The shores are
rugged and precipitous in the extreme, and form, perhaps, the most
dangerous coast upon which any vessel could be driven.
It was while steering to reach this group of islands, that, one morning,
a passenger on board the Blendenhall, who chanced to be upon deck
earlier than usual, observed great quantities of sea-weed occasionally
floating alongside. This excited some alarm, and a man was immediately
sent aloft to keep a good look-out. The weather was then extremely hazy,
though moderate; the weeds continued; all were on the alert; they
shortened sail, and the boatswain piped for breakfast. In less than ten
minutes, "breakers ahead!" startled every soul, and in a moment all were
on deck. "Breakers starboard! breakers larboard! breakers all around,"
was the ominous cry a moment afterwards, and all was confusion. The
words were scarcely uttered, when, and before the helm was up, the
ill-fated ship struck, and after a few tremendous shocks against the
sunken reef, she parted about mid-ship. Ropes and stays were cut
away--all rushed forward, as if instinctively, and had barely reached
the forecastle, when the stern and quarter-deck broke asunder with a
violent crash, and sunk to rise no more.
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