e utter perfection of
the night suggested to me the idea of perfection generally; what a
mortal may come to when at his best. Such a view of nature as I was
having puts one out of conceit, I believe, with whatever is out of
order, unseemly, or untrue, or what for any reason misses the end of
its existence. _Then_ rose the question, what is the end of
existence?--but I did not mean to give you my moralizings, Queen
Esther; I have drifted into it. I can tell you, though, that my
moralizing got a sharp emphasis the next day.

'I turned in at last, leaving the world of air and water a very image
of peace. I slept rather late, I suppose; was awakened by the hoarse
voice of the captain calling all hands on deck, in a manner that showed
me there must be urgent cause. I tumbled up as soon as possible. What
do you think I saw?

'The morning was as fair as the night had been. The sea was smooth, the
sun shining brilliantly. I suppose the colonel would tell you, that
seas may be _too_ smooth; anyhow I saw the fact now. There had been not
wind enough during the night to make our sails of any use; a current
had caught us, and we had been drifting, drifting, till now it appeared
we were drifting straight on to a line of rocks which we could see at a
little distance; made known both to eye and ear: to the former by a
line of white where the waves broke upon the rocks, and to the latter
by the thundering noise the breakers made. Now you know, where waves
break, a ship would stand very little chance of holding together; but
what were we to do? The only thing possible we did,--let out our
anchors; but the question was, would they hold? They did hold, but none
too soon; for we were left riding only about three times our ship's
length from the threatening danger. You see, we had a drunken crew; no
proper watch was kept; the captain was first roused by the thunder of
the waves dashing upon the rocks; and then nothing was ready or in
order, and before the anchors could be got out we were where I tell
you. The anchors held, but we could not tell how long they would hold,
nor how soon the force of the waves would drag us, cables and all, to
the rocks. There we sat and looked at the view and situation. We
hoisted a signal and fired guns of distress; but we were in front of a
rocky shore that gave us little hope of either being of avail. At last,
after three hours of this, the captain and some of the passengers got
into the yawl and went off t