rumbling noise immediately preceding the blowing up, the two former ran into the quarter gallery nearest the sheerhulk, on whose deck Captain Pellew was instantaneously thrown, whereby he received a severe blow on the head, and a contusion on his breast. The Lieutenant was thrown into the water much wounded. Captain Swaffield, Mr. John Hearie, third Lieutenant, the Master, Surgeon, Lieutenant of Marines, gunner, carpenter, and several midshipmen, perished.
Though the explosion was very great, yet it had but a trifling effect on shore, or even on board the ships near to which she lay. Her masts (excepting the mizen-mast) were shivered almost to pieces, and forced out of the ship; four of her main-deck guns were thrown in upon the hulk’s deck; and several bodies, pieces of the wreck, &c. were seen to be thrown as high as her maintop-gallant masthead.
The cause of this dreadful accident in all probability will never be discovered, as it is most reasonable to suppose that the person from whose imprudence it was occasioned, shared the fate of his miserable companions.
Captain Pellew afterwards commanded the Cleopatra frigate, stationed in the Channel, where he captured l’Emilie, French privateer, of 18 guns and 110 men. Towards the latter end of 1798, he escorted a fleet of merchantmen to Halifax, where he continued until the year 1800, and then proceeded to Jamaica.
Whilst on the latter station, the Cleopatra appears to have had more than one narrow escape from destruction. On one occasion, when crossing the Gulph stream, under a reefed fore-sail and mizen stay-sail, in a strong gale, not far to the northward of Cape Hutterus, in a night rendered dark by a deep and jet black thunder cloud, which had obscured the moon; after very vivid lightning and a loud explosion, the wind shifted in a heavy squall, so as to bring the ship up several points, with her head to a very high and much agitated sea, giving her at the same time fresher way through the water. Her first plunge put the whole of the forecastle deep under, and the officers on deck hardly expected to see her rise again. Captain Pellew, who was in his cot, got a severe blow by being dashed violently against the beams. The
