' 20 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
raised it several inches, but it fortunately had 
been previously confined by tackles. A gentle 
swell freed the ship from this perilous situation, 
but the current hurried us along in contact with 
the rocky shore, and the prospect was most 
alarming. On the outward bow was perceived 
a rugged and precipitous cliff, whose summit 
was hid in the fog, and the vessel’s head was 
pointed towards the bottom of a small bay, into 
which we were rapidly driving. There now 
seemed to be no probability of escaping ship- 
wreck, being without wind, and having the rudder 
in its present useless state; the only assistance 
was that of a boat employed in towing, which 
had been placed in the water between the ship 
and the shore, at the imminent risk of its being 
crushed. The ship again struck in passing over 
a ledge of rocks, and happily the blow replaced 
the rudder, which enabled us to take advantage 
of a light breeze, and to direct the ship’s head 
without the projecting cliff But the breeze was 
only momentary, and the ship was a third time 
driven on shore on the rocky termination of the cliff. 
Here we remained “stationary for some seconds, 
and with little prospect of being removed from this 
perilous situation’; but we were once more extri- 
cated by the swell from this ledge also, and carried 
still farther along the shore. » The coast became 
