ucceeded, however, after a great deal of difficulty and trouble, in
shoring it firmly up close to the deck beams (having first of all, of
course, pumped all the water out); and this left us sufficient room to
get at the ballast, though with none to spare.

With everything out of her, the cutter floated a good three feet
lighter, and we at once hauled her in as close to the shore as she would
come, so as to work at her, if need be, without the boat, simply
standing in the water.

The next morning we ran our anchor the necessary distance away out to
seaward, broad upon our starboard beam, brought the cable on board, and
hooked it to the throat halyards, taking a good look, first of all, to
our shore fasts.

It was easy work heaving her down for the first half-hour; but as soon
as we got her fairly down upon her bilge, we obtained an idea of how
stiff the little craft was, even without an ounce of ballast in her.

We hove and hove until everything cracked again; and I really was afraid
at one time that we should either spring the mast or carry its head away
altogether, but we succeeded at last in getting her past the point of
greatest resistance, without meeting with any casualty, and after that
she came down pretty easily.

An hour and a half of hard work saw us, at length, with the cutter keel
out, and an anxious scrutiny of her bottom immediately followed.

To our intense satisfaction, we now saw that she had struck, on both
occasions, on that portion of her keel which was loaded with lead, two
dints in the metal being distinctly visible. One was very trifling; the
other was a jagged notch of some five inches in depth, the lead being
bent upwards and outwards to starboard in a kind of lip.

Beyond these there were no other injuries even of the slightest kind
visible, at least on the port side, and the copper was as unwrinkled as
the day it was put on.

Half-an-hour's work with the hammer put the keel completely to rights
again; and whilst I busied myself about this, Bob employed himself in
diligently scouring the copper, and would not be satisfied until he had
made it almost as bright as gold.

I had very great hopes that we should find the starboard side in an
equally undamaged condition; but we determined, whilst we were about it,
to make our overhaul complete, so, as soon as dinner was over, we swung
the craft, and hove her down again, and soon had the gratification of
finding our hopes confirmed.

The c