namely, the two
small ones; for to the westward of these there is a large one which is
not to be regarded. Having the capes thus opposite each other, you are
in the middle of the channel and by the first buoy. The current runs
outside along the shore, east and west, to wit: the ebb tide westerly,
and the flood easterly, and also very strong. The ebb runs until it is
half flood. There are still two other channels, the old one which is
the middle one, and the Spanish Channel stretching to the east. We had
reached the middlemost buoy when it became entirely calm, for which
reason we could hardly steer the ship, and, in the meanwhile, the
current was steadily setting us over to the west bank. Hereupon a
dispute arose between the pilot in our ship and those in the pilot
boat going ahead of us. The one in the ship on throwing the lead and
finding it begin to be shallow, and seeing, moreover, that the current
was driving us more upon the shoal, was of opinion that we should wear
ship, which his brother was not willing to do, saying that she should
stand over further. This continued so long that at last it became
entirely dry, when he wished to tack about; but it could not then be
done in consequence of the current running with so much force upon
shallow ground, and carrying the ship violently against the shoal,
where the current ran obliquely. They got out the boat at the bow of
the ship to row, which would not yield in consequence of the strong
current which also drove the boat as well as the ship; so that, in a
word, we were aground on the west bank of the channel, and although
the water was nearly at its lowest there was still a strong ebb tide.
Immediately there was great clamor and running to and fro both of
seamen and those not acquainted with navigation. Every one was
alarmed, and every one did his best in that respect, the more so,
because there was not far from us the wreck of a ship with her masts
sticking out of water, though it was on the east side of the channel.
Nevertheless, we remained fast, and the ship began to thump hard and
fall entirely on one side. They ran straightway to the pumps, but
found no leak. The pilot remained in good spirits, though put out and
angry with his brother, who had misled us, and who, in consequence of
the strength of the current, and the lightness of the wind, could not
come on board of us. They said we were in no danger, although it
looked very strange, as the current had washed the