Some were told off to get out the boats and to put the women and
children into them, and others were told off to get the horses up out
of the hold, and to lower them overboard into the sea, in order that
they might have a chance of swimming ashore.
When this had all been done, it was found that there were not enough
boats to take everybody, and so the men were ordered to remain in
their ranks on the deck, while the women and children, with a few men
to row them, moved off from the sinking ship.
The boats had not gone far when the ship broke into half and began to
go down. The captain shouted to the men to jump overboard and save
themselves, but the Colonel, Colonel Seaton, interrupting the captain
ordered the men to stand where they were, and to keep their ranks, for
he saw that if they swam to the boats and tried to get in they would
probably sink them too.
So the men kept their ranks, and as the ship rolled over and sank,
they gave a cheer and went down with her.
Out of the whole 760 on board only 192 were saved, but even these
would probably have been lost had it not been for the discipline and
self-sacrifice of the others in obeying the order to keep their ranks
and not to try to get into the boats.
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