E of rocks which produced such a vortex of tormented
waters.

Towards this dreadful spot, then, the four vessels were being
resistlessly driven, every moment seeing their chances of escape
lessening to vanishing-point. Suddenly, as if panic-stricken, the ship
nearest to the CHANCE gave a great sweep round on to the other tack, a
few fluttering gleams aloft showing that even in that storm they
were daring to set some sail. What the manoeuvre meant we knew very
well--they had cut adrift from their whale, terrified at last beyond
endurance into the belief that Paddy was going to sacrifice himself and
his crew in the attempt to lure them with him to inevitable destruction.
The other two did not hesitate longer. The example once set, they
immediately followed; but it was for some time doubtful in the
extreme whether their resolve was not taken too late to save them from
destruction. We watched them with breathless interest, unable for a long
time to satisfy ourselves that they were out of danger. But at last
we saw them shortening sail again--a sure sign that they considered
themselves, while the wind held in the same quarter, safe from going
ashore at any rate, although there was still before them the prospect of
a long struggle with the unrelenting ferocity of the weather down south.

Meanwhile, what of the daring Irishman and his old barrel of a ship?
The fugitives once safe off the land, all our interest centred in the
CHANCE. We watched her until she drew in so closely to the seething
cauldron of breakers that it was only occasionally we could distinguish
her outline; and the weather was becoming so thick and dirty, the
light so bad, that we were reluctantly compelled to lose sight of
her, although the skipper believed that he saw her in the midst of
the turmoil of broken water at the western end of the mighty mass of
perpendicular cliff before described. Happily for us, the wind veered to
the westward, releasing us from the prospect of another enforced visit
to the wild regions south of the island. It blew harder than ever; but
being now a fair wind up the Straits, we fled before it, anchoring again
in Port William before midnight. Here we were compelled to remain for
a week; for after the gale blew itself out, the wind still hung in the
same quarter, refusing to allow us to get back again to our cruising
station.

But on the second day of our enforced detention a ship poked her jibboom
round the west end of the lit