to the jibboom.

When about fifty yards to windward, the anchor was let go, the lifeboat
veered down towards the wreck, and with much difficulty they succeeded
in taking off the whole crew of seven men. Signalising the tug with
another blue-light, they ran to leeward into deep water, and were again
taken in tow; the saved men being with some difficulty put on board the
tug. They were Dutchmen; and the poor master of the lost vessel could
find no words sufficiently forcible to express his gratitude to the
coxswain of the lifeboat. When he afterwards met him on shore, he wrung
his hand warmly, and, with tears in his eyes, promised never to forget
him. "Me never tinks of you," said he (meaning the reverse), "so long's
I live; me tell the King of Holland!"

It is but just to add that the poor fellow faithfully redeemed his
ill-expressed promise, and that the coxswain of the lifeboat now
possesses a medal presented to him by the King of Holland in
acknowledgment of his services on that occasion.

But the great work of that night still remained to be done. Not far
from the light-vessel a flare-light was seen burning brightly. It
seemed to be well tended, and was often renewed. Towards this the tug
now steered with the little sister in tow. They soon came near enough
to observe that she was a large ship, going to pieces on the sands.

Slipping the cable once more, the lifeboat gallantly dashed into the
thickest of the fight, and soon got within hail of the wreck.

Then it was that, for the first time, a ray of hope entered the hearts
of the passengers of the luckless Wellington, and then it was that Jim
Welton and Stanley Hall, with several young officers, who had kept the
tar-barrels burning so briskly for so many hours, despite the drenching
seas, sent up a loud thrilling cheer, and announced to the
terror-stricken women and children that _the lifeboat was in sight_!

What a cry for those who had been for three hours dashing on the sands,
expecting every moment that the ship would break up! The horrors of
their situation were enhanced by the novelty of their sensations! All
of us can realise to some extent, from hearsay and from paintings, what
is meant by billows bursting high over ships' mast-heads and washing
everything off the decks, but who that has not experienced it can
imagine what it is to see gigantic yards being whipped to and fro as a
light cane might be switched by a strong man, to see top-masts s