98 DANGEROUS SITUATION 



1824. I was ultimately obliged to keep her nearly 

 Sept. two points off the wind. We, however^ per- 

 severed in our endeavours to make easting 

 under foresail and close-reefed main-topsail^ 

 hut at thirty minutes after one, P.M., with our 

 head n.n.w.^ we quickly shoaled from thirty 

 to twenty fathoms, and as we could not see a 

 quarter of a mile round us, in consequence of 

 the heavy snow, I turned the hands up to be in 

 readiness for wearing ; but the next cast gave 

 ten, and I therefore luffed the ship to, and let 

 go both bower anchors, which brought her up 

 with seventy and eighty fathoms. I then let go 

 the sheet anchor under foot. From the time of 

 striking low soundings until this was done, the 

 sails furled, and lower yards and topmasts struck, 

 half an hour had not elapsed. In this sad di- 

 lemma, I would have endeavoured to wear the 

 ship, although I knew not from the thickness of 

 the weather, how close we might be to the rocks, 

 but this manoeuvre was unfortunately the most 

 difficult for her to perform, and from her great 

 depth in the water, she had on many occasions 

 in strong gales, been a quarter of an hour in 

 getting before the Avind ; but one alternative 

 therefore remained, and valuable as our an- 

 chors were to us, and badly as the ship rode, I 

 was obliged to attempt to bring her up. We 



