himself to his duty with the same
respect and coolness as though the ship were in the greatest safety.

Then Mr. Jones, the mate, spoke to the men, saying, 'My friends! have
you never seen a ship amongst breakers before? Lend a hand, boys, and
lay on to the sheets and braces. I have no fear but that we shall stick
her near enough to the land to save our lives.'

Although he said these gallant words without hope of saving a single
soul, he gave courage to many of the men, and they set to work in
earnest.

They steered as best they could by the sheets and braces, and presently
ran her in between an opening in the breakers, and soon found themselves
wedged fast between two great rocks.

With the break of day the weather cleared sufficiently to give them a
glimpse of the land. They then set to work to get out the boats. The
first one that was launched was so overladen by those anxious to save
themselves, that they were almost swamped before they reached the shore.

On the day before the ship was wrecked, the captain had had his shoulder
dislocated by a fall, and was lying in his berth when John Byron, whose
duty it was to keep him informed of all that passed on deck, went to ask
if he would not like to land. But the captain refused to leave the ship
until everyone else had gone.

Throughout the ship, the scene was now greatly changed. The men who but
a few moments before had been on their knees praying for mercy, when
they found themselves not in immediate danger, became very riotous,
rushed to the cabins and stores, and broke open every chest and box they
could find, as well as casks of wine and brandy. And by drinking it some
of them were rendered so helpless that they were drowned on board by the
seas that continually swept over them.

The boatswain and five other men refused to leave the ship while there
was any liquor to be got; then at last the captain consented to be
helped from his bed, and to be taken on shore.

* * * * *

Although they were thankful to escape from the wreck, when they reached
the land they found themselves in a scene desolate enough to quell the
bravest soul.

The bay in which they had been cast away was open to the full force of
the ocean, and was formed by rocky headlands and cliffs with here and
there a stretch of beach, while rising abruptly from the sea a
rock-bound steep frowned above them, which they afterwards named Mount
Misery. Stretching back