276 NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 



thought, when the master says, ' Pilot/ says he, ' are you sure this is 

 the harbour ? I don't think so/ f Oh ! yes, I am sure, Sir ; I have 

 been here often enough to see it without eyes.' And sure enough he 

 hadn't used his eyes that time ; for he had hardly time to tell the 

 master how sure he was of the place, when bump bump went the 

 ship on a nice muddy bottom ; there we were hard and fast. Luckily 

 there is no tide in the Mediterranean, so we had no fear of being left 

 high and dry. The skipper was below ; up he ran c Where are we, 

 pilot ? this is a d d bad look out., Sir ; you told me you knew this 

 place as well as a Channel groper does Falmouth/ ' She'll be off in 

 a minute, Sir/ says the pilot, looking very foolish, as you may suppose; 

 f only carry your kedge out astern, you'll heave her off in a minute, 

 Sir.' The boats were out in a twinkling, and the kedge was carried 

 out and brought to the capstan ; but it wouldn't do we hove away 

 with all our might, but it was no go ; she didn't stir tack or sheet. 

 It was now two o'clock, and as it had fallen quite calm, the skipper 

 piped the hammocks down, and told us to turn in for four hours. 

 Down we went, and at six o'clock that morning he turned the hands 

 up, got the best and small bower anchors out 011 each quarter, 

 and backed them with the sheet, and spare-manned the capstan, and 

 hove away, but d d a bit would she stir. ' Heave cheerly, lads/ 

 cries the skipper, but it wouldn't do ; we couldn't move her a peg. 

 'We must start our water/ says the skipper (we had only a hundred 

 tons on board). ' Hadn't you better get the guns out, Sir?' says the 

 first-leaftenant, touching his hat. ' No, no, Ridly' (that was the 

 first-luff's name), ' we'll try her with her water out first, it's only to 

 get our guns out at last if that won't do. Now, lads/ says the skip- 

 per, ' I must have you put your whole strength out, and work 

 cheerly together. Ridly, pipe belay. I'll give the men their break- 

 fasts, and splice the main-brace, and after that we shall get on better.' 

 ' Ay, ay, Sir ; pipe to breakfast. Send the purser here ; get the 

 spirits up / and after we'd had half an hour to breakfast, and a tot of 

 grog each, we were all alive again. Up comes the skipper ' Turn 

 the hands up man the pumps' we worked heartily now, and in 

 half an hour all our water was out. ' Now man the capstan, lads.' 

 Away we flew, manned the bars well, arid put a man to every 

 swifter ; we worked like horses, but we couldn't move her any more 

 nor we could Portsmouth church. After we had been heaving to no 

 purpose for some time, ' Avast heaving/ says the skipper ; ( paul the 

 capstan/ ( We shall be obliged to get out our guns, I think, Sir/ 

 said the first-luff, looking at the skipper. f Not yet, Ridly, I'll try 

 her once more, and then if we don't succeed, we'll get our guns out. 

 Unship the bars, lads, send the boatswain aft here/ Aft he came. 

 1 Now, lads/ says the skipper, ' jump over every man of you to the 

 starboard side of the deck ; send every soul up from below, and look 

 out, when the boatswain pipes run over altogether to the other side of 

 the deck. Pipe/ says the skipper, and away we all ran. ' Now, 

 look out again, lads/ and away we went six times rallied her well. 

 ' Now, ship the bars quick, boys ; swift away, carpenters man the 

 bars and swifters well heave now cheerly, heave ! a quarter master 

 in the chains; drop the lead, and see if she moves: heave!' ' She 



