to secure the guns, as the ship began to labour and roll exceedingly; the lower deck ones, 32-pounders, were accordingly double breeched and cleared, and the main-deck ones, 24-pounders, secured accordingly. It is almost impossible to conceive the strength of the ship's sides, in bearing the immense weight of the guns, when thrown on her beam ends by the sea every moment. At eleven A.M. the main-top-mast actually blew away, and shortly after the fore one, close to the cap. The force of wind at this mo ment is beyond conception, and not a soul dare show himself on the deck without keeping under the lee of the weather bulwark, for fear of being blown overboard; and the weather became at once so gloomy, that we could scarcely see the bowsprit's end; every exertion was used both by officers and men to clear the wreck of the top-masts. The ship now laboured dreadfully, and there were several seas shipped, which obliged the lower deck to be scuttled to admit the water to pass into the hold; the gratings and tarpaulins were over every hatchway, to prevent the water from going down that was shipped; but, in consequence of the ship straining, the seams were opened, and admitted the water down. At twenty minutes after eleven the best bower anchor broke adrift, and hung suspended from the bows by the cable, which was never unbent: as our place of destination was not far off, this alarming circumstance was soon communicated to the lower deck, where the cable was instantly cut; axes being at hand, in case of an accident of the kind happening. This circumstance gave us great anxiety for the moment, as we were perfectly assured, if the peak of the anchor penetrated through the ship's bows, as, from her labouring, we had every reason to expect, she would inevitably have gone down.

The Carpenter now reported the leak increasing, making from five to six feet per hour; every spare hand was sent down to the pumps, which were kept working with great exertion by all, but particularly the marines, alternately taking spell and spell. The air was so close and putrid, having no circulation whatever, (the hatchways and every other part that could admit it being well covered, to prevent, as was said before, the water from coming down,) that going from the quarter deck to the lower one, your breath would be instantly stopt, and it would be a few moments before you were able to recover yourself. It did not affect the men who remained there; but, in consequence of the intense heat, they were obliged to strip off all but their trowsers. A few minutes before meridian the main-mast went over the side, without

touching the bulwark, with an immense crash, and very shortly after the mizen-mast in three pieces, the middle piece falling on the poop; likewise a cutter that had been blown some way up the shrouds from the weather quarter. The arm and signal chests, with a six-oared cutter, went over the side with the mizen-mast, The helm was put up to keep the wreck clear of the rudder, but the ship would not answer her helm, the sea striking her on the quarter, and the force of wind on the poop kept her to every man exerted himself in cutting and clearing the wreck, the Captain's gig, with the poop lanthorn, were washed away by a sea at this time.

Not a soul appeared the least dismayed at the awful scene that presented itself before us, but worked and exerted themselves with that zeal and fortitude so conspicuous in a British sailor in the moment of danger: about twelve we had the satisfaction to observe the wreck on the weather quarter, and clear of the ship.

The wind if possible increased, and we saw with great concern no appearance of its clearing up. Our attention was now solely taken up with the pumps, and every man was sent to them from the quarter-deck, to relieve those poor fellows, who had, from their continued exertions, become quite weak and exhausted. The leak had increased from six to eight feet per hour; during this time there was not one of the squadron seen, and it was much feared the St. George would founder. The wind had veered from E.N.E. to S.S. W.: our latitude, by dead reckoning, there being not the least appearance of the sun, was 26° 17′ N., and the longitude 57° 42′ W. The hurricane continued to blow with unabated fury until four o'clock in the afternoon, when it died in a small degree; we attempted to set the fore-stay-sail, from the stump of the mizen-mast to the main bitts, but did not succeed, for it blew away the moment the sheet was attempted to be hauled aft.

At six the hemisphere became a little cleared, when we descried a large ship on our weather quarter, apparently scudding, which we took for the St. George. At eight the hurricane appeared to be breaking, to our great satisfaction the clouds began to disperse, and we had now every hope of its concluding; every soul appeared enlivened, and sensible of the Divine mercy in saving us from the jaws of death the pumps were worked with double vigour. The ship laboured very heavy as the wind abated, and the leak increased, to our no small uneasiness: the pumps however were worked cheerily without intermission, as the only means left to preserve our lives. At day-light the great force of wind abated,

and the heavy clouds dispersed. It is impossible for those who have not experienced a like situation, to conceive our delight, at beholding, a few miles to windward of us, the Eagle and Atlas, two of our consorts; they appeared not to have received so much damage as ourselves. The signal of distress was instantly made. The signals were observed and attended to; in an hour we received an officer from the Eagle, stating that ship to have lost her top-masts, sprung her lower masts, and otherwise much damaged. The Atlas was dispatched to Barbadoes, and the Eagle took us in tow for Halifax, where we arrived in seventeen days. It was found necessary, after examining into the defects of the ship, to heave a number of the guns overboard, to ease her. The Carpenter reported all the rudder ends aft started, the main-deck knees and water-stays giving way. Jury-masts were rigged, and sails set in a few hours, by the assistance of a party from the Eagle, our men, the greater part of them being constantly employed at the pumps: every officer and, man of the Centaur feels indebted to Captain Colby, for his attention. The complement of men of the Centaur was not near complete, and there were at the time upwards of an hundred sick; they however recovered before the ship sailed for England.

The conduct of Captain Whitby during the hurricane was such as bespoke him an able and excellent officer and seaman, and likewise that of every officer was deserving of the greatest praise. The ship was hove down at Halifax, and 14 feet of false keel was found off from the fore foot aft, which occasioned the leak. The ship's company constantly attended Divine Service at Church, while the ship remained at Halifax, to the great credit of Captain Whitby.

PLATE CCXXV.

THE HE Giant's Causeway, of which the annexed Engraving is a View, from a Drawing by Mr. Pocock, is a promontory of Ireland. It is situated in the county of Antrim, on the north coast, west of Bengore Head.

The Causeway, strictly so denominated, is regarded as a great natural curiosity. Twiss, the celebrated tourist, thus describes it:

It consists of about thirty thousand pillars, mostly in a perpendicular situation; at low water the causeway is about six hundred