426 
LOSS OF THE PHOENlX. 
has sprung a leak in the gunner's room. Go, then, and tell 
the carpenter to come to me, but do not speak a word to any- 
one else. Mr. Goodinoh, I am told there is a leak in the gun- 
ner's room ; go and see what is the matter, but do not alarm 
any body, and come and make your report privately to me. 
In a short time he returned ; " Sir, there is nothing there : it is 
only the Avater washing up between the timbers that this 
booby has taken for a leak." O, very well ; go upon deck and 
see if you can keep any of the water from washing down be- 
low. " Sir, I have had four people constantly keeping the hatch- 
ways secure, but there is such a weight of water upon the 
deck that nobody can stand when the ship rolls." The gun- 
ner soon afterward came to me, saying, " Mr. Archer, I should 
be glad to have you step this way into the magazine for a 
moment. I thought some d d thing was the matter, and 
ran directly. Well, what is the matter here ? He answered, 
" The ground tier of the powder is spoiled, and I want to show 
you that it is not out of carelessness in me in stowing it, for 
no powder in the world could be better stowed. Now, sir, what 
am I to do ? If you do not speak to Sir Hyde, he will be an- 
gry with me." I could not forbear smiling to see how easy he 
took the danger of the ship, and said to him, Let us shake 
off this gale of wind first, and talk of the damaged powder 
afterward. 
At four we had gained upon the ship a little, and I went 
upon deck, it being my watch. The second lieutenant re- 
lieved me at the pumps. Who can attempt to describe the 
appearance of things upon deck ? If I was to write for ever, 
I could not give you an idea of it — a total darkness all above : 
the sea on fire, running as if it were in the Alps, or Peaks of 
T^neriffe; (mountains are too common an idea;) the wind 
roaring louder than thunder, (absolutely no flight of imagina- 
tion,) the whole made more terrible, if possible, by a very un- 
common kind of blue lightning; the poor ship very much 
pressed, yet doing what she could, shaking her sides and 
groaning at- every stroke. Sir Hyde upon deck lashed to 
windward ! I soon lashed myself along side of him, and told 
him the situation of things below, saying the ship did not 
make more water than might be expected in such weather, 
and that I was only afraid of a gun breaking loose. "I am 
not in the least afraid of that ; I have commanded her six 
years, and have had many a gale of wind in her ; so that her 
iron work, which always gives way first, is pretty well tried. 
Hold fest ! that was an ugly sea ; we must lower the yards, I 
