negroes; but Neb was already at the wheel. That noble
fellow, true as steel, had perceived the accident as soon as any of us,
and he sprang to the very part of the vessel where he was most needed. He
had a seaman's faculties in perfection, though ratiocination was certainly
not his forte. A motion of my hand ordered him to put the helm hard up,
and the answering sign let me know that I was obeyed. We could do no more
just then, but the result was awaited in awful expectation.

The Dawn's bows fell off until the ship lay broadside to the gale, which
made her reel until her lee lower yard-arms nearly dipped. Then she
overcame the cauldron of water that was boiling around her, and began to
draw heavily ahead. Three seas swept athwart her decks, before she minded
her helm in the least, carrying with them every thing that was not most
firmly lashed, or which had not animal life to direct its movements, away
to leeward. They swept off the hen-coops, and ripped four or five
water-casks from their lashings, even, as if the latter had been
pack-thread. The camboose-house went also, at the last of these terrific
seas; and nothing saved the camboose itself, but its great weight, added
to the strength of its fastenings. In a word, little was left, that could
very well go, but the launch, the gripes of which fortunately held on.

By the time this desolation was completed, the ship began to fall off, and
her movement through the water became very perceptible. At first, she
dashed in toward the land, running, I make no doubt, quite half a mile
obliquely in that direction, ere she got fairly before the wind; a course
which carried her nearly in a line with the coast. Marble and myself now
got aft without much trouble, and put the helm a little to starboard,
with a view to edge off to the passage as far as possible. The wind blew
so nearly down channel, that there would have been no immediate danger,
had we an offing; but the ship had not driven before the gale more than
three or four hours, when we made land ahead; the coast trending in this
part of the island nearly north and south. Marble suggested the prudence
of taking time by the forelock, and of getting the main-top-sail on the
ship, to force her off the land, the coast in the neighbourhood of Dublin
lying under our lee-bow. We had taken the precaution to close-reef
everything before it was furled, and I went aloft myself to lower this
sail. If I had formed a very respectful opini