OF THE SEA OF AZOF. 
443 
was asked, if he had not a compass. “ Oh yes, 
a very good one,” he replied : but, instead of 
Using it, he had kept it safe locked in the chest 
upon which he sat. The compass being pro- 
duced, it appeared that we were going due 
south ; and to prove the ignorance of mariners 
in these waters, who are all of them coasters, 
it may only be mentioned, that our pilot, 
alarmed by his mistake, continued to turn the 
box containing the compass, in the hope of 
making the needle correspond with his wishes. 
Finding that all was wrong, an instantaneous 
and fearful confusion ensued. We let go the 
mainsail, and made an endeavour to lower it ; 
but the rigging became hampered, and the gale, 
fast increasing, bore the gunnel down; at the 
same time, the carriage rolling nearly over the 
lee side, we shipped as much water as we could 
barely sustain without sinking. Our first efforts 
were to secure the carriage from another roll. 
With all our force exerted, we held the wheels, 
while our terrified boatmen, half out of their 
senses, were running over and against each 
other. Veteran officers in the British navy have 
often declared, that they encounter more real 
danger in what is called hating, than in doubling 
the Cape of Good Hope during the heaviest 
gales of wind : perhaps not one of them in such 
a situation would have deemed it possible to 
