SHIPWRECK OF THE BLENDENHALL.


In the year 1821, the Blendenhall, free trader, bound from England for
Bombay, partly laden with broad-cloths, was proceeding on her voyage
with every prospect of a successful issue. While thus pursuing her way
through the Atlantic, she was unfortunately driven from her course, by
adverse winds and currents, more to the southward and westward than was
required, and it became desirable to reach the island of Tristan
d'Acunha, in order to ascertain and rectify the reckoning. This island,
which is called after the Portuguese admiral who first discovered it, is
one of a group of three, the others being the Inaccessible and
Nightingale Islands, situated many hundreds of miles from any land, and
in a south-westerly direction from the Cape of Good Hope. The shores are
rugged and precipitous in the extreme, and form, perhaps, the most
dangerous coast upon which any vessel could be driven.

It was while steering to reach this group of islands, that, one morning,
a passenger on board the Blendenhall, who chanced to be upon deck
earlier than usual, observed great quantities of sea-weed occasionally
floating alongside. This excited some alarm, and a man was immediately
sent aloft to keep a good look-out. The weather was then extremely hazy,
though moderate; the weeds continued; all were on the alert; they
shortened sail, and the boatswain piped for breakfast. In less than ten
minutes, "breakers ahead!" startled every soul, and in a moment all were
on deck. "Breakers starboard! breakers larboard! breakers all around,"
was the ominous cry a moment afterwards, and all was confusion. The
words were scarcely uttered, when, and before the helm was up, the
ill-fated ship struck, and after a few tremendous shocks against the