a mere conjecture. Thus the situation of the Cressy was very alarming, which had most sensibly struck every individual on board; the officers particularly, who had been so strongly impressed with our perilous situation for some time before, lamenting and verbally stating to me their opinion of our inability and impossibility of being able to render any service to the St. George, even in any way whatever, risk the Cressy as much as I would. I desired them all to consult and let me know their opinion in writing, which they did in the accompanying hasty scrawl: No. 1, delivered about ten o'clock, and No. 2, about quarter before eleven. Their sentiments and opinion being the same as my own on the subject, namely, that we could not be of any service to the St. George or to any person on board, whatever might be her fate under the existing circumstances, and that our destruction was certain if we lost any time in getting on the other tack,--I then (after having ordered every thing to be ready to cut away our masts) embraced the alternative to wear and carry sail to save the ship, which I did at half-past ten P.M. and passed close to the St. George with our reefed fore-sail only, in order to induce him to wear, and give him the opportunity of signifying his wish for me to remain with him, if he did not approve of what we did, which he might have done by four lights, in a diamond signal No. 30, or by firing three guns, also night signal No. 30, "Keep your wind on the larboard tack." Heavy and severe as the gale was, there was considerable light, as we had a moon; although not seen, yet it enlightened the atmosphere so as to enable us to see every mast, sail, or any object that was above her hammocks: we were so close in passing, that we could in moderate weather, at such a distance, have conversed with great ease; and were about a quarter of an hour in passing her; so that his not making any signal, and his still keeping the St. George's head on the same tack, I considered I had his approbation to use every endeavour to clear the land and save the ship from being wrecked on the lee shore.