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Thrilling Stories Of The Ocean - From Authentic Accounts Of Modern Voyagers And Travellers; Designed - For The Entertainment And Instruction Of Young People by Marmaduke Park
page 99 of 128 (77%)
After the boat departed, the wind increased; in about two hours a
fearful storm came on. The waves mounted up, and extinguished their
fire; they swept over nearly the whole of the rock, compelling them to
flee for refuge to the highest part. Thus did nearly ninety pass a night
of the utmost horror; being compelled, lest they should be washed off,
to fasten a rope round the summit of a rock, and to clasp each other.
Their fatigue had been so great that several of them became delirious,
and lost their hold. They were also in constant terror of the wind
veering more to the north, in which case the waves would have dashed
over their position.

They now began to sink under their hardships, and many had suffered
deplorably. One had been so dashed against the rocks as to be nearly
scalped, exhibiting a dreadful spectacle; he lingered out the night, but
expired next morning. They were ill prepared to sustain famine, and they
were almost hopeless of escape. They dreaded lest the storm should come
on before the boat could have reached the island, for on her safety
their own depended. In the midst of these horrors the daylight broke,
and they saw the bodies of their departed shipmates, some still writhing
in the agonies of death. The sea had broken over them all night, and
some, among whom was the carpenter, had perished from cold.

Soon after, a vessel approached, and their hearts beat high with the
hope of deliverance. All her sails were set, and she came down before
the wind, steering right for the rock. They made repeated signals of
distress, and the vessel hove to, and hoisted out her boat. They hastily
prepared rafts to carry them through the surf, confident that the boat
was provided with supplies to relieve them. The boat came within
pistol-shot, full of men dressed in the European fashion. But what were
their indignation and grief, when the person who steered, after gazing
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