but the rocks on which it was built
were gradually undermined by the waves, and it had to be replaced by a
new building on a firmer foundation.

We made but very little way during the night. The sky at this time had
assumed a most extraordinary appearance. It appeared to be sprinkled
over with flocks of wool of the most brilliant colours--red, yellow,
green, pink and gold, indeed, all the hues of the rainbow, with scarcely
any blue spaces.

"What a magnificent day we shall have!" I exclaimed.

"I'm not so sure of that, sir," answered Truck. "If I mistake not,
before we get into Plymouth Sound we shall have a sneeze from the
south-west. Fortunately we've got a harbour under our lee. We won't
rouse up the captain, though, because he is tired after his swim and his
anxiety about Master Jack, but I'll take leave to shorten sail in good
time."

"Four reefs down in the mainsail, lads," he sang out. "Be smart about
it. Get out the storm jib. In with the big jib."

"Before many minutes are over the gale will be down upon us!" Paul
shouted out to the Dolphin, making signs to show what he expected. We
saw her immediately afterwards shortening sail. Scarcely had we set the
storm jib than the wind struck it, and away we flew over the now
fast-rising seas. In a few seconds the wind was howling and shrieking,
and the whole ocean was covered with foam.

A short distance off, on the starboard quarter, was the Dolphin. In an
instant, as the squall struck her, she heeled over until the water
rushed through the lee scuppers; but the foresail was speedily brailed
up, and under a storm jib and closely-reefed mainsail she staggered on,
keeping about the same distance from us as at first. Afar off were
numberless vessels standing for the harbour; some perhaps had sailed the
previous evening, others were standing up Channel, or had previously
been making for Plymouth. We dashed on over the now foaming billows.
The number of vessels appeared to increase as they approached either the
east or the west end of the breakwater: we kept to the former entrance.
Some of the outward-bound vessels ran back into Cawsand Bay, on the west
side of the harbour, just abreast of the end of the breakwater on which
the lighthouse stands. Every moment the wind increased, until it blew a
tremendous gale; and thankful we were when we had passed the Newstone
and Shagstone, two dangerous rocks at the eastern entrance of the Sound,
and had got sa