132 THE CBUISE OF TEE "CACHALOT:' 



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never seen before or since. Inky mountains of water 

 raised their savage heads in wildest confusion, smash- 

 ing one another in whirlpools of foam. It was like a 

 picture of the primeval deep out of which arose the 

 new-born world. Suddenly out of the whirling blackness 

 overhead the moon appeared, nearly in the zenith, send- 

 ing down through the apex of a dome of torn and madly 

 gyrating cloud a flood of brilliant light. Illumined by 

 that startling radiance, our staunch and seaworthy ship 

 was tossed and twirled in the hideous vortex of mad 

 sea until her motion was distracting. It was quite 

 impossible to loose one's hold and attempt to do any- 

 thing without running the imminent risk of being dashed 

 to pieces. Our decks were full of water now, for it 

 tumbled on board at all points ; but as yet no serious 

 weight of a sea had fallen upon us, nor had any damage 

 been done. Such a miracle as that could not be ex- 

 pected to continue for long. Suddenly a warning shout 

 rang out from somewhere — "Hold on all, for your lives!" 

 Out of the hideous turmoil around arose, like some black, 

 fantastic ruin, an awful heap of water. Higher and 

 higher it towered, until it was level with our lower yards, 

 then it broke and fell upon us. All was blank. Beneath 

 that mass every thought, every feeling, fled but one — 

 *' How long shall I be able to hold my breath ? " After 

 what seemed a never-ending time, we emerged from the 

 wave more dead than alive, but with the good ship still 

 staunch underneath us, and Hope's lamp burning brightly. 

 The moon had been momentarily obscured, but now 

 shone out again, lighting up brilliantly our bravely- 

 battling ship. But, alas for others ! — men, like ourselves, 

 whose hopes were gone. Quite near us was the battered 

 remainder of what had been a splendid ship. Her masts 



