456 



BREAKERS. 



March 22d. Wind more to the westward, 

 and moderating; but still too high to pass. 

 The detention very annoying. 



March 23d. The bar not breaking so high, 

 got under weigh at daylight, and commenced 

 poling out through the channel, which is very 

 narrow. The wind and tide being the same 

 way drove us down on the breakers, amongst 

 the outer edges of which we got ; fortunately 

 they did not break over us : had they been a 

 little heavier, we should have filled, and God 

 knows if we should ever have reached the 

 shore alive ! The peons exerted themselves 

 considerably ; and at last we got clear out, to 

 my great joy, as I had felt not a little uncom- 

 fortable for some time. We now made sail, 

 and continued beating about until about half- 

 past three, when we anchored behind a reef of 

 rocks, without any reason that I could per- 

 ceive, as we might have continued beating up 

 all night. The men went on shore and pro- 

 cured cocoa-nuts. 



March 24th. Weighed the previous even- 

 ing at eleven, p. m., and beat up ; wind east- 

 north-east. At eleven o'clock, a. m., anchor- 

 ed to search for poles, close behind Punta- 



