GETTING LNDER WAT. 315 



wind that blows right out of the hart or. The 

 top -gallant masts and top -gallant and royal yards 

 had been sent aloft the day before. One anchoi 

 was on the bow. 



Before we broke ground on the other, the fore- 

 topsail was set. On heaving " short stay a-peak " 

 the anchor broke ground, and before we could run 

 it up to the bows, had caught a fair half of all the 

 surf-boat lines in the bay. In vain we tugged at 

 the windlass. In vain we lowered and backed the 

 topsail. In vain we payed out chain. The lines 

 were fast about the anchor flukes, and remained 

 there. Finally, after wasting an hour in fruitless 

 efforts to clear ourselves, the skipper ordered all 

 sail to be set that she would carry ; this done, wo 

 bore gallantly seaward, with an anchor and fifteen 

 f-vthoms of chain overboard. 



When we were two miles from land the vessel 

 was hove to, while we hove up, catted, and fished 

 the anchor. Three hours were consumed in clear- 

 ing and coiling down the stiff coir lines and haw- 

 sers with which the anchor was encumbered. 

 Some of them were from thirty to fifty fathoms 

 long. I dare say the surf-boatmen did not spare 

 their maledictions at our carelessness. 



The passage to Port Louis was sufficiently une- 

 ventful. I learned somewhat of Scotch clannish- 

 ness, and a good deal of Scotch brogue. I learned, 

 that to speer meant to look that a dibble was a 

 spoon that in short, Scotch and English were 

 two different languages. And I arrived, probably, 



