BY THE NEW FOREST 109 



vessel's side out if we had touched it. Fmding the anchor would 

 not hold, the captain got several "pigs" of iron ballast and 

 fastened them to the cable, each one about two yards from the 

 other, and eventually, when captain and crew were worn out 

 with fatigue and anxiety, the anchor ceased to drag, and our 

 little vessel rode steadily head to wind. Then all but the watch 

 turned in with thankful hearts and slept till morning. 



' At daylight captain, crew, and myself turned out and began 

 to prepare for a start. But it was not an easy matter by any 

 means. We were all soon well-nigh exhausted. The labour of 

 getting in the chain with the iron ballast attached was enor- 

 mous, and it was not until I routed out three passengers who 

 were in the cabin (two Wesleyan ministers and a reader), and 

 induced them to help us, that we got our anchor up and our 

 vessel under way. We had some very ticklish steering to get 

 safely off the Banks, but once away from them and out in the 

 deep, deep sea, although it was blowing hard, we were happy, 

 because safe. 



' After the little vessel was got into order and washed down, 

 and all hands had breakfasted, the Wesleyan minister read the 

 Sunday Morning Service, and followed it up with one of the best 

 sermons I ever heard, preached without MS. or notes of any kind. 



' Nassau was a very quiet, unimportant little place when I 

 was there, but in the time of the American Civil AVar it became 

 famous as the rendezvous of the blockade-runners.' 



Stirring incidents may also be found in the experi- 

 ence of Mr. Turner, lately Postmaster of Leicester, 

 who very many years was engaged in surveying the 

 posts in Jamaica. There he, while officially employed, 

 twice or thrice nearly lost his life from the torrential 

 rains which occasionally descend on that beautiful 

 island. 



Once, after inspecting the post-office at Port 

 Antonio, in riding up a ravine and attaining a 

 height of two thousand feet, Mr. Turner felt the 



