ew useless
individuals like myself. I loved to study life in all its gradations--the
"March of Intellect" was yet unknown here! and though the situation
afforded such numerous advantages for smuggling, there were, rather
unaccountably, only three persons in the village connected with the coast
blockade; and it was whispered that relying on the entire seclusion of the
cove, these persons too often winked when they ought to have been astir on
their duty.

The day was far spent, when towards the close of the month of October,
18--, I wandered out to the shore to watch the flow of the evening's tide.
The weather had been unsettled for some time previous, and the rain had
fallen in torrents, with a moderate breeze, during most part of the day.
Towards evening the rain ceased, though large heavy masses of black clouds
were flying about, and backing up to seaward, accompanied with a short
gusty gale of wind. I never recollect a more dismal night. A thick haze
overspread the lower parts of the landscape, throwing the bloated masses
of clouds higher up in the horizon, into a sort of sombre relief. As I
passed a little look-out house on my way to the beach, I sauntered to a
group of sailors at their usual council, who were gazing with deep
interest at a solitary vessel dimly discernible through the fog in the
offing. As she neared us we found her to be a barque of apparently
considerable burthen, making a tack to weather the Torhead, which lay
several miles under her lee, with a strong breeze from windward. She was
evidently quite out of her reckoning from the indecision and embarassment
displayed in her movements; and the captain seemed not sufficiently aware
of the hazard he ran. I waited sometime at this place watching the
movements of the ship. The tide came roaring in with a broken swell
increased by a high spring flood; and there was that in the "wind's eye"
which betokened approaching disaster; while the gloom was increasing, and
the harsh cries and hurried flight of the sea-birds indicated tempestuous
weather.

"An ugly looking night this, Mr. ---- as I have seen for many a-day,"
remarked Harry Covering, one of the oldest of the group of sailors, and a
crony of mine. "Sink the Customs! if yon ship weathers Torhead this night,
may I never pull an oar again." "It is, indeed, a fearful-looking night,
messmate, and no time ought to be lost in the present state of the tide in
putting off to her--for if the wind holds in this