from
the entrance to Savannah, were as bright as in the time of peace, and
served as a capital guide to the river's mouth. After two days' run from
Nassau we arrived without accident to within twenty miles of the low
land through which the Savannah river runs, and at dark steered for the
light-vessel lying off Port Royal. Having made it out, in fact steaming
close up to it, we shaped our course for Fort Pulaski, using the light
as a point of departure, the distance by the chart being twelve miles.
We soon saw its outlines looming through the darkness ahead, and
formidable though it looked, it caused me no anxiety, compared with the
danger we seemed to be in from the shoalwater and breakers being all
around us. However, the pilot who had charge of such matters seemed
comfortable enough.

So we went cautiously along, and in ten minutes would have been past
danger, at all events from the batteries on the fort, when one of the
severest storms I ever remember of wind and rain, accompanied by thunder
and lightning, came on, and enveloped us in a most impenetrable
darkness. Knowing that we were surrounded by most dangerous shoals, and
being then in only fifteen feet water, I felt our position to be a very
perilous one. The pilot had by this time pretty well lost his head; in
fact, it would have puzzled anyone to say where we were. So we turned
round and steered out to sea again, by the same way we had come in; and
when we were as near as we could guess twenty miles from land, we let go
our anchor in fifteen fathoms water.

Then came on a heavy gale of wind accompanied by a thick fog, which
lasted three days and nights. I never in my life passed such an
unpleasant time, rolling our gunnels under, knowing that we were
drifting, our anchor having dragged, but in what direction it was
difficult to judge; unable to cook, through the sea we had shipped
having put our galley-fire out; and, worse than all, burning quantities
of coal, as we had to keep steam always well up, ready for anything that
might happen.

One day it cleared up for half an hour about noon, and we managed to get
meridian observations, which showed us that we had drifted thirty miles
of latitude, but we still remained in ignorance of our longitude. On the
fourth day the gale moderated, the weather cleared up, and we
ascertained our position correctly by observations.

When it was dark we steered for the light-vessel off Port Royal,
meaning, as before, to make