The Storm: or, a Collection of the most Remarkable Casualties and Disasters which Happen'd in the Late Dreadful Tempest, both by Sea and LandDefoe, Daniel
History
The Storm: or, a Collection of the most Remarkable Casualties and Disasters which Happen'd in the Late Dreadful Tempest, both by Sea and Land
Defoe, Daniel
Storms -- Early works to 1800
Reading the Advertisement in the _Gazette_, of your intending to
Print the many sad Accidents in the late dreadful Storm, induced me
to let you know what this place felt, tho a very good Harbour. Her
Majesty's Ships the _Cumberland_, _Coventry_, _Loo_, _Hastings_ and
_Hector_, being under my Command, with the _Rye_ a Cruizer on this
Station, and under our Convoy about 130 Merchant Ships bound about
Land; the 26th of _November_ at one in the Afternoon the Wind came
at S. by E. a hard Gale, between which and N.W. by W. it came to a
dreadful Storm, at three the next Morning was the Violentest of the
Weather, when the _Cumberland_ broak her Sheet Anchor, the Ship
driving near _this_, and the _Rye_, both narrowly escap'd carrying
away; she drove very near the Rocks, having but one Anchor left,
but in a little time they slung a Gun, with the broken Anchor fast
to it, which they let go, and wonderfully preserv'd the Ship from
the Shoar. Guns firing from one Ship or other all the Night for
help, tho' 'twas impossible to assist each other, the Sea was so
high, and the Darkness of the Night such, that we could not see
where any one was, but by the Flashes of the Guns; when day light
appear'd, it was a dismal sight to behold the Ships driving up and
down one foul of another, without Masts, some sunk, and others upon
the Rocks, the Wind blowing so hard, with Thunder, Lightning and
Rain, that on the Deck a Man could not stand without holding. Some
drove from _Dale_, where they were shelter'd under the Land, and
split in pieces, the Men all drowned; two others drove out of a
Creek, one on the Shoar so high up was saved, the other on the Rocks
in another Creek, and Bulg'd; an _Irish_ Ship that lay with a Rock
thro' her, was lifted by the Sea clear away to the other side of the
Creek on a safe place; one Ship forc'd 10 Miles up the River before
she could be stop'd, and several strangely blown into holes, and on
Banks; a Ketch of _Pembroke_ was drove on the Rocks, the two Men and
a Boy in her had no Boat to save their Lives; but in this great
distress a Boat which broke from another Ship drove by them, without
any in her, the two Men leap into her, and were sav'd, but the Boy
drown'd; a Prize at _Pembroke_ was lifted on the Bridge, whereon is
a Mill, which the Water blew up, but the Vessel got off again;
another Vessel carried almost into the Gateway which leads to the
Bridge, and is a Road, the Tide flowing several Foot above its
common Course. The Storm continu'd till the 27th about 3 in the
Afternoon; that by Computation nigh 30 Merchant Ships and Vessels
without Masts are lost, and what Men are lost is not known; 3 Ships
are missing, that we suppose Men and all lost. None of her Majesty's
Ships came to any harm; but the _Cumberland_ breaking her Anchor in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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