FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139  
140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   >>   >|  
n a dead lee shore. As the night closed in, it blew a dreadful gale, and the ship was nearly buried with the press of canvas which she was obliged to carry; for had we sea-room, we should have been lying-to under storm staysails; but we were forced to carry on at all risks, that we might claw off shore. The sea broke over as we lay in the trough, deluging us with water from the forecastle, aft to the binnacles; and very often as the ship descended with a plunge, it was with such force that I really thought she would divide in half with the violence of the shock. Double breechings were rove on the guns, and they were further secured with tackles, and strong cleats nailed behind the trunnions, for we heeled over so much when we lurched, that the guns were wholly supported by the breechings and tackles, and had one of them broken loose, it must have burst right through the lee side of the ship, and she must have foundered. The captain, first lieutenant, and most of the officers, remained on deck during the whole of the night; and really, what with the howling of the wind, the violence of the rain, the washing of the water about the decks, the working of the chain-pumps, and the creaking and groaning of the timbers, I thought that we must inevitably have been lost; and I said my prayers at least a dozen times during the night, for I felt it impossible to go to bed. I had often wished, out of curiosity, that I might be in a gale of wind, but I little thought it was to have been a scene of this description, or anything half so dreadful. What made it more appalling was, that we were on a lee shore, and the consultations of the captain and officers, and the eagerness with which they looked out for daylight, told us that we had other dangers to encounter besides the storm. At last the morning broke, and the look-out man upon the gangway called out, "Land on the lee beam." I perceived the master dash his fist against the hammock-rails, as if with vexation, and walk away without saying a word, and looking very grave. "Up, there, Mr Wilson," said the captain, to the second lieutenant, "and see how far the land trends forward, and whether you can distinguish the point." The second lieutenant went up the main-rigging, and pointed with his hand to about two points before the beam. "Do you see two hillocks inland?" "Yes, sir," replied the second lieutenant. "Then it is so," observed the captain to the master, "and if we weather
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139  
140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
captain
 

lieutenant

 

thought

 
dreadful
 

tackles

 

officers

 

breechings

 

violence

 

master

 

gangway


morning

 
called
 

observed

 
daylight
 
description
 

wished

 

weather

 

curiosity

 

dangers

 

encounter


perceived

 

looked

 

appalling

 

consultations

 

eagerness

 
distinguish
 

trends

 

forward

 

rigging

 

points


hillocks

 

inland

 
pointed
 

vexation

 

hammock

 

replied

 

Wilson

 

binnacles

 

descended

 

plunge


forecastle
 
trough
 

deluging

 

secured

 

strong

 
cleats
 

nailed

 
divide
 
Double
 

buried