At eleven in the evening St Alban's Head was sighted about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the leeward.
 The crew took all the sails in and released the small bower anchor.
 After an hour the ship began to drive towards the shore.
 They released a sheet anchor, which held for two hours, when the ship again began to drive towards shore.
The captain and the chief officer agreed among themselves that the ship was lost, and decided the officers should be asked to reserve the longboat for the ladies and themselves if possible.

At about two on the morning on 6 January the ship struck violently on the rocks, beating upon them and then falling with her broadside facing the shore.
The chief officer told the crew to escape over the rocks if they could.

The ship had struck at the foot of a tall and near-vertical cliff near Seacombe, on the Isle of Purbeck, between Peverel point and St. Alban's head.
It had run aground at the mouth of a cave 10 to 12 yards (9.1 to 11.0 m) deep in the base of the cliff, as wide as the length of the ship.
Some of the sailors and soldiers managed to escape to flat rocks below the cliff and others to the rocks in the cave.
The passengers and officers, numbering almost fifty people, including three black women and two soldiers' wives, took refuge in the round-house (cabin).

This was destroyed when a heavy sea washed over the wreck.

The same wave carried two men who had seized a hen coop onto the rocks, where they were badly bruised but safe.

It took less than an hour for the ship to be dashed to pieces.

The survivors  who had reached the cave faced the extremely difficult task of gaining rocks above the reach of the tide, and then of finding a way to climb along the base of the cliff, then up to safety.
A number died in the attempt.

The first to reach the top of the cliff, the cook and the quartermaster, went for help.

Workmen from a nearby quarry came to the aid of the survivors, hauling them up with ropes.

There were further casualties among the exhausted men during this stage.

There were only 74 survivors.

These included five of the ship's officers, forty seamen and twenty-five soldiers.

The surviving sailors had to make their own way back to London on foot.

It was reported that the "rapacious plunderers on the sea coast ... are so devoid of humanity as to strip the bodies of the dead as soon as the waves have thrown them on the shore."
However, some gentlemen of the area had made sure that the bodies were given a proper burial.
At eleven in the evening St Alban's Head was sighted about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the leeward.  The crew took all the sails in and released the small bower anchor.  After an hour the ship began to drive towards the shore.  They released a sheet anchor, which held for two hours, when the ship again began to drive towards shore. The captain and the chief officer agreed among themselves that the ship was lost, and decided the officers should be asked to reserve the longboat for the ladies and themselves if possible.
At about two on the morning on 6 January the ship struck violently on the rocks, beating upon them and then falling with her broadside facing the shore. The chief officer told the crew to escape over the rocks if they could.
The ship had struck at the foot of a tall and near-vertical cliff near Seacombe, on the Isle of Purbeck, between Peverel point and St. Alban's head. It had run aground at the mouth of a cave 10 to 12 yards (9.1 to 11.0 m) deep in the base of the cliff, as wide as the length of the ship. Some of the sailors and soldiers managed to escape to flat rocks below the cliff and others to the rocks in the cave. The passengers and officers, numbering almost fifty people, including three black women and two soldiers' wives, took refuge in the round-house (cabin).
This was destroyed when a heavy sea washed over the wreck.
The same wave carried two men who had seized a hen coop onto the rocks, where they were badly bruised but safe.
It took less than an hour for the ship to be dashed to pieces.
The survivors  who had reached the cave faced the extremely difficult task of gaining rocks above the reach of the tide, and then of finding a way to climb along the base of the cliff, then up to safety. A number died in the attempt.
The first to reach the top of the cliff, the cook and the quartermaster, went for help. 
Workmen from a nearby quarry came to the aid of the survivors, hauling them up with ropes.
There were further casualties among the exhausted men during this stage.
There were only 74 survivors.
These included five of the ship's officers, forty seamen and twenty-five soldiers.
The surviving sailors had to make their own way back to London on foot.
It was reported that the "rapacious plunderers on the sea coast ... are so devoid of humanity as to strip the bodies of the dead as soon as the waves have thrown them on the shore." However, some gentlemen of the area had made sure that the bodies were given a proper burial.
Halsewell (East Indiaman)