190 PIGEON ISLAND. [1846. 



fatigued, and considering ourselves perfectly beyond fur- 

 ther danger, were asleep, save the watch and the ship, 

 moving gaily to the N.E., in twenty fathoms, at the rate 

 of seven knots. About half an hour after midnight, a 

 crash, which awakened even those most fatigued, gave 

 warning that we were again in disaster. All hands were 

 on deck in an instant, but in the existing darkness no 

 one knew where the danger lay. The sails were napping, 

 but the ship was still afloat ; throwing all back, she flew 

 astern nearly as fast as she had gone ahead, and allowing 

 her to continue at this play, until the wind filled the head 

 sails, the yards were braced forward, and her head 

 directed to the N.W., when having recovered soundings 

 of twenty fathoms she was anchored for the night. At 

 daylight she was found to be N. 20 E., seven miles from 

 our former danger. 



The island near which we struck, received the name 

 of Pigeon Island, its northern extremity is situated in 2 

 37' 20" S., Long. 108 18' E. The ship did not sustain 

 any damage, that we could discover, nor did she lose any 

 stores in the course of these disasters. During the in- 

 terval of the two groundings, to the period of being at 

 secure anchorage, twenty-two hours elapsed. All the 

 spars were turned overboard, and rafted; seven guns 

 twice turned out, and recovered, and ship otherwise put 

 into confusion. At the thirtieth hour, the ship was in a 

 condition to move, and ready for any service. I never 

 saw a ship's company behave better, nor did they appear 

 to feel the exertion beyond that of an ordinary " hard 

 day's work." These incidents serve to instruct the junior 

 officers, and put them upon their resources, but we had 



