Upon reaching Cairncross Island, under which it was my intention to anchor, the sails were reduced; and, as we were in the act of letting go the anchor, Mr.Roe, who was at the masthead holding thoughtlessly by the fore-topmast staysail-halyards, whilst the sail was being hauled down, was precipitated from a height of fifty feet, and fell senseless on the deck.

We were now close to the reef; and, in the hurry and confusion attending the accident, and the Dick at the same time luffing up under our stern, the anchor was dropped, without my ascertaining the quality of the bottom, which was afterwards found to be of a very questionable nature.
The Dick, having dropped her anchor within forty yards of us, was lying so close as to prevent our veering more cable than sixty fathoms, but as we appeared to ride tolerably easy with a sheer to starboard, while the Dick rode on the opposite sheer, we remained as we were: to prevent accident, the yards were braced so that we should cast clear of the Dick if we parted, a precaution which was most happily taken.
As soon as the distressing accident that had occurred was known on board the Dick, Dr.Armstrong, a surgeon of the navy and a passenger in that ship, hastened on board to assist Mr.Montgomery in dressing Mr.Roe's hurt, which I found, to my inexpressible satisfaction, was not so grievous as might have been expected: his fall was, most providentially, broken twice; first by the spritsail brace, and secondly by some planks from the Frederick's wreck, which had fortunately been placed across the forecastle bulwark over the cat-heads: his head struck the edge of the plank and broke his fall, but it cut a very deep wound over the right temple.

This unfortunate event threatened to deprive me of his very valuable assistance for some time, a loss I could but very ill spare, particularly when upon the point of returning to the examination of so intricate a coast as that part where we last left off.
At six o'clock in the evening the flood-tide began to set to leeward, and as night approached the appearance of the weather became very threatening, accompanied by a descent of the mercury; this gave me a very unfavourable idea of our situation: the wind was blowing clear of the reef, and raised a heavy sea; and the Dick was so close to us that we dared not veer cable, for fear of getting on board of her, which must have happened if either ship should break her sheer.
At half-past ten o'clock, during a very heavy squall, the cable parted, but from the precaution above-mentioned, the brig happily drifted with her head to starboard, and passed clear both of the Dick and San Antonio; the chain-cabled anchor was then dropped, and veered to ninety fathoms, which brought her up in fifteen fathoms, mud; in which birth she appeared to ride much easier than before.

I was now very anxious about the lost anchor; and, having expressed a wish to inform Mr.Harrison of our situation, and to request him to recover our anchor in the morning if the weather would permit, Mr.Bedwell volunteered to go on board her; which, although a service of danger, was, if possible to be effected, absolutely necessary.

The boat was lowered, and they shoved off, but as the crew were unable to pull it ahead, I called her on board again, which was most fortunate; for shortly afterwards the chain-cable parted also, and the brig drove with her head towards the shore.
1821.