were within a hundred feet of her stern, and the billows were too
savage to permit of going any nearer. I hastened down to the
pilothouse, rang to stop her, and then to back her. I intended to be
sure that we had full control of the steamer before we went any nearer.
I found that the Sylvania backed well against the head sea, and then I
stopped her screw.

In an instant I found that the steamer was driving towards the wreck. I
rang to back her again, and readily checked her.

I saw that the only way I could approach the unfortunate vessel was to
get under her lee. The sea was altogether too rough for our little
quarter boats, though both of them were life-boats. By occasionally
backing the screw, we ran within fifty feet of the wreck, and I could
hear the roar of the gale through the standing rigging of the bark, and
the heavy pounding of the billows against her side.

"Steamer ahoy!" shouted a man on the taffrail of the vessel.

"On board the bark!" replied Washburn, on the topgallant forecastle.
"What is the condition of the vessel?"

"Our forefoot is gone, and we are stove through forward. She is full of
water," replied the man. "She is grinding on the reef, and will go to
pieces in a few hours."

"How much water have you under your lee?" I shouted.

"From one to three fathoms," replied the captain of the bark, as we
judged that he was.

With the utmost care I ran the Sylvania under the lee of the bark; and
I think it must have taken all the tact of Moses Brickland to handle
the engine in accordance with the bells I rang. But as soon as the bow
of the steamer was under the lee of the bark it was in comparatively
smooth water. From the statement of the captain, and the depth of water
he reported, I concluded that one of the sharp spurs of rock was
sticking through her bottom near where her forefoot had been, and that
she was held in this position by the reef. Buck kept on sounding, and
reported four fathoms at the stern of the wreck. Cobbington was now in
charge of the Bengolas, and Washburn was getting the hawsers ready to
make fast to the bark. We put out our fenders, and the mate heaved a
line into the waist of the wreck. Ben Bowman did the same, throwing his
line over the stern. The lines were caught by the seamen on board, and
made fast.

Though the water was fairly still at the leeward of the bark, I found
that the vessel was rolling badly, and greatly endangering the safety
of the Sylvania. The gale