But in less than an
hour, without warning, our ship struck on a rock, and remained
immovable. Not being near to any shore we were well aware of the
gravity of our position. We feared we had struck a submerged coral
reef, and all sails were immediately taken in, and the boats lowered.
We had struck just before dark, and at daylight I observed land some
eight miles distant. High tide was expected at about eleven o'clock,
when it was hoped the vessel would float off, though we feared she
would sink in deep water.
At twenty minutes past ten the ship floated, but the leak she had
sprung gained on the pumps, and there was now three feet nine inches of
water in the hold. The men were wearied to death. Each could only pump
a few minutes at a time, and then sink exhausted upon the deck. At
first we despaired of saving the ship, but eventually we got a sail
drawn over the leak, and anchored seven leagues from the shore. Next
day we found a safe place where the vessel could be moored near the
beach, where, on examining the ship's bottom, we found that a large
piece of rock had broken away from the reef and remained stuck in the
hole it made. Had it not been for this singular fact the "Golden
Seahorse" must have foundered.
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