Accidents > Dangers of the deep, or, Narratives of shipwreck and adventure at sea

P. LAWRENCE.
31
the pilot. Heavy snow fell, and it was with
the utmost difficulty the ships could keep in
sight of each other. A gun was fired eveiy
half hour, lest they should part company.
At length no answer came from the schooner.
She had gone down with every person on
board. The gale increased, the sea ran high,
and it was impossible to see twenty yards
a-head of the vessel from the falling of the
snow. The water had risen to five feet in
the hold, owing to the fatigue of the crew.
The mate judged that the ship was not far
from the Magdalen Islands, which lie in the
middle of the gulf of St. Lawrence. These
are mostly a cluster of rocks. Many of the
rocks are under water, and very dangerous to
navigation. They are always avoided in
foggy weather, though, when it is fine, seamen
like to make them. The opinion of the mate
was well founded; about two hours after, a
rocky island, one of the number called the
Deadman, lying furthest of the group to the
westward, was seen close under the lee of the
ship, and it was with great difficulty that the
point of it was weathered. The vessel was
now hardly safe, for there were numerous
islands and rocks near ; the snow was falling