“While in this position the heavy seas broke over her side and poured down the hatchways. The decks were opening in every direction, and the strong framework of the hull seemed compressed together, starting the beams from their places. The ship had been driven with her starboard-bow towards the beach, exposing her stern to the sea, which rushed through the stern ports and tore up the cabin floors of the orlop-deck.
“The thunder and lightning ceased towards morning, and the ship seemed to have worked a bed for herself in the sand, for the terrible rolling had greatly diminished, and there then arose the hope that all on board would get safe ashore.
“At daybreak (about seven o’clock), it was just possible to distinguish some people on the beach opposite to the wreck. Owing to the fear of the masts, spars, and rigging falling, as well as to keep as much top-weight as possible off the ship’s decks, the troops had been kept below, but were now allowed to come on deck in small numbers.
“An attempt was made to send a rope ashore; and one of the best swimmers, a Krooman, volunteered the trial with a rope round his body; but the back-set of the surf was too much for him. A line tied to a spar never got beyond the ship’s bows, and one fired from a cannon also failed. One of the cutters was then carefully lowered on the lee-side of the ship, and her crew succeeded in reaching the shore with a hauling line. Two large surf-boats were shortly afterwards conveyed in waggons to the place where the ship was stranded, and the following orders were given by Captain Gordon for the disembarkation of the troops, viz.:—
“1st. The women and children to disembark (of these there were about seventy). 2d. The sick to disembark after the women and children. 3d. The disembarkation of the troops to take place by the companies of the Ninety-first drawing lots; the detachments of the Twenty-seventh Regiment and of the Cape Mounted Riflemen taking the precedence. 4th. The men to fall in on the upper deck, fully armed and accoutred, carrying their knapsacks and great-coats. 5th. Each officer to be allowed to take a carpet-bag or small portmanteau.
“The disembarkation of the women and children and of the sick occupied from half-past eight until ten o’clock A.M. The detachments of the Twenty-seventh Regiment and of the Cape Mounted Riflemen followed. That of the Ninety-first was arranged by the wings drawing lots, and then the companies of each wing.
“At half-past ten A.M., one of the surf-boats which had been employed up to this time in taking the people off the wreck, was required to assist in saving the lives of those on board the ‘Waterloo’ convict ship, which was in still more imminent peril, about a quarter of a mile from the ‘Abercrombie Robinson.’
“Having now but one boat to disembark four hundred and fifty men, and the wind and sea, which had subsided a little since daylight, beginning again to rise, together with the captain’s apprehension that she might go to pieces before sunset—which (however unfounded, as was afterwards proved,) powerfully influenced Captain Gordon’s arrangements—it became necessary to abandon the men’s knapsacks, as they not only filled a greater space in the surf-boats than could be spared, but took a long time to hand down the ship’s side. The knapsacks had been brought on deck, but were now, for these reasons, sent below again, and stowed away in the women’s standing-berths.
“The officers were likewise informed that they would not be allowed to take more than each could carry on his arm. The disembarkation of the six companies went on regularly, but slowly, from eleven A.M. until half-past three P.M.; there being but one boat, which could only hold thirty men at a time. At half-past three P.M., the last boat-load left the ship’s side. It contained those of the ship’s officers and crew who had remained to the last; the sergeant-major of the reserve battalion Ninety-first; one or two non-commissioned officers, who had requested permission to remain; Captain Gordon, Ninety-first Regiment; and Lieutenant Black, R.N., agent of transports. This officer had dined at Government House the night before, but came on board the wreck with one of the first surf-boats that reached it on the following morning.
“Nearly seven hundred souls completed their disembarkation after a night of great peril, and through a raging surf, without the occurrence of a single casualty. Among them were many women and children, and several sick men, of whom two were supposed to be dying.