l
to the hazard of the die and make the attempt to get into the new
channel. This decision arrived at, I hailed Polson to send all hands to
their stations in readiness to brace round the yards smartly at the word
of command, and for the helmsman to respond instantly to my signals for
the manipulation of the wheel. Then, as we rushed down toward the
turning-point, I caused the ship to be edged gradually up to windward,
until her weather side was all but scraping the coral of the reef, in
order to secure every possible inch of turning-space, at the same time
narrowly watching the channel ahead that I might be able to determine
accurately the precise moment when to shift the helm. Twice or thrice
in as many seconds did my courage fail me and all but determine me to
take the risk of keeping straight head, but when the critical moment
arrived I was once more master of myself and was able to give the order:
"Hard up with your helm! Brail in the spanker, and shiver the mizen
topsail!"

Polson, recognising the necessity for prompt action at the helm, had
sent a second hand to the wheel, and at the first sound of my voice
these two men sent the wheel spinning hard over with all their united
strength, while at the same moment the men tending the after braces had
relieved the ship of the pressure of the whole of the canvas upon her
mizenmast, the craft accordingly swerved away from the wind with almost
the alacrity of a living thing, and the next moment she was swirling
round, as though upon a pivot, shaving the obstructive angle of the reef
by a hairbreadth, and coming to with the wind over the starboard
quarter, when the rounding of her port bow was actually dashing aside
the white water, while I clung to my masthead in fear and trembling,
waiting for the shock which should tell me that she had struck. As a
matter of fact, she actually did, very slightly, graze the coral for a
few feet of her length, just beneath the port main chains, for I
afterwards saw the marks upon her sheathing; but it was the merest
touch, the shock of which was scarcely perceptible, and the next moment
she had luffed fair into the centre of the new channel, and was speeding
away to the northward and eastward. This new channel was so exceedingly
narrow and tortuous that the vessel still needed the most careful
watching; but, compared with that sharp turn, the remaining portion of
the navigation was simple, and a trifle over two hours later I had the