DAMAGE SHIPS BOWS 19 



cable into the outer one on that side, we shortly split 

 that also, and the cable began to cut down through 

 the wood -work of the ship's bows, obliging us to 

 veer instantly, and wait for a turn of tide. In the 

 middle of the night, when the strength of the tide 

 slackened, we again tried to get under weigh, but 

 after carrying away the messenger, and damaging 

 one of the port hawse-pipes, we were compelled to 

 desist. The current for thirty-six hours continued 

 to run very strong from the northward and west- 

 ward, never varying more than three or four points 

 in direction, and having strength enough to sweep 

 the leads from the bottom and carry out the line 

 astern, almost as if wood were fastened to it instead 

 of lead. 



Feb. 10. — This morning the ship swung a little 

 to a slight change of current, and we found no diffi- 

 culty whatever in weighing the anchor. It is pro- 

 bable, therefore, that after the anchor was let go, 

 the ship, in swinging to the tide, dragged the loose 

 cable under some strong projecting ledge, or over- 

 hanging mass of coral close to the bottom, so that 

 all our efforts at tripping the anchor would only 

 cause it to bite the deeper. 



We now steered west into the body of the reefs, 

 intending to pass through them and join the Bram- 

 ble in Port Bowen, in order to refit our damaged 

 bows and tackles a little. We passed through nar- 

 row channels, varying in depth from 10 to 30 



c2 



