once to the
wreck; but this, a right care for the safety of his own vessel would not
allow him to do. Every instant, too, the gale was increasing, till it
blew a perfect hurricane; and not for a moment could a boat have lived
had one been lowered. The wreck drove before the wind, but of course we
moved much faster; it was some hours, however, before we got near enough
to the wreck to discover if anyone was upon it.

"There are three or four people at least upon it," exclaimed Mr Gale.
"Poor fellows! can we do nothing for them, sir?"

"I cannot allow you to throw away your life, as you would if you had
your own way," answered the captain, to whom he spoke. "All we can do
is to hope that the wind will go down before we drift out of sight of
each other."

Unhappily our course took us some way from the wreck, though near enough
to see clearly the poor fellows on it. How intense must have been their
feelings of anxiety as they saw us approaching them! and how bitter
their disappointment when they discovered how impossible it was for us
to render them any assistance till the weather moderated!

The wreck appeared to be that of a schooner, or brig of a hundred and
fifty tons or so. The people were holding on to her keel. There were
three white men and two blacks. They waved their handkerchiefs and
caps, and held out their hands imploringly towards us. Some were
sitting astride on the keel; one was lying down, held on by his
shipmates; and another lay right over it looking almost dead. We made
out this through the glasses. Peter got me a look through a telescope
which one of the men had. It brought the countenances of the poor
fellows fearfully near--their expressions of horror and despair could be
seen. We longed more than ever for the gale to abate that we might help
them. Still it blew on as fiercely as ever all day. The wreck remained
during this time in sight, but of course we were increasing our distance
from her.

"What would have happened," said I to Peter, "if it had been night
instead of day; and if, instead of passing by the wreck, we had struck
against her?"

"Why, we should have given her a finishing-stroke, and very likely have
stove in our bottom and followed her," he answered. "I like to hear you
ask such questions; they show that you think. The event you have spoken
of occurs very frequently, I suspect. Numbers of vessels leave port,
and are never again heard of. They are either run dow