likely to prove
refractory, and so there was little chance of their escaping. The third
mate came out of his cabin soon after eight bells, as he was to have had
the morning watch, but by that time all the mutineers were secured. The
remainder of the night passed slowly away. It was a time of great
anxiety. When the morning broke we looked eagerly towards the east.
There was the land not eight miles off--a rocky shore with a sandy
beach--trees in the foreground, and then ridges of hills rising into
mountains in the distance. There was not a breath of wind. The sea on
every side was like a polished mirror; but every now and then it seemed
to heave up as if a pulse beat beneath, and away towards the shore
progressed at a slow pace--not like a roller, but one swell rising at an
interval after the first had fallen, and I could well fancy with what a
roar it must be dashing on the rocky coast. The first mate, as he
looked towards the shore, ordered the lead to be hove, but no bottom was
found.

"I doubt if there is any holding-ground till close in-shore," observed
Mr Henley. "I pray that we may find a breeze to carry us away from it
before we get much nearer."

"More likely to have one to drive us on to it," answered the first mate,
in a gloomy tone. "How we managed to get here, I can't tell."

"We have now to consider how we may best secure an offing," remarked Mr
Henley. "We could do little at towing, even if we had all hands at
work; but with more than half the crew in irons--No, Mr Grimes; we must
trust in Providence, for vain is the help of man."

The first mate uttered some sneering expression; but still he could not
help acknowledging that the latter part of the remark was true. As I
looked over the side, I could see the circling eddies of a current which
was evidently setting in at a rapid rate towards the shore. Nearer and
nearer we got. There were reefs laid down in the chart as running a
long way off the coast, and we could not tell at what moment we might be
driven on them. As I watched I found that we were being swept, not
directly towards the shore, but to the southward and eastward, so that,
though the current was strong, our progress towards destruction was
slow, though not the less sure. Our position was already painful and
dangerous enough, with a drunken, half-mad master, a mutinous crew, many
of the passengers ready for any mischief, several of the officers worse
than useless, and on a d