, which in an instant
forced their way through her planking, and let the water rush in like a
mill-stream. At the same moment down came all the three masts, while
the sea swept over her, carrying away several of our poor fellows. We
could do nothing to help them, for we could not help ourselves. Most of
our boats were crushed by the falling masts. The captain ordered the
only uninjured one to be lowered, I with a few others did our best to
obey him, though there seemed no chance that a boat could live a minute
in such a sea--it was, however, better to trust to her than stay on
board the ship, against which the waves were dashing so furiously, that
we expected her every moment to go to pieces, when we should all be cast
into the foaming waters, with the pieces of wreck dashing around us, and
coming down upon our heads.

"Another man and I were ordered into the boat to unhook the falls, as
the tackle is called by which the boat is lowered. Just as we had got
into her a tremendous sea came roaring up, and striking the ship, broke
over her and the boat, and very nearly washed us out. A loud noise was
heard of the crashing and rending of the timbers and planks, above which
rose the cry of our shipmates. Three or four leaped into the boat after
us, and we got her clear of the ship, which seemed suddenly to melt
away. We had got our oars out, and now pulled away for our lives--how
the boat escaped, and how she kept afloat in that tremendous sea seemed
a wonder then as it does now. We had four oars, and the first mate, who
was saved, took the helm. To return to the wreck to try and save any of
our drowning shipmates was impossible, and it seemed equally impossible
that we should reach the shore through the boiling surf we saw before
us. Closer and closer we were borne to it--when just as we had given up
all hope of saving our lives, the mate declared that he had discovered
an opening through which we might pass. He steered towards it, the surf
rose like a wall on either side, but there was a narrow passage where
the water was smoother. We pulled with all our might, and in a few
minutes found ourselves in the mouth of a river. After rowing a short
distance, we were in perfectly smooth water. The river which widened
out greatly was bordered on either side by curious-looking trees, which
seemed to have branches growing downwards as well as upwards, with the
stem between them. These are what are called Mangrove trees