The tragedy of the seas; or, Sorrow on the ocean, lake, and river, from shipwreck, plague, fire and famine .. . now beset on all sides with conflicting timber, but waswell aware of the danger which threatened me. It was,indeed, passing the watery ordeal to cross the ship at thistime to gain the shore, and, springing in the interval of asea to gain the other side, I found every plank of the maindeck washed off and in pieces; the foremast had now like-wise fallen, and numerous pipes of wine, floating around,added to the general wreck. I had fallen in springingamong this ruin, and had so far rece
The tragedy of the seas; or, Sorrow on the ocean, lake, and river, from shipwreck, plague, fire and famine .. . now beset on all sides with conflicting timber, but waswell aware of the danger which threatened me. It was,indeed, passing the watery ordeal to cross the ship at thistime to gain the shore, and, springing in the interval of asea to gain the other side, I found every plank of the maindeck washed off and in pieces; the foremast had now like-wise fallen, and numerous pipes of wine, floating around,added to the general wreck. I had fallen in springingamong this ruin, and had so far received but one or twoserious bruises; but a tremendous wave now swept beforeit some large spars, and carrying me along with it, my rightleg was struck by one of them just at the joint of the knee, A CRITICAL SITUATION. 97 which was instantly crushed, and jammed in between tliatand a deck beam, a few of which still remained fast, as nearas I could distinguish ; for it was now as dark as , for a few moments jammed in, as it were in a vice, mysituation was most critical, and frightfully dismaying. The. Wreck of the Ship Jane, in the Rio de la Plata. blow I felt had almost severed my leg, and kept it still con-fined ; another sea was roaring towards me, which wouldinfalhbly have washed some large surrounding timber higherup against my head and body, and of which I was in instantexpectation. But, by a fortunate rise of the water, I caughthold of the lee-rail, and threw myself over the ships side9 98 MR. GEORGE FRACKERs NARRATIVE. into the sea, not with a hope of reaching the shore, which Idid not know how to steer for, as I had not seen it, butresolving to hasten my end, preferring to die with sea-room^and to avoid a death which seemed equal to being brokenupon the wheel. I had heard the voices of two or threeothers, and among them the captain, their bones probablymostly broken, and but just alive. These I believed wereall that still survived. After I had plunged into the se
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, bookidtra, booksubjectshipwrecks
