g surges whirled him round and
round--now he was concealed by the foam--now he appeared struggling
onward--still it seemed scarcely possible that he could escape from the
boiling cauldron--just then a broken spar floated near him. Had the end
struck him he must have been lost, but it came on so that he could
clutch the middle. Tightly he grasped it till like his shipmate he was
floated near one of the boats and taken on board. Two other men,
encouraged by the success of the first, attempted to reach the boats by
the same means, but scarcely had they committed themselves to the water
when a huge roller came roaring on, dashing over the ship, and as it
receded swept them off far away to sea; for a moment their forms were
seen struggling amidst the foam, and then they were hid for ever from
human eye. The lives of the remainder on board seemed more than ever in
danger. Should the storm increase, of which there seemed every
probability, the ship must go to pieces, even if they were not first
washed off the deck, and then what effort could save them? I was more
than ever interested in their fate, when suddenly the idea occurred to
me that the lady on board might be the wife of my friend Mason. I
thought that he had the same idea, though he would not allow himself to
entertain it, by the agitation he exhibited, and which he in vain tried
to control. As yet the men who had been saved had not been brought on
shore. More boats were coming down the harbour. At length a fine
whale-boat was brought down not far from where we were standing. A
naval officer, whose name I regret that I did not note, volunteered to
take the command, and to go alongside the wreck, if volunteers could be
found to man her. Hassall at once offered his services, as did several
other masters of merchantmen standing by, and they were accepted. Mason
and I also volunteered. "Not unless you are seamen," was the answer.
"This work requires firm nerves and skilful hands." I must observe here
that I have ever found the officers of the mercantile marine ready to go
forth, in spite of all dangers, to save the lives of their
fellow-creatures. Though there are exceptions, the greater number are
as gallant fellows as any of those who have fought the battles of our
country.

The boat was manned and ready to go off, but it became a question
whether it would be wise to wait on the prospect of the sea going down,
or to risk all and to go off at once on the