when poor sailors might with equal justice have
"God damned" the Government of St Stephen's who would not listen to
their woes. Poor fellows! Had Dr Parker and other public men dared to
"God damn" their own countrymen for carrying on a system of trading
with veritable coffins, the reform which has made our mercantile marine
the finest in the world would not have been so long delayed.

The little vessel of which I am writing hadn't a rope (as the sailors
said) strong enough to hang a cat with, and it was in consequence of
this most culpable neglect that the throat halyards of the fore trysail
gaff broke soon after sailing. The gaff came down with a run, and it,
together with the sail, was put into a long boat which stood on the
chocks over the main hatches. Paradoxical as it may appear, this
accident caused by rotten running gear was the means of saving the ship
and all her crew. This was only a minor mishap compared with the
breaking of one of the legs of the pump brake stand, which occurred
just at the time both pumps were required to keep down the increasing
flow of water. The storm continued to rage with unabated fury. No sky
could be seen for the flying sleet, and the sea was torn and tossed
into a wilderness of broken water. The only canvas set was the
close-reefed main topsail. Both pumps had been going for several hours,
and at one o'clock on the morning of February 12, the well was pumped
dry and the mate's watch ordered below to get a nap until four. They
took their drenched clothing off, wrung the water out, hung it on a
line round the bogey fire to dry, and turned into their hammocks as
naked as they were born. At three the hand-spike knocked heavily on the
deck and a loud voice called down the scuttle hatch, "Larboard watch,
ahoy! All hands to the pumps, the ship is sinking!"

Every man in a couple of minutes had put his steaming clothes on and
set to work; and the fight with death went on until noon, when it was
found that the water was gaining. The men despaired of keeping her
afloat over night, and as there came in sight several vessels, it was
decided to put the Ensign Union down in the main rigging. The captain
ordered a young hand to clear away the long boat and make her ready for
launching out by the lee gangway. This necessitated the foretrysail and
all its gear being thrown on to the weather side of the deck. As soon
as everything was ready the young seaman went to the pumps again. He
had not been