STEAMBOATING. 307 



putting out the small anchor with fifteen fathoms 

 chain, but found we were dragging, and increased the 

 chain to forty fathoms. The night was terrible, and 

 we were finally obliged to put out our large anchor. 



At 5 o'clock this morning the wind blew the strong- 

 est, and as I made my way along the upper deck, it 

 seemed as if the hurricane deck must blow off. We 

 ripped open sacks of grain to get the bags to wrap 

 about the hawser to prevent its chafing. The boat 

 rode like a duck, though, and when it lighted up 

 toward morning, made land close to us, which we 

 took to be the Cliff, until later on we found we were 

 close upon Tuckernuck, and could see the hotel. I 

 realized the precarious situation, but when the tide had 

 fallen and we began to strike bottom, knew that some- 

 thing must be done and that quickly, and decided to 

 beach her on the island. Buoyed the large anchor and 

 slipped the cable, then cut the hawser, when the wind 

 favored us, and headed us so we could run for the 

 bar. Our cook, William Orpin, knows every inch of 

 the ground up that way, and he brought her through 

 the slues among the Swile Islands into five fathoms of 

 water, when we put for the bar. 



The seas were terrific, and swept clean across the 

 bow, running aft; and Mr. Bucknam, the engineer, 

 was at times almost ankle deep in water in his engine- 

 room. The old boat rolled fearfully, and when we 

 reached the outer bar, lying in the trough of the sea, a 

 wave towering above the hurricane deck struck her as 

 she rose upon it, knocking that hole in the side and 

 sweeping through to the outer saloon. I would n't 

 have given two cents at the time for the boat and all 



