oaling," said the mate.

"By the mark ten!" called the leadsman.

"Get out some rockets and Bengola lights, Washburn," I continued,
nervously. "The people on the wreck don't even give us a light to steer
by."

"And a half seven!" shouted the leadsman.

I rang to back her, for she shoaled too rapidly for my nerves. I told
the mate to light a Bengola on the heel of the bowsprit. When he did so
the brilliant light enabled me to see the wreck very distinctly, and
less than a hundred yards from the Sylvania. She was a large bark, with
all her sails furled. Her captain had probably taken in all sail as
soon as the vessel struck the reef.

The chart informed me there were rocks only a few feet below the
surface of the water. The wreck was headed to the south-west, but this
could not have been the direction in which she was sailing when she
struck the reef. On that course she would have got into trouble before.

"By the deep seven!" said the leadsman, in loud and shrill tones.

I rang to go ahead again, and at the same time told the mate to keep
the Bengola lights burning. Ben Bowman was stationed at the end of the
bowsprit that the light might not blind his eyes. I had purchased a
plentiful supply of fireworks in New York for festive occasions, and we
were in no danger of exhausting them, as they had evidently done on the
wreck.

"Give her about ten turns a minute, Moses!" I called to the engineer
through the speaking-tube.

"Ten turns a minute!" he replied, to make sure that I had been
understood.

"Steady, as she is, Hop!" I said to the wheel-man. "If you see anything
like a buoy, stop and back her as quick as you can."

"Ay, ay, sir," replied the wheelman.

I went on the hurricane-deck to get a better view of the wreck. It was
hard to stand up in that part of the vessel, for she pitched and rolled
very badly, while she was making so little headway. By holding on at
the railing, I got to a point where I could hug the foremast. The wreck
was very low down, and I concluded that she was full of water.

"And a half six!" said Buck.

This was thirty-nine feet of water, and we were in no danger yet. The
waves were beating over the deck of the bark. It was clear enough that
she must go to pieces before morning. Her bulwarks were stove on the
weather side of her; and while I was looking at her the foremast went
by the board. I saw that the step of the mast must have been torn away
by grinding upon the rocks.

We