happened, were almost deafening, even to ears accustomed to such
noises.

"We are all going to be drowned!" I heard Dicky Esse, whose hammock
slung next to mine, sing out. "Never mind, Dicky," I answered, "we will
have a struggle for life at all events, and may be, as the savages did
not eat us, the sea will not swallow us up."

Finding everybody was turning out, I huddled on my clothes as best I
could, and with the rest found my way on deck, though I quickly wished
myself below again, as it was no easy matter to keep my footing when I
was there, and preserve myself from slipping into the sea, which was
dashing wildly over our bulwarks. The ship was on her beam-ends. By
the light of the vivid flashes of lightning which continued incessantly
darting here and there round us, I saw the Captain half-dressed, with
his garments under one of his arms, shouting out his orders, which the
lieutenants, much in the same state as to costume, were endeavouring to
get executed, their voices, however, being drowned in the tempest. For
some minutes, indeed, even the best seamen could scarcely do anything
but hold on for their lives. One thing appeared certain: either the
masts must be cut away, or the guns hove overboard. It seemed
impossible, if this could not be done, that the ship would continue
above water. Suddenly with a violent jerk up she rose again on an even
keel with her topmasts carried away, and the rigging beating with
fearful force about our heads.

"Clear away the wreck!" shouted the Captain. Such was now the no easy
task to be performed. The officers, however, with axes in their hands,
leading the way, sprang aloft, followed by the topmen. Blocks and spars
came rattling down on deck to the no small risk of those below. At
length the shattered spars having been cleared away, head sail was got
on the ship, and off she ran before the hurricane, the master having
ascertained that we had a clear sea before us. When morning dawned, the
frigate, which had looked so trim at sunset, presented a sadly battered
appearance, her topmasts gone, the deck lumbered with the wreck, two of
the boats carried away, a part of the lee-bulwarks stove in. The
carpenter too, after going below with his mates, returned on deck and
reported that the ship was making water very fast. "We must ease her,
sir," I heard him say, "or I cannot answer for her weathering the gale."
The Captain took a turn or two along the quarter-deck, his