WE RUN ON SHORE. 
265 
A general laugh followed this characteristic ebullition. 
Bunsby had long since become the acknowledged ‘ ship’s 
growler.’ We subsequently returned to this point, and 
made a perfect survey of it, as well as of the entire 
straits. 
“We were now but some forty miles from our port, — 
the diagonal width of the Straits of T’Sugar, — and, 
could we but keep up our then speed for seven or eight 
hours, we should get in that night. So we held on to the 
straining canvas and kept up full steam, for there was a 
five or six knot current running against us ; and, though 
the gale continued to increase, and consequently to urge 
us ahead at a more headlong pace than ever, still, it also 
created a very high and dangerous ‘chop-sea,’ which 
broke continually over our bulwarks, flooding our decks, 
and in one case filling a quarter-boat so full as to create 
feai's for her safety. We again thought of the poor little 
Vincennes, Jr,, of her brave and adventurous officers and 
crew, and wished them safely across a passage which was 
often threatening the safety of even a ship of our size. 
“ That night we reached our destination in safety, but we 
had a hard run of it ; and, if we had been forced to pass 
the next twelve hours in darkness and at the mercy of that 
gale and six-knot current, there is no telling whei'e the 
thirteenth hour would have found us. As it was, we 
got a glimpse — and it was only a glimpse of a moment’s 
duration — of the promontory of Ila-ko-da-di, just as the 
twilight was leaving us; and then we ran in after dark by 
guess-work. It is not surprising, therefore, that we should 
have run on shore, which we actually did do, though it was 
fortunately well inside of the capacious bay, where the 
