AUTHENTIC NARRATIVES. "While jarring interests wake the world to arms, No. 1. Scarborough, Oct. 1799. On Friday the sixth of October, 1799, at the dawn of the morning, a vessel in great distress, was discovered at anchor near Filey-bridge, which is a formidable ridge of rocks to the south of this Port, extending from the shore into the Ocean. A severe gale had prevailed upon the coast for some days previously to this incident; the sea was tremendously agitated, and the wind continued to blow with violence, which seemed to exclude every possibility of assistance from the shore, and excited the greatest anxiety for the safety of the vessel and mariners. In this moment of extreme danger, four of the fishermen of this town, of great bodily strength, and daring spirits, had the courage to venture to their assistance in a little open fishing boat called a coble, and braving all the dangers of the sea, boldly committed themselves to the perils of the boisterous ocean. The distance from the harbour to the vessel was nearly eight miles, but the extent of the traverse which the fishermen were obliged to make, was increased, as they could not keep a straight course, being under the necessity of preserving the boat in a proper direction to the sea: The water at the mouth of the harbour when they departed, was extremely agitated, and the waves broke with uncommon fury at some distance from the shore-the moment was critical and perilous, and required an extraordinary degree of skill and intrepidity; indeed it was esteemed a daring attempt of desperate men, prodigal of their lives, and insensible to every idea of danger. The scene was highly interesting and alarming, to see those intrepid men, embarked in a little open boat in a high and dangerous sea, exerting all their strength and skill to combat it's fury. Many and great were the perils they had to encounter—their lives were exposed to a variety of accidents; at some moments they were suspended in the most awful situation on the summit of a mountainous wave, at others they totally disappeared from the view of the spectators, The boat from it's construction required the greatest attention and dexterity in the management-a single unskilful movement might have proved fatal-they had their way to make through a boisterous sea to a great distance, every nerve was to be strained and all their power exerted; and had they failed in their efforts to have reached the vessel, there was no possibility of returning, or of landing upon any part of the coast, which made their situation truly desperate. After contending four hours with the tempestuous element with the greatest fortitude and perseverance, drenched with the waves which frequently broke over them; greater dangers were still presented on their approach to the vessel. The sea was dashing against her sides and breaking upon the decks in a tremendous manner, and she was rolling at the same time with the most violent motions. In such a critical situation, every attempt to board her seemed impracticable; but those intrepid men inured to all the perils of the ocean; cool and collected in the midst of surrounding dangers, waited a momentary suspension of the waves, and instantly pushed to the vessel, leaping on board in succession at proper intervals, with the most undaunted resolution and activity. After having thus providentially got on board, they found the ship in a hazardous situation. The crew were fatigued and dejected—the anchor was cast upon a rocky shore, and the cable was every moment in danger of being cut by the asperities-the sea was high, the wind was blowing from a danger |