464 A Night at Cwigliajo. [MAY, 



sides. The wind increased towards the middle of the day, and we seemed 

 almost to fly along the iron shores of Elba, where the channel converges 

 nearly to a point, and is speckled by the little rocks that render its 

 navigation so hazardous. About three o'clock, the breeze, that had 

 stiffened almost to a gale, suddenly fell off; the spars creaked above ; the 

 motion was less steady and uniform; and, at last, the sails, scarcely filled, 

 flapped at times uneasily against the masts, and gave a sure omen of 

 some approaching change. The lighthouse of Leghorn could at this 

 time be clearly discerned through the ship-telescope ; and, had the wind 

 held for two hours longer, we should have safely reached our destina- 

 tion. It was willed otherwise. Presently, we could observe a dark 

 cloud a-head, hanging over the hills in the direction of Genoa. It enlarged 

 and darkened on all sides, but still preserving that compact form which 

 characterizes a sudden-thunder-storm. The old mariners speculated : 

 some said it would go east ; others, with better foresight, held that it 

 would keep along the line of coast, and scarcely reach us. It approached 

 slowly and fearfully. On the dark face of the cloud continual streaks of 

 lightning fell ; and the thunder followed them at shorter intervals, each 

 time, till the full black tempest was almost over us. The whole shore 

 seemed moody and in gloom : the wind had completely died away ; and 

 the ship lay tossed to and fro by the heavy swell that survived it, without 

 any advance that might have steadied her. I stood watching the conflict 

 of the elements in a state of suspense, but not of apprehension. The 

 robbers, who had cheated me of my love, made me a retribution, as they 

 supposed, by leaving me in the possession of my wealth ; but I thought 

 of nothing on earth but the treasure I had lost, and what else might 

 become of me seemed to matter little. A breeze came with the squall 

 from the north-west. The thunder and lightning spent their fury about 

 four miles from the vessel ; and we were left to encounter a contrary 

 wind, with the disadvantage of a double and opposite swell, caused by 

 the conflict of the late with the present breeze. But, as is always the 

 case in the Mediterranean, the former was soon subdued. A heavy 

 rolling surge beat against the tottering sides of our ship, strengthened 

 by the whole reach of the gulf. We stood in to shore, in the hope of 

 a land breeze ; but this manoeuvre proved our ruin. In less than half an 

 hour, the strength of the breeze seemed to have exhausted itself; and 

 we were left, inert and unmanageable, at the mercy of a terrific swell 

 that now had veered round from north-west to about west-south-west. 

 We were close upon a lee-shore ; the shock of each succeeding sea that 

 struck against the vessel was of itself almost enough to beat her in ; the 

 rudder was useless and powerless in the hands of the helmsman, and with- 

 out a fresh breeze, we must assuredly drift on shore. At each gangway 

 stood some, whistling towards the desired quarter, as might be, according 

 to nautical superstition. Some sauntered about the deck, or tried to con- 

 ceal their uneasiness by a shew of occupation. The master became ner- 

 vously impatient, and, unable to endure longer the tantalizing state 

 above deck, at last retreated below. Close to us, we could see the white 

 foam dashing over a breaker, from which we could not steer ourselves. 

 The lights of Leghorn were now visible ; but there we lay, without 

 power to advance or retrograde of our own efforts, and drifting at the 

 rate of two knots an hour. Sudddenly, there was an unintelligible deep 

 crash, as if under the keel ; and, in an instant, the lofty masts were 



