he waves. All the bulwarks in.
that part of the ship threatened soon to be beaten down, and I felt afraid
the cat-head would be torn violently out of the ship, leaving a bad leak.
Leaks enough there were, as it was. The launch, camboose, water-casks, and
spare spars, in driving overboard, having forced out timber-heads, and
other supports, in a way to split the plank sheer, which let in the water
fast, every time the lee gunwale went under. I gave up my sugars and
coffees from the first, bringing my hopes down as low as the saving of the
ship, the instant I saw the state of the upper works.

Marble and I had not been educated in a school that is apt to despair. As
for my mate, had he found himself on a plank in the middle of the
Atlantic, I do believe he would have set about rigging a jury-mast, by
splitting off a piece of the hull of his craft and spreading his shirt by
way of sail. I never knew a more in-and-in-bred seaman, who, when one
resource failed, invariably set about the next best visible expedient. We
were at a loss, however, whether to make an effort to get rid of the
foremast, or not. With the exception of the damages it did on the
forecastle, it was of use to us, keeping the ship's bow up to the wind,
and making better weather for us, on deck. The after-masts standing,
while those forward were gone, had the effect to press the stern of the
vessel to leeward, while this support in the water prevented her bows from
falling off, and we rode much nearer to the wind, than is usual with a
ship that is lying-to. It is true, the outer end of the fallen spars began
to drive to leeward; and, acting as a long lever, they were gradually
working the broken end of the foremast athwart the forecastle, ripping and
tearing away everything on the gunwale, and threatening the foot of the
main-stay. This made it desirable to be rid of the wreck, while on the
other hand, there was the danger of the ship's bottom beating against the
end of the mast, did the latter get overboard. Under all these
circumstances, however, we determined to cut as much of the gear as
possible, and let the fallen spars work themselves clear of us, if they
could. Our job was by no means easy. It was difficult to stand, even, on
the deck of the Dawn, in a time like that; and this difficulty was greatly
increased forward, by having so little to hold on by. But work we did, and
in a way that cleared most of the rigging from the ship, in the course of
the n