The perils of the deep may be considered the greatest evils which men can possibly endure, whether viewed by the experience of the past, and the dreadful sufferings to which men have repeatedly fallen victims, or the risk of dangers to which mariners are constantly subject; and though the great improvements in navigation have rendered shipwreck of less frequent occurrence, and the progressing civilization of distant countries has in some degree relieved it from the barbarities of savages, which in many instances were more to be dreaded than the ravages of the ocean, it is still a calamity against which there is the least resource, either to prevent its occurrence or lessen its effects; and where courage, skill, and patience are too often unavailing, except to protract a struggle with destiny, which at last proves to be irresistible. Amongst the many-probably five thousand annually-who fall sacrifices to the dangers of the deep, it is not by the number that we are to judge of the miseries endured. Hundreds may meet an instantaneous death hardly aware of its approach, while a few individuals may linger out an existence little less preferable than death, in the vain hope of succour, and at last be compelled to prey upon each other for an expected sustenance, which ends in madness and self-destruction.

Habituated to the instability of the ocean, the mariner, and particularly those of Britain, becomes inured to danger by their perpetual exposure to peril, and pre-eminently distinguished for courage, endurance, and ready invention. Incessantly subject to toil, they labour long and patiently without a murmur; and the prompt and vigorous measures which are constantly indispensable to their security, teach them the immediate application of whatever means are in their power; and it is confidently hoped that a careful attention to the details of the following narratives, will prove not only useful to seamen, in recording the experience of various endeavours to ameliorate the horrors of shipwreck, but also interesting and instructive to those on shore, enabling them more fully to appreciate the services of those "whose home is on the mountain wave."

with great violence; and at every lurch the main chains | below long enough to fulfil Captain Cobb's wishes; whic were under water. It was a little before this period, were no sooner accomplished, than the sea rushed in wit that one of the officers of the ship, with the well-meant resistless rapidity, carrying with it, in its progress t intention of ascertaining that all was fast below, de- the hold, the largest chests, bulk-heads, &c. Their dilemma was now fearful in the extreme; o

scended, with two of the sailors, into the hold, carrying

with them, for safety, a light in the patent lanthorn; the one hand stood death by fire, on the other death b but seeing that it burned dimly, the officer took the pre-water; and, preferring always the more remote alterna caution to hand it up to the orlop-deck to be trimmed. tive, the unfortunate crew were at one moment attempt Having afterwards discovered that one of the spirit-ing to check the fire, by means of water, and when th casks was adrift, he sent the seamen for some billets of water became the most threatening enemy, they turne wood to secure it; and, in their absence, the ship having their efforts to the exclusion of the waves, and left th made a heavy lurch, the officer unfortunately dropped fire to rage with all its fury. the lamp, and in his eagerness to recover it, let go the cask, when it suddenly stove, and the spirits communicating with the light, the whole was instantly in a blaze.

As long as the devouring element appeared to be confined to the spot where the fire had originated, and which they were assured was surrounded on all sides by water-casks, they ventured to cherish hopes that it might be subdued; but when the light blue vapour arose, succeeded by dense volumes of thick dingy smoke, which speedily ascended through all the four hatchways, and heavily rolled over every part of the ship, all further concealment became impossible; and almost all hope of preserving the vessel was abandoned. "The flames have reached the cable tier!" was exclaimed by some individuals, and the strong pitchy smell which pervaded the deck, confirmed the truth of the exclamation,

The scene of horror that now presented itself baffle all description; the upper deck was covered with be tween six and seven hundred human beings, many o whom, from previous sea-sickness, were forced, on th first alarm, to flee from below in a state of absolut nakedness, and were now wildly running about in searc of husbands, children, or parents,

While some were standing in silent resignation, c stupid insensibility to their impending fate, others wer yielding to paroxysms of frantic despair. Some, on the knees, were earnestly imploring, in noisy exclamation and significant gesticulations, the mercy of Him who: arm, they exclaimed, was at length outstretched to smi them; others were hastily crossing themselves, and pe forming the various external acts required by their pa ticular professions of belief; while a number of the old and more stout-hearted sailors, calmly seated themselv over the magazine, in the hope that the explosion, whi they momentarily expected, might put a speedier te mination to their sufferings.

Captain Cobb wisely ordered the deck to the scuttl forward, with a view to draw the fire in that directic as between it and the magazine were several tiers water-casks; while he hoped that the wet sails and oth things which had been thrown into the after-hold, wo prevent it from spreading to the spirit-room abaft.

The struggle of the perilous hour was one of rapid and withering anxiety; it is hardly possible to conceive a situation in which human nature could be surrounded with greater horrors-horrors which must have appeared to start up from the wild caverns of the deep itself; for there was no preparation for the thoughts, none of those signs of approaching peril which precede the whirlwind or the tempest; but, almost in an instant, the crew of the lonely vessel found themselves assailed by an enemy against which human foresight could have provided no protection. In these awful circumstances, Captain Cobb, with an ability and decision of character which seemed to increase with the imminence of the danger, resorted to the only alternative that was now left him, and ordered the lower deck to be scuttled, the combing of the hatches to be cut, and the lower ports to be opened, for the free admission of the waves. These instructions were speedily executed, by the united efforts of the soldiers and seamen, but not before some All hope had departed, and the employment of of the sick soldiers, one of the women, and several chil- different individuals indicated an utter despair of resc dren, had perished. On some of the officers descend- one was removing a lock of hair from his writing-d ing to the gun-deck, to assist in opening the ports, they to his bosom-some were awaiting their impending : found the bodies of several, who must have died from with manly fortitude, others in death-like stupor-sc suffocation; and the smoke was so dense and oppressive, were bewailing it with loud and bitter lamentati that it was with the greatest difficulty they could remain while others were engaged in prayer and mutual i

Several of the wives and children of the soldiers, w had fled for temporary refuge into the after-cabins, the upper deck, were engaged in prayer and reading t Scriptures, with the ladies, some of whom were enabl with wonderful self-possession, to offer those spirit consolations to others, which a firm and intelligent tr in the Redeemer of the world appeared, at this aw hour, to impart to their own breasts.