WRECK OF THE CHALLENGER. 9 



the safety of our lives, when dayhght should 

 assist us in discovering the means of attempting 

 it. Another danger had also excited our ap- 

 prehensions, from an appearance of dark water 

 astern of us, inside the surf, apparently render- 

 ing it indispensable to drop our anchors to hold 

 the ship on the sand, to avoid foundering in 

 deep water: for we had become aware of the 

 impossibility of keeping her afloat, as she had 

 been seriously bilged about midships, the tanks 

 and chain cables rising to the lower deck as the 

 ship worked in the sand in which she was now 

 embedded. The leads, however, continuing to 

 assure us that she still bedded with tolerable 

 firmness, the anchors were kept fast ; the pru- 

 dence and good fortune of which step daylight 

 fully disclosed to us. On her first striking 

 amongst the breakers, the rudder was carried 

 away, the gun-room beams and cabin deck forced 

 up, and a vast body of water coming in astern 

 flooded the gun-room and lower deck : many of 

 the timbers on the starboard side were heard to 

 break with a fearful crash. 



The excellent conduct and good discipline of 

 all on board, in this extremity of danger, merited 

 the highest praise. Although every heart must 



