COASTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
449 
as possible, in order to weather the reef on 
which the sea was breaking, within five yards 
to leeward of the vessel : our escape appeared to 
be next to impossible : the night was of a pitchy 
darkness, and we were only aware of our situ- 
ation from time to time as the lightning flashed: 
the interval, therefore, between the flashes, which 
were so vivid as to illumine the horizon round, 
was of a most awful and appalling nature, and 
the momentary succession of our hopes and fears, 
which crowded rapidly upon each other, may 
be better imagined than described. We were evi- 
dently passing the line of breakers very quickly; 
but our escape appeared to be only possible 
through the interposition of a Divine Providence, 
for, by the glare of a vivid stream of forked 
lightning, the extremity of the reef was seen 
within ten yards from our lee bow ; and the wave 
which floated the vessel the next moment broke 
upon the rocks with a surf as high as the vessel’s 
mast head : at this dreadful moment the swell left 
the cutter, and she struck upon a rock with such 
force, that the rudder was nearly lifted out of 
the gudgeons : fortunately we had a brave man 
and a good seaman at the helm, for instantly 
recovering the tiller, by a blow from which he 
had been knocked down when the vessel struck, 
he obeyed my orders with such attention and 
Vol. I. 2 G 
1820. 
Dec. 4. 
