esently she passed, not a pistol shot from us. The three men were
shouting and shrieking for aid; old Tom was in the bows, sitting
perfectly still; I could even distinguish the countenance of the mate,
as he turned it with a reproachful glance, so it seemed to me, towards
the captain. Beyond her appeared a high wall of hissing, foaming
breakers, towards which she was driving. The captain seemed scarcely to
notice the unfortunate men; indeed his attention was occupied with
attending to the brig, our position being extremely critical. I
couldn't take my eyes off the boat. Would she be able even yet to stem
the current and get back into smooth water? Suddenly, however, it
seemed as if the wall of foaming breakers came right down upon her, and
she disappeared amidst them. A cry of horror escaped me. "We may be no
better off ere long," I heard one of the men exclaim. He had scarcely
spoken when the brig struck, and the foaming waters leaped up on either
side, as if about to break on board. Another sea came roaring on, and
she again moved forward. Again and again the brig struck, and at last
seemed fixed.

Darkness was coming on, the foaming waters roared around us, frequently
breaking on board, and we had to hold on to escape being washed away.
The hatches had been battened down, or the vessel would have filled.
She must have been a strong craft, or she could not have held together.
The passengers behaved like brave men, though they evidently thought
that it was the captain's obstinacy which had brought them into their
present perilous position.

Hour after hour passed by, with no object discernible beyond the foaming
waters surging round us. The men declared that they could hear the
shrieks and cries of our shipmates. The captain swore at them as fools
for saying so, declaring that their voices must long since have been
silenced by the breakers. Every instant it seemed that the brig must go
to pieces, and that we should be carried away to share their fate.
Suddenly, however, I felt the brig move. The topsails were let fall and
sheeted home, and we once more glided forward. In another hour we were
safely at anchor in a sheltered bay within the mouth of the river.

The next morning several natives came off to us in their canoes. They
were red-skinned painted savages, but appeared inclined to be friendly.
By means of Mr Duncan, who understood something of their language, they
were told of the accident which