by the first gale that
chances to spring up."

Thinking thus, I put up my helm, wore the boat round, and headed her
upon a course that I believed would eventually enable me to hit off
either Reunion or Mauritius, should I not be picked up beforehand.

That was a very anxious night indeed for me; by far the most anxious
that I had thus far spent since the destruction of the _Saturn_, for the
wind steadily increased, compelling me to haul down a first and then a
second reef in the mainsail, while--the wind and sea being now square
abeam--I was continually exposed to the danger of being swamped by a sea
breaking aboard. By constant watchfulness, however, I contrived to
escape this danger, and my eighth morning found the boat bowling along
to the northward and reeling off her six knots per hour, with a steady
breeze from the westward, a long, regular sea running, and a clear sky
giving promise that the weather conditions were unlikely to grow any
worse than they were then. But I had to stick to the mainsheet and the
yoke-lines, and do as best I could without rest, for the time being.
Fortunately, as the day wore on, the wind moderated, until by nightfall
it had dropped to such an extent that I was able to shake out first one
reef and then the other, while with the moderating of the breeze the sea
also went down until it was no longer dangerous.

I had now had no sleep for thirty-six hours, consequently I felt in sore
need of rest. I therefore hove-to the boat, coiled myself down, and
instantly sank into a dreamless slumber. It must have been about
midnight when I awoke. I at once let draw the fore-sheet, filled away
upon the course I had decided upon, and kept the boat going for the
remainder of the night.

The ninth day of my boat voyage dawned pleasantly, with the wind still
blowing a moderate breeze from the westward, a long, regular swell
running, and no sea worth troubling about. The conditions were
therefore quite favourable for a little experiment I desired to make.
Being only human, I could not avoid the necessity for securing a certain
amount of sleep, and, up to now, when I needed rest it had been my habit
to heave-to the boat and leave her to take care of herself, trusting to
that curious sailor-sense, which all sailor-men soon acquire, to awake
me should the need arise. But heaving-to meant loss of time; and having
already lost so much I was very reluctant to lose more, if such loss
could possibly be