SHIPWRECKED ON YETORUP 
89 
of the schooner to the other; but she held on bravely, 
and, the wind shifting to the north-east and then to 
the north after daylight, we were able to pick up 
our anchors and stand over to our old anchorage 
again. 
The wind then shifted to the north-west and 
blew with terrific force. Sleet and snow fell, and 
everything became iced up. Several inches of ice 
lay on the deck, and all our running and standing 
rigging became doubled in size with ice frozen hard. 
The ropes would not run through the blocks, the 
sails were like boards, and it was impossible to get 
sail on the vessel and put to sea. She soon com¬ 
menced to drag her anchors, and, as we were in 
danger of being carried on to a reef off the point, 
where the seas were breaking 40 or 50 feet high, 
we deemed it prudent to slip our cables and let the 
schooner go up on the beach, which was somewhat 
steep and covered with big masses of rock and 
boulders. Before slipping, the crew were told what 
was decided upon, and to look out for themselves 
when she struck. We cut the lashings of our boats, 
and then slipped our cables. I threw off my outer 
clothing and boots, and with a short piece of rope 
took a turn round my body and the main rigging. 
A tremendous sea carried the schooner right over 
the first line of breakers, and then she bumped heavily, 
successive seas washing over her and lifting her 
higher up the beach. Her rudder was knocked up 
through the stern, a big hole made in her bilge, 
her fore-foot and false keel carried away, and other 
minor damage done. A weaker vessel would have 
gone to pieces with such a pounding, but the Snow¬ 
drop was built as strongly as a “ man-of-war.” 
