[Illustration:  SHIPWRECK OF THE NAUTILUS.]

The night was extremely dark, vivid lightning at times flashed through the horizon.  The wind increased; and though the ship carried but little sail, she went at the rate of nine miles an hour, borne on by a high sea, which, with the brightness of the lightning, made the night appear awful.  At half past two in the morning, they saw high land, which they took for the island of Cerigotto, and went confidently on, supposing that all danger was over.  At half-past four, the man on the look-out, cried, “breakers a-head!” and instantly the vessel struck with a tremendous crash; the violence of the shock being such, that those below were thrown from their beds, and on coming on deck, were compelled to cling to the cordage.  All was confusion and alarm; scarcely had part of the crew time to hurry on deck, before the ladder gave way, leaving numbers struggling with the water, which rushed in at the bottom.  The captain and lieutenant endeavored to mitigate the fears of the people; and afterwards, going down to the cabin, burnt the papers and private signals.  Meantime, every sea dashed the vessel against the rocks; and they were soon compelled to climb the rigging, where they remained an hour, the surge continually breaking upon them.

The lightning had ceased, but so dark was the night, that they could not see a ship’s length before them; their only hope rested in the falling of the main mast, which they trusted would reach a small rock, which lay very near them.  About half an hour before morning, the mast gave way, providentially falling towards the rock, and by means of it they were enabled to gain the land.  In this hasty struggle to get to the rock, many accidents occurred; some were drowned, one man had his arm broke, and many were much hurt.  The captain was the last man who left the vessel, refusing to quit it till all had gained the rock.  All the boats but one had been staved in pieces; the jolly-boat indeed remained, but they could not haul it in.  For a time the hull of the wreck sheltered them from the violence of the surf; but it soon broke up, and it became necessary to abandon the small rock on which they stood, and to wade to another somewhat larger.  In their way they encountered many loose spars, dashing about in the channel; several in crossing were severely hurt by them.  They felt grievously the loss of their shoes, for the sharp rocks tore their feet dreadfully, and their legs were covered with blood.  In the morning they saw the sea covered with the fragments of the wreck, and many of their comrades floating about on spars and timbers, to whom they could not give any assistance.