to steer as close to the wind
as possible in order to weather the reef on which the sea was breaking,
within five yards to leeward of the vessel: our escape appeared to be
next to impossible: the night was of a pitchy darkness and we were only
aware of our situation from time to time as the lightning flashed: the
interval therefore between the flashes, which were so vivid as to
illumine the horizon round, was of a most awful and appalling nature, and
the momentary succession of our hopes and fears which crowded rapidly
upon each other, may be better imagined than described. We were evidently
passing the line of breakers very quickly; but our escape appeared to be
only possible through the interposition of a Divine Providence, for, by
the glare of a vivid stream of forked lightning, the extremity of the
reef was seen within ten yards from our lee bow; and the wave which
floated the vessel the next moment broke upon the rocks with a surf as
high as the vessel's masthead: at this dreadful moment the swell left the
cutter, and she struck upon a rock with such force that the rudder was
nearly lifted out of the gudgeons: fortunately we had a brave man and a
good seaman at the helm, for instantly recovering the tiller, by a blow
from which he had been knocked down when the vessel struck, he obeyed my
orders with such attention and alacrity that the sails were kept full; so
that by her not losing way, she cleared the rock before the succeeding
wave flowed from under her, and the next moment a flash of lightning
showed to our almost unbelieving eyes that we had passed the extremity of
the rocks and were in safety! This sudden deliverance from the brink of
destruction was quite unexpected by all on board our little vessel and
drew from us a spontaneous acknowledgement of gratitude to the only
source from whence our providential escape could be attributed.

It was now doubtful whether we could clear the point under our lee which
we first saw, but as the next flash of lightning showed that we were
between the heads of Botany Bay, and that the point on which we had
nearly been wrecked was, according to Captain Hunter's plan, Cape Banks,
its northern head, we bore up and in half an hour were safe at anchor.
Daylight now broke and with it the weather began to get worse, so that we
were obliged to remain at this anchorage, which was on the south side of
the bay near Point Sutherland, until the next morning; when we got under
sail and an