might have been expected from the force of the wind, was still
formidable enough to be almost terrifying in its aspect as it swept down
upon the schooner in long, steep, mountain-like ridges, that soared to
nearly half the height of our main cross-trees, with a hollow of fully
one hundred and eighty feet in width between them, each wave crowned
with a roaring, foaming crest that reared itself above our low hull as
though eager to hurl itself upon and destroy us.

As the day wore on we received a temporary addition to our company, in
the shape of a brig. She hove in sight in the eastern quarter, about
six bells in the forenoon watch; and the first sight that we got of her
revealed that her jib-boom and both her topmasts were gone. She was
showing a storm-staysail; and at first sight we supposed her to be
hove-to; but she drove down towards us so fast that we soon came to the
conclusion that there must be something wrong with her steering-gear,
and as she drew nearer it became evident that she was unmanageable,
falling off occasionally until she was almost dead before the wind; and
we could see that whenever this happened the sea made a clean breach
over her. When within about a mile of us she showed the Russian ensign,
upside down, in her main-rigging, to which we responded by hoisting
Spanish colours--to lull any doubts that might possibly be lurking in
the minds of our friends on board the barque, who did not condescend to
favour us with a sight of their bunting. As for the brig, she drove
straight down towards us, occasioning us a considerable amount of
anxiety, for so erratic were her movements that when she had arrived
within a couple of cables' lengths of us it became impossible to say
whether she would pass ahead or astern of us. The only thing that we
could do to avoid her was to fill upon the schooner and forge ahead out
of her way, and this we would have done but for the possibility that
after our having done so the brig might take a sheer in the wrong
direction and fall foul of us, when the destruction of the schooner, if
not of both vessels, must inevitably have happened. At length it became
evident that something must be done, for she was settling bodily down
upon us, and another two minutes would bring the two craft into
collision.

Ryan therefore ordered the helm to be shifted, and we were just forging
clear, as we thought, and leaving her room to pass under our stern, when
a terrific sea swept dow