Crime & punishment > Life and farewell address of Peter Aug. Heaman, who was executed at Leith, on the 9th of January last, for the crimes of piracy and murder

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vessel grounded, and struck uncommonly hard.
All hands were called. We got out the boat
to sound where the most water was. I re¬
member that, young as I was, I went into the
boat with another man, but we made no disco¬
very of the soundings before the vessel beat
off from the shoal, and we gained her with the
boat again. When we got alongside they
hove to us a rope, which I caught, and held
fast as well as I could. I soon found my hands
benumbed with the rope running through
them, but at last got safe on board.
It being flood tide, the vessel drove within
the Spurn Point. We observed she was great¬
ly damaged, and was beginning to sink very
fast. We then, with all speed, got the long¬
boat out, and as many things into her as we
could save from the decks ; but very little was
got from below. We remained on board the
vessel till she was sunk even with the water.
We let go one of the anchors, and so rode a
few minutes within the Spurn Point. We
then put the boats astern with long ropes,
sufficient to let her go down to the bottom,
and down she went head foremost. I cannot
give an account of what we suffered. Peo¬
ple may judge what shipwrecked men endure