pitching
and chopping as the sails were spinning. She had lost her way, the
captain gave the order, "Let go the anchor. We will haul all at once,
Mr Falcon," said the captain. Not a word was spoken; the men went to
the fore brace, which had not been manned; most of them knew, although I
did not, that if the ship's head did not go round the other way, we
should be on shore, and among the breakers, in half a minute. At last
the ship was head to wind, and the captain gave the signal. The yards
flew round with such a creaking noise, that I thought the masts had gone
over the side, and the next moment the wind had caught the sails; and
the ship, which for a moment or two had been on an even keel, careened
over to her gunnel with its force. The captain, who stood upon the
weather hammock-rails, holding by the main rigging, ordered the helm
amidships, looked full at the sails, and then at the cable, which grew
broad upon the weather bow, and held the ship from nearing the shore.
At last he cried, "Cut away the cable!" A few strokes of the axes were
heard, and then the cable flew out of the hawse hole in a blaze of fire,
from the violence of the friction, and disappeared under a huge wave,
which struck us on the chess-tree, and deluged us with water fore and
aft. But we were now on the other tack, and the ship regained her way,
and we had evidently increased our distance from the land.

"My lads," said the captain to the ship's company, "you have behaved
well, and I thank you; but I must tell you honestly, that we have more
difficulties to get through. We have to weather a point of the bay on
this tack. Mr Falcon, splice the main-brace, and call the watch.
How's her head, quarter-master?"

"S.W. by S. Southerly, sir."

"Very well; let her go through the water;" and the captain, beckoning to
the master to follow him, went down into the cabin. As our immediate
danger was over, I went down into the berth to see if I could get
anything for breakfast, where I found O'Brien and two or three more.

"By the powers, it was as nate a thing as ever I saw done," observed
O'Brien; "the slightest mistake as to time or management, and at this
moment the flatfish would have been dubbing at our ugly carcasses.
Peter, you're not fond of flatfish, are you, my boy? We may thank
Heaven and the captain, I can tell you that, my lads; but now, where's
the chart, Robinson? Hand me down the parallel rules and compasses,
Peter; they ar