120 WRECK OF MARTHA RIDGWAY. 



windward, from the ship's anchorage, before we 

 reached the inside edge of the reefs, where we found 

 the flood tide coining in over the reef like the rapids 

 of a river. ^Ye passed, in a very short distance, 

 from dark blue water to some coral blocks, on which 

 we grounded. The men then got overboard, and we 

 proceeded by dragging the boat over the coral in the 

 deepest channels we could find, the men at one time 

 standing only ankle-deep, at the next unable to 

 touch bottom, and holding on by the gunwale till 

 they could lay hold of the next lump of coral. This 

 coral was nearly all alive over the whole surface of 

 the reef, which had no sand bank or dry space upon 

 it even at low water. Before we reached the wreck, 

 we met a heavy ripple proceeding from the surf of 

 the outer edge, often a couple of feet deep, and re- 

 quiring some care to prevent the boat being staved 

 as it fell in the hollow of the wave at the back of the 

 ripple line. On getting alongside the wreck, we 

 found a rather heavy surf breaking against her bow, 

 and reached the deck with some difficulty by means 

 of an old back-stay that had been part of her main 

 rigging. She lay with her bow to the sea on her 

 starboard bilge. She was still pretty perfect above, 

 her deck, forecastle, and poop, and even the hulk- 

 heads of the cabins remaining. The foremast also 

 was standing, but the tide flowed in and out of her 

 below. Her lower deck, however, was dry, and at 

 low water there was not above a foot or two of water 

 in her hold. Mr. Moore, the carpenter, and Mr. 



