r one or two
dives in the surf, in which he got knocked down and rolled over,
succeeded finally in grasping the sounding-lead.

Then, with a loud hurrah, the end of the line was hauled in towards us,
communication being thus established with those in the jolly-boat. The
stay the rope afforded steadied her in the water, so that she rode more
easily, which made the next operation, that of getting hold of the
overturned long-boat, more practicable, and not as likely to jeopardise
her safety as would otherwise have been the case.

The coil of rope was fully a hundred feet long, and of sufficient length
to pass twice between the jolly-boat ashore and back again, leaving a
few spare yards over; so, first throwing over a grapnel to anchor her
head out to the sea, the water being only some three fathoms deep where
she was riding, and the men in her being now wanted for something else
besides rowing to keep her from drifting in, the other end of the line
was belayed, and the boat easied in with the utmost care, two of the
hands still keeping to their oars, until she reached the wrecked boat.

Then Haxell, the carpenter, pluckily volunteered to jump over the side,
and try, by diving underneath, to catch hold of the long-boat's painter
or some of her headgear, all attempts to reach such by the aid of a
boat-hook being impossible from the motion of the two boats in the
restless water. After a bit, the taciturn but useful man obtained the
object in view, dragging out from below the long-boat's stern the very
tow-rope with which we had been previously pulling the jolly-boat along
while sailing towards the land, before casting her off, and our
subsequent upset.

This rope was now fastened to the shore-line with a double hitch, and
our lot on the beach hauling in, we presently had the satisfaction of
seeing the stern of our own craft working in towards us, the jolly-boat
still remaining out beyond reach of the rollers, until the long-boat had
grounded; when, seeing a proper opportunity, she too was got in safely--
without, however, any previous upset, like ours, and indeed without her
taking in any perceptible quantity of water so as to damage her cargo or
give her crew a ducking, all of whom, with the exception of Haxell, who
of course had sought a bath of his own accord, getting to land dry-shod,
unlike us, who had been drenched from head to foot, and were now
shivering with cold, the temperature of the air being below freezing