ely have been
driven towards the cruel rocks on which the sea was fiercely beating.

But another sight still more fearful was to be witnessed. A Turkish
line-of-battle ship lay some way out, pitching heavily into the seas.
Suddenly her cables parted, her vast bulk availed her not, the savage
seas caught her on the broadside. An attempt might have been made to
cut away her masts, but long before the task could be accomplished, she
heeled over, till the water rushed in through her lee-ports.

"She's gone! she's gone! no power can save her," exclaimed Higson. She
never again rose on an even keel; for a few minutes her dark hull could
be seen, the waves dashing over it. It sank lower and lower; again her
masts rose suddenly, but already the foaming waters were above her
bulwarks, and ere another minute had passed, her mastheads had
disappeared beneath the surface. Many a stout heart on board the
_Tornado_ uttered a cry of grief as they saw the catastrophe. Long
before they could reach the spot, the strongest swimmers of her crew
must have perished. Not a human being could be discovered amid the
tumbling seas.

Jack was unwilling to run into port while he could hope to render
assistance to any of his fellow-creatures. Several vessels had signals
of distress flying, and others could be seen in the distance, either
driving towards the shore, or pitching so heavily into the seas that it
was evident they were in the greatest possible danger of going down.
Jack had been looking at one some way off along the coast, when his
attention was directed to another vessel to the northward. When he next
turned his head, the first had disappeared suddenly. In those few short
moments she must have gone down with all on board. They had now to
decide whether they would run into the harbour or keep the sea. Green
urged that they should not venture nearer the coast; for should anything
go wrong in the machinery, the _Tornado_ must inevitably be driven on
shore. The difficulty of entering the harbour was increased in
consequence of several vessels, some of which had brought up off it,
others having been drifted in that direction. The _Tornado's_ head was
accordingly brought round during a lull, and with topgallant-masts on
deck and yards pointed to the wind she stood off-shore.

"We came round not a minute too soon," observed Green, as he watched the
progress the ship was making; "we are going ahead scarcely half a knot
an hour.