ting into shoal water. The agitation of the waves was
bringing up fine white coral, which formed the bottom of the ocean in
the locality of the reef.

Towards sundown the hurricane had passed us, the wind gradually veering
around to the north, which made a fair wind for us to Mobile. All sail
was set, the damage repaired as much as possible, the cook made a lot of
good strong coffee, and then all hands took turns in taking a
much-needed sleep.

A remarkable sight on that trip I have forgotten to mention: one
pleasant evening the sun was exactly even on the west horizon and a
bright full moon on the eastern. It lasted only a few minutes, but it
was a beautiful sight. All the time I have passed on the ocean, I never
saw the phenomenon but that once.

The next afternoon after the storm we sighted a vessel dead ahead. On
getting closer we saw a signal of distress flying. The ship had lost all
her masts close to deck, was almost on her beam ends, and rolling like a
log in the water. What did our gallant captain do but sail past without
giving any assistance! The signal indicated that the crew wanted to
abandon the wreck. All hands talked rather plainly to the captain
regarding his inhumanity. His excuse was that his own vessel was too
badly disabled to assist others. In a few days we were off Mobile
harbour and took the pilot on board. From him we got a description of
the storm at Mobile. The Robert Ely, the ship in which I had intended
taking passage at first, had arrived at the beginning of the storm, and
anchored outside of the harbour. The wind broke her from her anchorage
and wrecked her on the low, sandy island at the entrance of the bay.
Three of the crew were washed over the island into the bay on the
top-gallant forecastle and rescued. The remainder were drowned.

The island had been under water. When we arrived it was completely
covered with the cargo and fragments of the wreck. Pianos, boxes and
barrels, all kinds of dry goods, were to be seen mixed up with the
spars, rigging, and timbers of the Robert Ely. We sailed in through the
channel and up the bay. As we drew only twelve feet of water we could
go up the city to a wharf. A tug-boat took us in tow, and, striking a
mud-bank, the good bark P. T. Bartram stuck there. Some of the cargo had
to be taken out in lighters to enable us to get up the Spanish River.
Much to our surprise, the dismasted wreck that we saw at sea was towed
in and got up to Mobile city ah