The men were
working at the water-cock on the outside of the ship for near an
hour, the ship remaining all on one side, as I have stated.
"'At about nine o'clock, A.M., or rather before, we had just
finished our breakfast, and the last lighter, with rum on board, had
come alongside: this vessel was a sloop of about fifty tons, and
belonged to three brothers, who used to carry things on board the
man-of-war. She was lashed to the larboard side of the "Royal
George," and we were piped to clear the lighter, and get the rum out
of her, and stow it in the hold of the "Royal George." I was in the
waist of our ship, on the larboard side, bearing the rum-casks over,
as some of our men were aboard the sloop to sling them.
"'At first no danger was apprehended from the ship being on one
side, although the water kept dashing in at the port-holes at every
wave; and there being mice in the lower part of the ship, which were
disturbed by the water which dashed in, they were hunted in the
water by the men, and there had been a rare game going on. However,
by nine o'clock the additional quantity of rum aboard the ship, and
also the quantity of sea-water which had dashed in through the
port-holes, brought the larboard port-holes of the lower gun-deck
nearly level with the sea.
"As soon as that was the case, the carpenter went on the
quarter-deck to the lieutenant of the watch, to ask him to give
orders to "right ship," as the ship could not bear it.
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