mselves to the utmost,
we could not manage it, our good captain getting his leg jammed in the
attempt. We hauled him up to the weather bulwarks, where he held on,
still giving his orders. Our next attempt was to launch the jolly-boat.
To do this we had to hoist her up to the davits on the upper quarter.
When placing oars, and a couple of good hands in her, we watched our
opportunity, and, after a sea had broken over us, quickly bailing her
out, allowed her to glide into the water. Captain Johns ordered the men
to pull to the rock which we had at first seen, and which lay a short
distance inside the reef. We had a small well-built lifeboat. To
preserve her from injury was of the greatest importance. We got her up
in the same way to the upper davits and launched her in safety. As soon
as this was done the ladies and children were brought up from the cabin,
which was already half full of water, and, being placed in her, she
pulled away for the jolly-boat. The ladies' husbands watched them
anxiously. It was impossible to say at what moment the ship would break
up. So terrific were the blows she was receiving that it seemed
scarcely possible she could hold together many minutes; indeed, already
portions of her had been torn away, and were seen floating to leeward.

In the next trip the men passengers and the young seamen were taken to
the jolly-boat.

"Do you, Jennings, and you, Mr Gilbert, go in her," said the captain.

"No, sir, thank you, I will stay by you," I answered.

"I order you both into the boat. I am not to be disobeyed," he
exclaimed.

Of course we could not refuse. Already the jolly-boat, when we got into
her, was very full, and there seemed some risk of her being swamped.
Just then one of the seamen struck his boat-hook down alongside. "Why,
the water is quite shallow here!" he exclaimed. "Overboard lads! The
ladies shall run no risk on our account;" and six or eight men instantly
jumped into the water, holding on to the boat, it being tolerably smooth
under the lee of the rock where she lay.

By the last trip the master came off, bringing some charts and nautical
instruments, which he had secured. "What about food?" some one asked.
A small quantity, it appeared, had been secured, but not a drop of fresh
water had been brought off. The master now ordered some of the men to
get into the lifeboat, and we were pretty evenly divided among the two.

"How far off are we from the Australian co