1846.] PERILOUS MOMENTS. 217 



to be continued; preservation depended upon our in- 

 stantly ' rounding to/ a manoeuvre of which my nautical 

 brethren will instantly comprehend the danger, but with 

 a main-top-sail over our heads, and the ship fluttering 

 for her existence (being then almost under water) perilous 

 to the last degree. The performance of so dangerous 

 a service depended entirely on the most scrupulous 

 observance of my orders ; to secure their perfect and 

 speedy transmission to the forecastle, a chain of Officers 

 was established to pass the word, and by these means 

 they were carried out by them respectively with such a 

 degree of zeal and precision, to a fathom of brace, as I 

 never saw surpassed, even in a royal breeze. It was 

 imperative that the main-top-sail should be annihilated 

 over-head, without pressing the ship; in fact, to split it to 

 ribbands, and to prevent the weight of this powerful sail 

 literally capsizing us ; at the same time, it was necessary 

 to humour it until it had done its duty. To have clued 

 it up, under the chance of its bellying into a bag, would 

 have entailed instant destruction ; nor could time or force 

 be spared : the danger was imminent. The Officers were 

 apprized of my intentions, and took instant measures for 

 securing their effectual completion. The leading seamen, 

 themselves, seemed intuitively to comprehend my views, 

 took their stations, and if ever ship of war could be com- 

 pared to a piece of mechanism, such a comparison might 

 have been made at this moment. 



Doubtless some of my naval readers, sitting at their ease 

 ashore, with their legs under their mahogany, enjoying 

 their port wine and nuts, may be perusing this with a 

 critical eye ; but let them figure to themselves the posi- 



