I
discovered that the mudbank which held the ship was only of very small
extent, the remaining portion of the bottom being sandy, apparently of
almost uniform depth below the surface of the water, and affording
excellent holding ground. There was one place, however, some two
hundred fathoms to the southward of the spot where the ship then lay,
which seemed to be a trifle deeper than elsewhere, and I at once
determined that, if we could by any means clear ourselves of the mud, I
would anchor there.

By the time that I had thus decided, the other two had cast off the
gaskets from the main topsail. I therefore slid down on deck by way of
the topgallant backstay, and cast off the clewlines and buntlines that
Saunders might overhaul them prior to coming down from aloft, and then
manned the sheets, which, of course, came home easily enough, except for
the last few inches, upon which I required the help of Gurney and
Saunders. Then, having squared the main and topsail yard, we got the
halyard to the winch, with the aid of a snatch-block, and hoisted the
sail, flat aback. Gurney then went forward and loosed the fore topmast
staysail ready for setting in case of need, while Saunders got the hand
lead and dropped it over the side, in order that we might be able at
once to detect any movement on the part of the ship.

The wind meanwhile had freshened perceptibly, and was now blowing a ten-
knot breeze, the effect of which soon became perceptible, for the lead-
line had not been overboard five minutes when Saunders cried out that
the ship was moving. At the same moment I distinctly felt a slight
tremor in the hull, followed by a barely perceptible jerk, then another,
another, and another, and she was once more afloat and driving astern.
I at once sprang to the wheel, and put it hard a-starboard, at the same
time shouting to Gurney and Saunders to hoist the fore topmost staysail.
Then, leaving the wheel to take care of itself, I sprang to the main
braces, throwing the port main and topsail braces off their pins, and
rounding in on the starboard as well as I could unaided. The ship had
now paid off on the port tack; and as soon as the starboard fore topmast
staysail sheet was hauled aft, she began to forge ahead, whereupon I
rushed back to the wheel, steadied it, and called to Gurney to stand by
to let go the stream anchor, and to Saunders to take a cast of the lead.
The first cast gave us a bare four fathoms; the next, a trif