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APPENDIX.

APPENDIX.

[THE following narrative records the proceedings on board the CAROLINE, Captain BIBBY, relative to the preservation of fourteen men who were left on the wreck of the KENT East Indiaman. The details are exceedingly interesting, and may be relied upon as authentic. The scenes here described took place after the departure of the CAMBRIA from the burning remains of the KENT.]

ABOUT twelve o'clock at night on the 1st of March last, a bright light was observed in the horizon by the watch of the bark Caroline on her passage from Alexandria to Liverpool, proceeding apparently from a ship on fire. It having blown strong the preceding day, the Caroline was at the time under double reefed main and fore-top sails, main trysail, and foretop-mast staysail, close upon a wind with a heavy sea going. Word was immediately passed to Captain Bibby, who instantly bore up, and setting his main-top gallant sail ran down towards the spot.

About two o'clock, when every eye was intensely fixed upon the increasing brightness in the sky, a sudden jet of vivid light darted upwards, evidently caused by an explosion, though they were as yet too far distant to hear any report.

In half an hour the Caroline had approached sufficiently near to make out the wreck of a large vessel lying head to wind, of which nothing remained but the ribs and frame timbers, which, marking the outlines of a double line of ports and quarter-galleries, afforded too much reason to fear that the burning skeleton was the remnant of a first class East Indiaman or line-of-battle ship. The flames, however, had so completely consumed every other external feature, that nothing could be ascertained with accuracy. She was burnt nearly to the water's edge; but becoming gradually lighter as the internal timbers and fallen decks and spars were consumed, she still floated, pitching majestically as she rose and fell over the long rolling swell of the bay. Her appearance was that of an immense cauldron or cage of buoyant basket-work, formed of the charred and blackened ribs, naked and stripped of every plank, encircling an uninterrupted mass of flame, not however of uniform intensity, as from two or three points, probably where the hatchways had supplied an additional quantity of looser fuel, brighter emissions were bursting upwards, Above, and far to leeward, the atmosphere was a cloud of curling smoke, the whole sprinkled with myriads of sparks and burning flakes of lighter materials, thrown up without intermission, and scattered by the wind over the sky and waves.

As the Caroline bore down, part of a mast and some spars were observed rising and falling, and almost grinding under the starboard, or what might be called, the weather-quarter of the wreck; for although, as has been stated, it rode nearly head to wind, in the course of drifting, these spars being fast to the after-part, in some degree gave the stern-frame a slight cant to windward,

The Caroline coming down right before the wind was, in a few minutes, brought across the bows of the wreck, and as near as was consistent with safety. At that moment, when, to all appearance, no human being could be supposed to retain life within the sphere of such a conflagration, a shout was

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heard, and almost at the same instant several figures were observed clinging to the above-mentioned mast and spars. From their low situation, almost upon a level with the water, and the rapidity of the bark's motion, she could not have been visible long before they hailed; what then must have been their feelings, when (no rational hope of rescue remaining) they suddenly beheld within a few yards the hull and sails of a large vessel, brilliantly illuminated by the glare; but whatever those feelings were, a fearful pause ensued, for, with, equal rapidity gliding, athwart the bows of the Kent, the stranger disappeared, leaving them to their own conjectures as to the possibility of being saved, even if the attempt were made, in consequence of the heavy sea and probable disappearance of the wreck before a boat could reach them.

Captain. Bibby saw the hazard, and with excellent judgment immediately decided upon his plan of operation. The topgallant-sail was taken in, the fore-topmast stay-sail lowered, and the ship's course continued under the topsails and trysail to leeward, at such a distance as to avoid the danger of falling flakes and sparks, but, at the same time, so near as to admit of rendering every possible assistance to the forlorn sufferers, and then the fore top-sail was braced aback, and the vessel hove to This course to leeward was further determined upon, in the hope that if any boat or raft was hanging near the wreck, it might be cast off and steered towards the Caroline; it being obvious that in such a sea it would be impossible for rafts or spars, or even boats, if much overloaded or imperfectly manned, to make their way to windward. the mean time, the jolly boat was lowered down from the stern, and manned by Mr. Matthew Wallen, the mate, and four seamen, who pushed off without hesitation, and pulled for the wreck. It is almost unnecessary to add, that in their progress these gallant fellows were exposed to very considerable danger, for, situated as they were to leeward, the sea in every direction was covered with articles of every description and

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