452 



CHALLENGEE — BREAKERS. 



Msty 



eight o'clock, when it was thought prudent to haul to the wind 

 until daylight. By many on board even this step was deemed 

 unnecessary caution. Captain Seymour proposed putting her 

 head to the south-west till daylight ; but the master felt so 

 confident of the ship''s place, and so much disliked the idea of 

 losing both time and ground, that his opinion was preferred, 

 and her head was kept to the northward. About nine, or soon 

 after that time, the Challenger was lying from N. to N. i E., 

 going about four knots, under the sail before-mentioned. The 

 wind had moderated ; but a thick haze surrounded the ship, 

 though the sky overhead was clear. 



Captain Seymour had been walking the deck for some time? 

 and had only just gone to his cabin, when a change in the 

 appearance* of the water alongside, and an unusual motion of 

 the ship, startled the officer of the watch, and induced him to 

 order the ' helm' down and ' about ship,' while a midshipman 

 was sent to tell the captain there was a suspicious alteration in 

 the water. Just then breakers were seen by the look-out men 

 and by the officer of the watch at the same moment ; and as 

 the captain flew up the ladder, (the ship coming round) he 

 saw her position, and gave the order, ' mainsail haul,' as she 

 was rising to a heavy rolling breaker. The after-yards swung 

 round, but while bracing them up, she struck heavily ; then 

 ' hauling the head-yards,' and bracing up, she seemed to ' gather 

 way — the foam alongside, from the recoiling waves, pro- 

 bably deceiving their eyes. A high breaking sea struck her 

 bows — and astern upon the rocks, a helpless wreck, the proud 

 Challenger was dashed.f Again, a great roller approached, 

 threatening to overwhelm her ; but it broke short, and only 

 drenched her fore and aft with force sufficient to wash men 

 overboard. While bracing- up, the topmen had been ordered 

 aloft to shake the reefs out, and readily they went, without 



* Lines of foam, and intervals of light-coloured water. 



t When the ship was thus hove violently astern, her rudder, stern-post, 

 dead-wood abaft, gun-room beams, cabin-deck, and many timbers, besides 

 planking, crashed awfully as they broke at once before the resistless power 

 of an ocean swell. 



