sea arising from
the wind meeting the tide, and before we arrived close to her we had
shipped a great deal of water; and when we were alongside, the wherry,
with the chest in her bows, pitched so heavily that we were afraid of
being swamped. Just as a rope had been made fast to the chest, and they
were weighing it out of the wherry, the ship's launch with water came
alongside, and, whether from accident or wilfully, I know not, although
I suspect the latter, the midshipman who steered her shot her against
the wherry, which was crushed in, and immediately filled, leaving Tom
and me in the water, and in danger of being jammed to death between the
launch and the side of the frigate. The seamen in the boat, however,
forced her off with their oars, and hauled us in, while our wherry sank
with her gunwale even with the water's edge, and floated away astern.

As soon as we had shaken ourselves a little, we went up the side, and
asked one of the officers to send a boat to pick up our wherry.

"Speak to the first lieutenant--there he is," was the reply.

I went up to the person pointed out to me; "If you please, sir--"

"What the devil do you want?"

"A boat, sir, to--"

"A boat! the devil you do!"

"To pick up our wherry, sir," interrupted Tom.

"Pick it up yourself," said the first lieutenant, passing us, and
hailing the men aloft. "Maintop, there, hook on your stays. Be smart.
Lower away the yards. Marines and after-guard, clear launch.
Boatswain's mate."

"Here, sir."

"Pipe marines and after-guard to clear launch."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"But we shall lose our boat, Jacob," said Tom to me. "They stove it in,
and they ought to pick it up." Tom then went up to the master's mate,
which he had brought on board, and explained our difficulty.

"Upon my soul, I dar'n't say a word. I'm in a scrape for breaking my
leave. Why the devil didn't you take care of your wherry, and haul
a-head when you saw the launch coming?"

"How could we, when the chest was hoisting out?"

"Very true. Well, I am very sorry for you, but I must look after my
chest." So saying, he disappeared down the gangway ladder.

"I'll try it again, anyhow," said Tom, going up to the first lieutenant.
"Hard case to lose our boat and our bread, sir," said Tom touching his
hat.

The first lieutenant, now that the marines and after-guard were at a
regular stamp and go, had, unfortunately more leisure to attend to us.
He looked at us earnestl