forward in a wave as high as the bulwarks,
and it seemed as if the ship could scarcely right herself when once
she lay over on one side. The growing excitement of the captain,
his nervous consultations with the engineer and the supercargo, were
most uncomfortable; presently the passengers began to take part in
the deliberations, and to observe the behaviour of the ship. As our
course gave us a sidewise current, the captain ordered the sails to be
hoisted, in order to lessen the rolling; but the sea was too heavy,
and we shipped still more water and rolled alarmingly. The captain
sighed, ran hither and thither, then lowered the sails and took a
more westerly course, in the direction of one of the Loyalty Islands;
thus we had the current from behind, which made things still worse,
as the sea, rolling along the ship, filled the deck from both sides;
and as the bulwarks were blocked up by the lumber, the water could
not run off, thus adding an enormous weight to the already overloaded
ship; the water ran forward, pressing down the bow, while the stern
reared upward.

When the captain saw the state of affairs, he lost his head completely,
and began to lament piteously: "We do not want to drown, no, we do not
want to drown; but we are going to. Oh, my poor wife and children! Do
you like to drown, doctor?" I denied this energetically, but I could
not help looking at the dark sea and trying to get used to the idea of
a closer acquaintance with it. The feeling of insecurity was increased
by the knowledge that the boat was old and in poor repair, and might
spring a leak at any moment.

Meanwhile the skipper had turned her round and was making headway
against the waves, but still her bow would not lift, and the captain
wept still more. His womanish behaviour disgusted me. At last a quiet
passenger, an experienced sailor, gave some advice, which the skipper
followed, and which helped matters a little, so that he regained his
self-control to the extent of calling a general council; he announced
that he dared not continue the voyage, and asked our consent to
return to Noumea. We all agreed, and about midnight we approached the
reef. Now there are lights in the passage, but they are so poor as to
be invisible until the traveller is already in the passage, so that
they are of little use. We were trying to find the entrance, when the
experienced seaman I mentioned before, who was keeping a look out,
called out that we were close to t