Thursday, May the 14th, 1741, at half an hour past four this morning, the ship struck abaft on a sunken rock, sounded fourteen fathom; but it being impossible to let go the anchor time enough to bring her up, being surrounded on every side with rocks, (a very dismal prospect to behold!) the ship struck a second time, which broke the head of the tiller, so that we were obliged to steer her with the main and fore-sheets, by easing off one, and hawling aft the other, as she came to, or fell off.  In a short time after, she struck, bilged, and grounded, between two small islands, where Providence directed us to such a place as we could save our lives.  When the ship struck it was about break of day, and not above a musket-shot from the shore.  Launched the barge, cutter, and yawl over the gunnel, cut main and fore-mast by the board, and the sheet-anchor from the gunnel.  The captain sent the barge ashore, with Mr S——­w, the mate, to see if the place was inhabited, and to return aboard directly; but, without any regard to his duty, or the preservation of the lives of the people, he staid ashore.  The barge not returning as expected, the lieutenant was sent in the yawl, with orders to bring off the barge.  The lieutenant tarried ashore, but sent off the boat.  As soon as the boat came on board, the captain being very ill, was persuaded by the officers to go ashore:  With the captain went the land-officers, mate, and midshipmen, the officers remaining on board were the master, boatswain, gunner, and carpenter:  The boatswain, who was laid up a month before the loss of the ship, became of a sudden very vigorous and active.  At night it blow’d very hard at north, with a great tumbling sea, we expected every moment that the ship would part, fetching such jirks and twistings as shock’d every person aboard, who had the least care for the preservation of life; yet, in the dismal situation we were in, we had several in the ship so thoughtless of their danger, so stupid and insensible of their misery, that upon the principal officers leaving her, they fell into the most violent outrage and disorder:  They began with broaching the wine in the lazaretto; then to breaking open cabins and chests, arming themselves with swords and pistols, threatening to murder those who should oppose or question them:  Being drunk and mad with liquor, they plunder’d chests and cabins for money and other things of value, cloathed themselves in the richest apparel they could find, and imagined themselves lords paramount.

Friday the 15th, the ship was bilged in the mid-ship, on a great rock; we took care to secure some powder, ball, and a little bread.  In the afternoon, the carpenter and myself went ashore with several of those imaginary lords in the rich attire they had plunder’d yesterday; but upon the purser, and Lieutenant Hamilton of marines, presenting pistols to some of their breasts, those grandees suffer’d themselves very quietly to be disrob’d of all their greatness, and in