378 



PERILOUS SITUATION. 



[1830. 



one of the crew had gazed in that direction as they came upon deck, 

 and that terror was strongly depicted on every countenance. I was 

 also aware that if they were permitted to interchange expressions of 

 apprehension, a scene of confusion must ensue which would seal the 

 fate of the Antarctic, and ingulf us all, my wife included, in one com- 

 mon grave. I therefore commanded silence, in as stern a voice as I 

 knew how to assume, and my lungs seldom fail me in cases of emer- 

 gency — I threatened with instant death the first man that spoke a word 

 above his breath abaft the foremast. This had the desired effect ; for 

 the next instant there was nothing to be heard but the whistling of the 

 winds and the howling of the lofty combers, about one hundred and 

 fifty fathoms under our lee. 



The vessel was coming-to very fast ; but not being able to get the 

 main-sheet aft as soon as necessary, on account of a small line getting 

 into the main-boom tackle-block, which prevented the fall being over- 

 hauled ; and meeting a very short and cross-head sea in the bows, 

 which deadened the vessel's headway before she came to the wind, 

 she got stern-way upon her, and began to fall off. 



" Keep the helm hard a-port !" I exclaimed, as, for the first time, 

 my eye caught a view of the breakers, under our lee. " Brace the 

 head-yards aback ! Down mainsail ! Up head-sails, with sheets to 

 windward !" These orders were obeyed as rapidly as they were 

 given ; and the Antarctic began to fall off very fast, with rapid stern-way 

 upon her, so that the sea was coming in on both quarters. The head- 

 yards were braced aback as long as possible, without springing them, 

 and the headsails were run down the moment they refused to lie aback 

 any longer. The instant the squaresails began to fill, the yards were 

 braced sharp round in a moment ; and before the Antarctic gathered 

 any headway, the wind was about one point off the larboard quarter. 

 The mainsail was now instantly set, and the vessel began to gather a little 

 headway. As she came-to, the head-yards were kept pointed to the 

 wind, and all hands, except five or six, were placed at the halliards of 

 the headsails ; and by the time the vessel had come-to, within eight 

 points of the wind, the headsails were on her, and she was jumping 

 from one sea to another, at the rate of eight miles an hour, with the 

 fore-sheet aft. 



Thus, in wearing or veering, a sharp pilot-boat schooner, of seventy- 

 eight feet keel, in a ten-knot breeze, gained more than twice her length 

 off-shore : and the man at mast-head said that when the helm was 

 first put down, the vessel was nearer the breakers than when she had 

 the wind on the other quarter, and began to crawl off-shore. The 

 breakers were running about twenty feet high, and there was no land 

 in sight from the mast-head. No other step which could possibly be 

 taken would have saved the beautiful Antarctic from shipwreck. She 

 was saved. 



At the very crisis of our fate, my wife came on deck and asked me 

 if I would have my hat ! Happily for her, she knew not, at that mo- 

 ment, that we were all tottering on the extreme verge of destruction's 

 precipice. It was the tender ofiiciousness of an affectionate, devoted 

 wife ; but at such a crisis inconceivably mal-apropos. My reply was 



