ent, as it soon did, gradually down. It showed me that the
leak had been caused by the way the little vessel had strained herself,
and that probably, had she been exposed much longer to the fury of the
hurricane, she would have foundered. By night the gale had sufficiently
abated to enable me to set a reefed foresail, and once more to haul up
on my course. I made but little progress during the night and following
day. I was standing along the coast, towards the evening of the next
day, with the wind from the northward, when I discovered in-shore of me
what I took to be the masts of a vessel just appearing out of the water.
I conjectured that she had been sunk in the hurricane of the previous
day, and on the possibility that some of the crew might still be
clinging to her rigging, although I was on a lee-shore, I resolved to
bear down on her. I pointed her out to Grampus, and asked his opinion.

"No doubt about it, sir," he answered. "There may be some danger to us,
I'll allow, especially if it was to breeze up again, but where's the man
worthy of the name who refuses to run some danger for the sake of
helping his fellow-men in distress? To my mind, sir, let us do what's
right, and never mind the consequences."

I've often since thought of the excellence of some of old Grampus'
remarks.

"Up with the helm, then! Ease away the main and head sheets!" I sang
out. "We'll run down and have a look at the wreck."

I kept my glass anxiously turned towards the object I had discovered, in
the hopes of seeing some people clinging on to the rigging. As we drew
near, I found that only a single mast appeared above water, as well as
her bowsprit, and that she had all her canvas set. Not a human being
could be seen in any part of the rigging. I got close up to her. She
was a sloop of about seventy tons. She had evidently been caught
totally unprepared by the hurricane, and every soul on board had been
hurried into eternity. Finding that there would be no use in waiting
longer near the spot, for there was not the slightest probability that
anyone was floating on any part of the wreck in the neighbourhood, I
again hauled my wind, and stood to the northward. At ten o'clock at
night a fresh gale sprang up, which compelled me once more to bring-to
under a reefed foresail. I am thus particular in narrating details of
events which led to a most disastrous result. Truly we cannot tell what
a day may bring forth. I had fal