylor’s sight, and rendered him no assistance.
The last man had hardly been taken out of the sea, when several large sharks made their appearance, adding greatly to the horror of the scene around. Immediately afterwards a tremendous wave shivered the ship to atoms, and precipitated the remainder of her passengers and crew into a still more dreadful surf. The Leopard’s cutter was also much damaged, and 2 of her crew sustained considerable injury.
Looking towards the reef, while all hands were busily employed in baling with their hats. Lieutenant Tayler fancied he saw a lady amongst the floating wreck. He instantly lost sight of danger, sung out “give way,” and stripped off his coat in readiness to assist her. His men entreated him not to leave the helm, and ceased pulling until he promised to remain there: they then rowed with all their might, and the object of his solicitude was soon snatched from a watery
- ↑ Lieutenant Tayler was always remarkable for great strength of arm. He could, with ease, swing a land-lead over the Leopard’s fore-top-sail and sprit-sail yards
