260 
PORT ! HAR-E-R-D A-PORT ! 
running, and 'which we hieio to be to the westward of us, 
though how far we could only conjecture 
^■^The lielm was therefore put to starboard; some of 
the lighter sails were taken in; the others were braced 
for the wind on the port beam, and every tiling kept in 
active readiness to change back to our old course as 
soon as the land should be discovered ahead. In this 
way we ran on for an hour or more, the first lieutenant 
having the trumpet on the quarter-deck, the officer of 
the deck, whom he had relieved, being in charge of the 
forecastle, to help the look-outs keep their eyes open, 
and to superintend things in general in case of the 
sudden change of course which was momentarily ex- 
pected, and the crew being at their stations for ^wearing 
ship/ 
“ Suddenly, a seaman by the name of Corcoran, — • 
with whom Dickens must have been acquainted before 
creating his character of ‘Bimsby,’ — and who stood 
near the officer in charge of the forecastle, looked very 
wise, and said he heard the breakers. This caused every 
one to listen intently and open their eyes still wider; but 
they heard nothing. Presently he said he saw them; 
and, as others now heard them just as he said he saw 
them, the officer in charge took his word for it, and 
bellowed out to the quarter-deck, ‘Port! /iur-r-r-c? a-port! 
Breakers ahead!’ and, as the ship fell rapidly off under 
the infiuence of both propeller and sails, a long white 
line of boiling surf appeared along our port bow and 
beam, and caused us to congratulate ourselves upon the 
sharp senses of ‘Bunsby.’ 
“The deep-sea lead, which had been kept going as 
