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

BURNING OF THE PRINCE 301
lieutenant, and requested to be allowed to
participate in their fate. His presence was
too necessary for them to refuse his solicita¬
tion, they needed a conductor who might guide
them to the land ; thus they permitted him to
come on board, on condition that he should
swim to the yawl. This was a reasonable
stipulation ; it was to avoid approaching the
mast, else the rest, actuated by the same de¬
sire of self-preservation, would" soon have
overloaded the little vessel, and all would
have been buried in a watery grave. Lieu
tenant de la Fond, therefore, summoning up
all his strength and courage, was so happy as
to reach the seamen. In a little time after¬
wards, the pilot and master, whom he had
left on the mast, followed his example, and
swimming towards the yawl, were seen and
taken in.
The flames still continued raging in the ves¬
sel, and as the yawl was still endangered by
being within half a league of her, she stood a
little to windward. Not long subsequent to
tins, the fire reached the magazine ; and then
to describe the thundering explosion which
ensued is impossible. A thick cloud inter¬
cepted the light of the sun, and amidst the