Grey!" I instantly sprung up and answered the call, when Ruston, the
boatkeeper in my boat, said, "I must heave all overboard, Sir, or the
boat will be swamped." "Hold on for a minute or two," was my answer,
whilst I stripped my clothes off. I found that it was blowing a terrific
gale of wind which increased every moment in a most extraordinary manner;
the wind was from the south-east, and the breakers came pouring over the
reef as if the bay was going to empty bodily all its waters into the
little cove in which the boats were anchored. I now called Mr. Walker and
Mr. Smith and desired them to follow me off to the boats with two or
three hands, and then swam out to my own, which I found nearly full of
water, and it was all that the boat-keeper could do to keep her head on
to the sea. In a minute or two Mr. Walker and Mr. Smith, who were ever
foremost in difficulties and dangers, swam off to assist me, but they
could not induce any of the men to face the sea and storm, which was now
so terrible that they were all quite bewildered. Mr. Walker swam to his
own boat; Mr. Smith came to mine. We made fast a line to all the stores,
etc. and Mr. Smith boldly plunged in again amongst the breakers and
returned ashore with it, a service of no ordinary danger, for the shore
was fronted with a sharp coral reef, against which he was certain to be
dashed by the waves, and, after having got on it, the breakers would keep
knocking him down and thus cutting his legs to pieces against the rocks.
Mr. Smith however reached the shore with the line, receiving sundry
severe cuts and bruises; and, to my great surprise, in a few minutes more
he was again by my side in the boat, baling away: it was still however
all we could do to keep the boat afloat.

BOATS DRIVEN ASHORE.

Mr. Walker now called out to me that his boat was drifting, and in a
moment more she went ashore. For one second we saw her dancing wildly in
over the breakers, and then she disappeared from us, and we were left in
uncertainty as to her fate; for, although we were close to the beach, it
was impossible, amidst the din of elements, to hear what was taking place
there. An occasional vivid flash of lightning showed us dark figures
hauling about some huge object, and then again all was wrapped in roar
and darkness. Mr. Smith and myself in the meanwhile were baling away, and
Ruston was striving with the steer oar to keep her head to sea, for the
instant she got the least broadside