WRECK OF THE CHALLENGER. 7 



midships : another sea followed, which threw her 

 on her starboard beam-ends, the surf at the same 

 time breaking over and into the ship with a force 

 sufficient to wash the men from the decks. Most 

 miraculously, however, no serious accident now 

 occurred, nor was any greater injury sustained 

 than by the men at the helm, who were thrown 

 over the wheel, and severely bruised. We were 

 now at the mercy of the heaviest surf it is pos- 

 sible to conceive ; the ship labouring in a most 

 fearful manner, falling over on either broadside, 

 and righting herself as the weight and force of 

 the sea affected her ; and the warning orders were 

 reiterated to hold on, and keep out of the way 

 of the masts, which were every moment expected 

 to fall. The masts, however, stood, though 

 many of the loftier back-stays, stay, and braces, 

 came down, but, fortunately, without injury to 

 any one. 



A few minutes had been sufficient to place us 

 in this most frightful and truly awful situation j 

 a situation requiring the greatest degree of firm- 

 ness, as well as promptitude of action. A thick 

 dense fog, which hung on the water, gave us no 

 warning of the silent and terrible rollers ; the 

 first of which, on being discovered, launched us 



B 4 



