hundred, they pulled towards the stern of the frigate; but so great
was the anxiety of the poor creatures upon the poop to jump into the
boat, that in self-defence they were obliged to keep at a certain
distance from the wreck, or the launch would have been instantly
swamped. They were therefore reduced to the terrible alternative,
either of leaving their comrades to perish, or of throwing away their
own lives. Nine of the men who had jumped overboard were picked up,
but to have attempted to save any more would have been to sacrifice
all. One of the officers left on board the wreck endeavoured by every
argument to persuade Captain Raynsford to save himself by swimming to
the launch, but all in vain. This intrepid man declared that he was
perfectly resigned to his fate, and was determined not to quit his
ship whilst a man remained on board. Finding that all entreaties were
useless, the officer himself jumped overboard from the stern gallery
into the sea, and swimming through the surf, gained the launch and was
taken on board.

The general cry in the boat was, 'Pull off!' and at twelve o'clock, as
the moon sunk below the horizon, her crew took their last look of the
Athenienne. The situation of the launch was of itself imminently
perilous: she had neither sail, bread, nor water on board. Fortunately
there was a compass, and for a sail the officers made use of their
shirts and the frocks of the seamen. On the following morning they
fell in with a Danish brig, which relieved, in some degree, their
urgent necessities. Lieutenant John Little, a passenger in the
Athenienne, with a party of seamen, went on board the brig, for the
purpose of prevailing on her master to return with them to the wreck,
in hopes of rescuing any of the crew who might be still alive; but
this generous purpose was frustrated by violent and adverse winds.