The pilot and master assured Captain Rennie that there was no danger,
and that the ship must have struck upon a lately formed knowl. In
order to lighten her as much as possible, the yards and topmasts were
struck, and some of the provisions thrown overboard, and then strong
hopes were entertained that she would float off the bank with the next
tide.

During this time she lay tolerably quiet, and the water gained but
little upon the pumps. Every means was used to draw the attention of
vessels passing near--guns were fired, and signals hoisted; but they
remained unanswered until about five o'clock, P.M., when a cutter was
observed scudding towards Yarmouth Roads, as if to inform Admiral
Dickson of the situation of the Invincible. As the ship remained easy,
neither the officers nor men suspected that the danger was imminent,
and they performed their duty with the same regularity as if the ship
were proceeding under ordinary circumstances.

All went on well until about half-past five, P.M., when the wind
freshened, and the vessel began to beat the ground with such violence,
that it was thought necessary to cut away the masts. The ship at this
time dropped from three and a half into seventeen fathoms. She was
then brought to with her bower anchor, and there appeared every
probability of her getting safely off till about nine o'clock, when
the flood-tide was making; she then lost her rudder, became
unmanageable, and was driven back upon the rock.

Fortunately a fishing-smack had come near the Invincible a short time
before, and Admiral Totty learnt from her master that the ship had
struck upon Hammond's knowl; whereupon the admiral requested that the
smack might be anchored as near as possible, so as to be ready in case