ing to the little harbour from
which we had started in the morning, but the wind being directly against
us, we made very little head. "We shall never get to the Nob," said Mr.
Witch, who had the steer oar, to me; "it blows too hard, Sir." "What are
we to do, then?" said I. "Why, Sir," he replied, "we must either beach or
run out to sea," "We will beach, then," I said; "it is better to try that
than to do any thing else." Mr Witch evinced some surprise at my
decision, but made no remark. "You had better select your place," I
observed, "and be careful to keep the boat's head well on to the seas."
"You need not fear me, Sir," said the hardy seaman; "I am accustomed to
such work. It looks worse than it really is." The sea, however, was now
breaking full a mile and a half from the shore, and in looking towards it
I observed a solitary horseman riding slowly along, as if watching our
movements. At length Mr. Witch said that he thought we were opposite to a
favourable spot, on which I directed him to put the boat's head towards
the shore, and to keep her end on as he went in. Round we flew, and in a
moment after we were running at railway speed on the top of a heavy wave.
"Steady, men," said Mr. Witch: "Steady all," and on we went; but looking
round him a moment after--"Back, all. Back, all," he cried. The men did
as they were ordered, and the boat's way was stopped. Her stern rose
almost perpendicularly over the prow, and the next moment fell into the
trough of the sea. The wave, transparent as bottle glass, rushed past us,
and topping, as it is called, burst at our very bow, in a broad sheet of
foam. "Give way, my lads," was the next order of the watchful steersman,
as he again cast his eyes behind him. "Give way, my lads. Give way, all."
"Steady, men," he called, as if doubtful of the result of the coming
wave. I thought I saw paleness on the face of the rowers, but they pulled
regularly and well, and a thundering sound soon told us we had escaped
the threatening sea that had come so rapidly up. I do not know if I am
doing justice to the occurrence. There was more of apparent than real
danger in it, and I myself was less nervous, because I had not long
before been accustomed to the heavy surf of Norfolk Island. It was,
however, a moment of great excitement. We had literally shot towards the
shore, and were now within fifty yards of it, when Mr. Witch said to me,
"Take care of yourself, Sir; we shall catch it at last."

I tur