uck, when there
came a sound like thunder breaking over our heads. Looking up, I saw
the mainsail aback.

The captain shouted out, "Man the clew garnets, let fly tacks and
sheets;" but the words were scarcely out of his mouth before the ship
heeled over, with a suddenness which nearly took us all off our feet.

There was no need for the officers to cry out, "Hold on for your lives."
We struggled to windward, grasping whatever we could clutch. More and
more the ship heeled over; then there came another loud report, the
mainmast went by the board, the fore-topmast fell over the starboard
bow, and the next instant the mizzenmast was carried away half up from
the deck, while the sound of repeated blows which came from the
after-part of the ship, showed us that the rudder had been wrenched from
the pintles, and was battering away under the counter. All these
accidents happened in such rapid succession that it was impossible to do
anything to avert them. The utmost vigilance was required to save
ourselves from being crushed by falling yards and blocks, while cries
and shrieks arose from many of our poor fellows, some of whom had been
struck down, and others carried overboard, vainly endeavouring to regain
the ship. Suddenly she righted, with a violence which tore away the
guns from their lashings, and jerked the shot out of the lockers. The
captain, not for a moment losing his self-possession, shouted to the
crew to clear away the wreck of the masts,--himself, axe in hand,
setting the example. Before, however, many strokes had been given, the
sea came roaring up astern, and, bursting into the captain's cabin,
swept everything before it. The doctor, purser, and several other
officers who had remained below, came rushing up, some only in their
shirts and trousers, others in their shirts alone, believing very
naturally that the ship was going down. Tom Pim and I, with the other
midshipmen, were exerting ourselves to see that the men obeyed the
orders received. I met Larry, axe in hand, chopping away vigorously at
the shrouds.

"Ah, then, Mr Terence, things have come to a bad pass, I'm after
fearing," he exclaimed. "Will you be letting me keep by you, if you
please? If the ship goes down, I'd like to see how we could save
ourselves on a boat, or a raft, or one of the masts, if we can't get
into a boat."

"If it comes to that, Larry, I'm afraid we shall have little chance of
saving our lives," I answered; "at all