Junk, 1858. THE ' FOX ' NEARLY WRECKED. 129 



upon the ship and turning her over ; but for- 

 tunately it was perfectly calm, and as the tide 

 fell, points of the reef held them fast. The ship 

 continued to fall over to starboard ; at dead 

 low water her inclination was 35°; the water 

 covered the starboard gunwale from the main- 

 mast aft, and reached almost up to the after 

 hatchway ; at this time the slightest shake must 

 have caused her to fall over upon her side, 

 when she would instantly have filled and sunk. 

 The dogs, after repeated ineffectual attempts to 

 lie upon the deck, quietly coiled themselves up 

 upon such parts of the lee gunwale as remained 

 above water and went to sleep. 



To me the moments seemed lengthened out 

 beyond anything I could have imagined ; but at 

 length the water began to rise, and the ship to 

 resume her upright position. Boats, anchors, 

 hawsers, &c., were got on board again with the 

 utmost alacrity, and the ship floated off unhurt 

 after having been eleven hours upon the reef. 

 We had grounded during the day tide and were 

 floated off by the night tide, which upon this 

 coast occasions a much greater rise and fall, — so 

 far we were favoured, but the poor little ' Fox ' 

 had a very narrow escape ; as for ourselves, there 

 was not the slightest cause for apprehension, 

 three steam whalers being within signal distance. 



