ssage in
her to the rock. The accession of three passengers to a boat, already
in a lumbered state, put her completely out of trim, and, as it
unluckily happened, the man who steered her on this occasion was not
in the habit of attending the rock, and was not sufficiently aware of
the run of the sea at the entrance of the eastern creek.

Instead, therefore, of keeping close to the small rock called Johnny
Gray, he gave it, as Ruby expressed it, "a wide berth". A heavy sea
struck the boat, drove her to leeward, and, the oars getting
entangled among the rocks and seaweed, she became unmanageable. The
next sea threw her on a ledge, and, instantly leaving her, she canted
seaward upon her gunwale, throwing her crew and part of her cargo
into the water.

All this was the work of a few seconds. The men had scarce time to
realize their danger ere they found themselves down under the water;
and when they rose gasping to the surface, it was to behold the next
wave towering over them, ready to fall on their heads. When it fell
it scattered crew, cargo, and boat in all directions.

Some clung to the gunwale of the boat, others to the seaweed, and
some to the thwarts and oars which floated about, and which quickly
carried them out of the creek to a considerable distance from the
spot where the accident happened.

The instant the boat was overturned, Ruby darted towards one of the
rock boats which lay near to the spot where the party of workmen who
manned it had landed that morning. Wilson, the landing-master, was at
his side in a moment.

"Shove off, lad, and jump in!" cried Wilson.

There was no need to shout for the crew of the boat. The men were
already springing into her as she floated off. In a few minutes all
the men in the water were rescued, with the exception of one of the
strangers, named Strachan.

This gentleman had been swept out to a small insulated rock, where he
clung to the seaweed with great resolution, although each returning
sea laid him completely under water, and hid him for a second or two
from the spectators on the rock. In this situation he remained for
ten or twelve minutes; and those who know anything of the force of
large waves will understand how severely his strength and courage
must have been tried during that time.

When the boat reached the rock the most difficult part was still to
perform, as it required the greatest nicety of management to guide
her in a rolling sea, so as to prevent her