32 FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS 



pened. At first we tacked with good success, but 

 this pleasure did not continue long; the wind 

 grew more and more violent, the air so dark that 

 the land was hidden from us; it was necessary 

 at last to reef the top-sails, by which the sheets 

 were often torn, and much time lost. All these 

 inconveniencies we had borne courageously, but 

 when now the sun, by a single beam, enlightened the 

 surrounding objects, the man at the mast-head, and 

 the mate at the top, cried out, "We are surrounded 

 by shallows; we are in the midst of coral reefs." 

 In an instant the ship was turned against the wind ; 

 and it was high time, for we were just on the 

 point of running upon a shoal which the cloudy 

 weather had concealed from us ; but we had 

 scarcely time to perceive our critical situation, when 

 the sun was again involved in clouds, and we were 

 again in danger. Most of these banks hardly reach 

 the surface of the sea, are of small extent, and 

 rise perpendicularly from the bottom. In clear 

 weather they may be seen at a considerable dis- 

 tance, as every shoal is marked by a dark spot on 

 the water ; but in gloomy weather the whole surface 

 of the sea is of a dark colour, and the danger is 

 not perceived till there is scarcely time to avoid it. 

 This was our case ; for as soon as the ship was 

 under weigh we perceived a shoal ; we tacked, and 

 tacked again ; and at last came rain, which en- 

 veloped us in darkness, and gusts of wind which 

 again tore the main-top sheets. I now gave up 



