41S VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



together by reefs. The weather had a threatening 

 appearance ; the horizon had juft become over- 

 cafl in the weft fouth-weft, and prefently the 

 wind blew from that quarter with the greateft 

 impetuofity. We for a long time fought, be- 

 tween thefe fhoals, fome break that might allow us 

 to gain the open fea, but without fuccefs ; as we 

 had no other outlet than the paffage by which we 

 had run in, we tacked, in order to Hand towards 

 it. The violence of the wind having forced us 

 to take in the greater part of our fails, the fhip 

 made fo much lee- way, that we fell very fall to 

 kevvard of this opening. Our running rigging 

 breaking fore and aft, our evolutions were con- 

 fequently performed but very flowly : in vain we 

 lay up feveral times for the opening; we were al- 

 ways obliged to run in again to the middle of the 

 fhoals, and thus continue plying to windward, 

 in a fpace flrevvn with rocks, concealed under 

 water at different depths, on which we every 

 moment fully expected to fee the (hip ftrike : it 

 required a very experienced eye to diftinguifh 

 them in fo extremely rough a fea. Citizen Raoul, 

 a very intelligent young feaman, in whom the 

 Admiral placed much confidence, had gone 

 up to the main topmafi head, and thence he 

 directed the courfc of the fhip. We feveral times 

 faw ourfelvcs driven quite ctofe to fhcais hid- 

 den by the waves, and he carried us clear of 



them 



