ing in the reef; but if there were only strangers to the place we
could not tell where they might steer for. We did our best, therefore,
to make signs to them to keep for the opening, but our telegraphing was
not, we feared, received or understood, for the boat ran on directly
towards a part of the reef over which the sea was breaking with especial
fury. We waved, we shouted, we made every sign we could possibly think
of to warn the unhappy people of their danger. They could scarcely have
seen us, much less could they have heard our voices amidst the wild
turmoil of waters.

"O Tom, how dreadful!" I exclaimed. Now the boat was lifted up by the
seas, now she was hid among the foaming surf. I scarcely think that
those on board were aware of their danger.

In an instant more we saw that they would be on the reef. Down we
rushed to the wreck. It was scarcely possible that the boat could wash
over it. We reached the edge of the calmer water of the lagoon inside
the reef, but even there the waves came rolling up with considerable
force, sufficient, at all events, to carry us off our legs had we
ventured within their power. We looked eagerly for the hapless boat.
She might still be concealed by the masses of white surf which flew high
up in the air. We looked in vain. At last we saw some dark objects
tossed up and down among the breakers. Now one, now another was cast
over the reef, but whether they were human beings or merely fragments of
the wreck we could not at first tell. We watched--now we saw an arm
lifted up, then a head emerged from the foam--there could be no longer
any doubt about the matter. At last we could almost see the features of
the unfortunate wretches. Had it even been smoother in the lagoon we
had no means of going out to the assistance of our drowning
fellow-creatures. Oh, how dreadful it was to see people thus perishing
before our eyes and to be unable to assist them! Still we could not
withdraw our gaze from the spot where we had last seen the boat.
Presently a larger wave than any of the previous ones came rolling in.
As it broke several pieces of the wreck seemed as it were to fall out of
it. To one of them a human form was by some means secured, but whether
it was that of a living or a dead person we could not tell. He
appeared, at all events, to be making no effort to save himself. He was
at first washed some way across the lagoon, and then carried swiftly
back again. It becam