impossible to say in what direction they might
seek for safety.

That night was one of deep anxiety to all the settlers. The furious
waves, surging round the little island, swept over the lower parts, and
threatened at times to overwhelm it. Many of the trees, deprived of the
support of their neighbours, which had been cut down, bent before the
gale. Branches of some were torn away, others were broken off, and some
uprooted from the ground. Several of the newly built houses were
unroofed, and others were thrown down altogether by the wind. That of
the count stood firm, and he and his daughter gladly offered shelter to
as many of their friends as it could contain.

Constance, who had had a sleepless night, waiting till dawn broke,
sallied forth to look for the ships.

Not one of them was in sight. In vain she made inquiries of those who
had come, like herself, to look for them. No boats remained on shore;
indeed, with the waters of the harbour tossing about as furiously as
they were, even the largest could not have made her way amidst them.
The Indians, from whom alone they could obtain any information, dared
not venture across, and thus they must remain in ignorance of what had
become of the ships till, the tempest being over, those which had
escaped destruction should return.

"Vain is the help of man. In God let us put our trust. He may think
fit to preserve them; if not, we must say with confidence, `His will be
done,'" said the minister Laporte, addressing those assembled on the
beach.

CHAPTER SIX.

NIGEL'S RETURN TO FRANCE.

Meantime the governor had been surveying the damages committed by the
storm, and, summoning the count and other leading people, announced his
intention of abandoning the island before more labour had been expended,
and settling on another higher up the harbour. All approved of his
proposal, for though they saw that the island was well placed for
defence, it was also exposed to the fury of the sea when excited by
tempests. They now awaited anxiously for news of the ships, but still
the wind blew furiously up the harbour, and would prevent them from
coming down, even should they have escaped shipwreck. Fears were
entertained that they might have been cast on the northern shore, when
their crews would most probably have fallen into the hands of the
Portuguese. For two days more the tempest continued, and the hearts of
the colonists remained agitated with doubts and fears