218 THE ALBATROSS. 



Africa, and losing our lives in the surf ; but the 

 wind kept veering and that held us oft". 



The hurricane increased in fury until the ship 

 was pressed bodily down into the water and held 

 there. 



Resolving to make sacrifices to save our lives, I 

 ordered the top-mast back-stays cut away, and 

 when that was done the masts went crashing over 

 the ship's sides, carrying everything aloft with 

 them. They lay thumping against the vessel 

 till I thought they would stave her side in. 

 To prevent this, I ordered all the lee rigging 

 cut away. 



The men started from the hurricane-house. 

 Six had knives and axes, and each of them 

 had a rope round his waist. Six others had 

 hold of the ropes, and clung to any stable 

 thing they could reach — some grasping the 

 weather lash-rail, some seizing hold of the sky- 

 light, and one taking a turn round the stump of 

 the mizzen-mast — while the men with the axes 

 and boarding-knives went down the sloping deck ; 

 and, standing in water up to their waists, hacked 

 at the rigging. The wind blew so powerfully 

 that it was next to impossible to swing an axe. 

 Most of the work was done with knives. 



Even the sacrifice of all three masts seemed to 

 have no effect toward easing the ship. No sooner 



