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

410
In this state he was seized by the engineman
of the Comet, who held him so closely, that
he found it impossible to disentangle himself.
They were on the point of sinking, when they
fortunately came in contact with the packet’s
yawl, which was floating about, keel upper¬
most, with several individuals clinging to it.
In consequence of their struggles, the yawl
righted, when they got into it, though itwas full
of water. Being without oars, they were unable
to make any effort to gain the shore. They
remained in this situation about twenty min¬
utes, when a pilot-boat discovered them. In
the struggle to get into the pilot-boat, they
nearly upset it. They were obliged to cling
to the sides of it; and in this manner reached
the shore, greatly exhausted. Mr. Anderson
was the first person who gave anything like
a connected account of the manner in which
the accident occurred.
Peter Sutherland, carpenter of the Comet,
stated, that M‘Bride, the pilot of the Comet,
on approaching Kempoch Point, expressed a
wish that a light should be exhibited in the
lantern; but he was told that there was no
light to spare till such time as they should
arrive at Greenock, as there was a scarcity of