I Knew The Proper Course Would Be To Lie To Quietly Until We Could Take An Observation; But Time Was So Valuable, And I Was So Fearful You Would Be Getting Anxious.

The night was pretty clear.

High mountains, such as we were expecting to make, would be seen, even at night, several miles off. According to our log we were still 150 miles off the land, and, however inaccurate our calculation might be, the error could not be of such magnitude as that amounted to. To throw away so fair a wind seemed such a pity, especially as it might be days before the sun appeared; we had already been at sea about a fortnight without a sight of him, and his appearance at all during the summer is not an act DE RIGUEUR in this part of the world; we might spend yet another fortnight in lying to, and then after all have to poke our way blindfold to the coast; at all events it would be soon enough to lie to the next night. Such were the considerations, which - after an anxious consultation with Mr. Wyse in the cabin, and much fingering of the charts, - determined me to carry on during the night.

Nevertheless, I confess I was very uneasy, Though I went to bed and fell asleep - for at sea nothing prevents that process - my slumbers were constantly agitated by the most vivid dreams that I ever remember to have had. Dreams of an arrival in England, and your coming down to meet us, and all the pleasure I had in recounting our adventures to you; then suddenly your face seemed to fade away beneath a veil of angry grey surge that broke over low, sharp-pointed rocks; and the next moment there resounded over the ship that cry which has been the preface to so many a disaster - the ring of which, none who have ever heard it are likely to forget - "Breakers ahead!"

In a moment I was on deck, dressed - for it is always best to dress, - and there, sure enough, right ahead, about a mile and a half off, through the mist, which had come on very thick, I could distinguish the upward shooting fluff of seas shattering against rocks. No land was to be seen, but the line of breakers every instant became more evident; at the pace we were going, in seven or eight minutes we should be upon them. Now, thought I to myself, we shall see whether a stout heart beats beneath the silk tartan! The result covered that brilliant garment with glory and salt water. To tack was impossible, we could only wear, - and to wear in such a sea was no very pleasant operation. But the little ship seemed to know what she was about, as well as any of us: up went the helm, round came the schooner into the trough of the sea, - high over her quarter toppled an enormous sea, built up of I know not how many tons of water, and hung over the deck, - by some unaccountable wriggle, an instant ere it thundered down she had twisted her stern on one side, and the waves passed underneath.

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