nerves were
thoroughly proof against the worst terrors of battle, fire, or flood,--
next the officers, and finally, when he was quite satisfied that no
living being but himself remained on board, he raised his uniform cap as
if in salute, slipped down the side, and gave the order to "give way."

"Stretch out to your work, lads," he exclaimed, as the oars dashed into
the water; "throw your whole hearts into it; the fire must be close to
the magazine, and--"

A terrific concussion, a dull heavy roar, and the poor old "Proselyte"
was rent to pieces, as a broad sheet of flame flashed up from her hull
skyward. A wall of water some five feet high leapt up just under our
stern, and immediately afterwards curled over upon us, completely
swamping the boat. Fragments of planks and beams, heavy bolts, spars,
and other wreckage whizzed through the air all around us; and one of the
guns, still mounted on its carriage, and with its shattered tackles
streaming in the air, was hurled outwards and fell into the water with a
tremendous splash, within six feet of where we were all left struggling
in the water. Then a great cloud of black smoke shot up into the air;
and the blackened remains of the hull, collapsing amidships, sank out of
sight, creating a great seething whirl, which dragged us all helplessly
into its vortex, and sucked us ruthlessly down, down deep into the
darkening bosom of the ocean.

Stunned, and almost insensible from the violence of the shock, I still
had presence of mind left to close my nostrils with the fingers of one
hand, and to hold my breath, as I was helplessly whirled hither and
thither; and at last, just as my powers of endurance had reached the
point of exhaustion, I rose again to the surface, and beheld once more
the welcome sight of the bright sunlight flashing upon the dancing
billows.

The water all round me was thickly strewn with wreckage; and a few
pieces were still falling here and there, showing the height to which
the fragments had been projected. A dozen or so of human heads appeared
on the surface of the water at no great distance from me; and others
were momentarily popping up above the waves; the owners, one and all,
immediately striking out, more or less scientifically, for the nearest
floating object.

Looking round me, I soon had the satisfaction of discovering the gallant
commander of the ill-fated "Proselyte," clinging to the keel of our
boat, which was floating bottom-up at n