236 DOTTENGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. XIV.— B. P. 
gerheads with the wind, and between them a very 
pretty bobbery is kicked up. This current, while it 
acts as a real safeguard to ships obliged to use the 
anchorage, is very prejudicial to the comfort of the 
crews, for it will not permit the vessels to ride head 
to wind; hence, with the greater part of their broad¬ 
sides exposed to the sea, ships at all predisposed that 
way have an opportunity alforded them for rolling, 
such as I will venture to say can scarcely he found in 
any other part of the world. 
The dear old ‘ Gorgon ’ was a first-class roller; she 
was a Symonite, a production of genius, it is true, 
but sadly lacking in practical utility. In England, 
we are favoured periodically with heaven-born men, 
who, with real or fancied naval proclivities, undertake 
to remodel and build fighting ships for us. Their 
only drawback is, that their ideas of a fighting ship 
are, to say the least of it, somewhat hazy. We are 
now suffering from a severe affliction of this sort: 
I hope the disease will not become chronic. 
Well, the old craft did roll, roll, roll, with a ven¬ 
geance. About two in the middle watch there was 
a tremendous crash, and running on deck to see what 
was the matter, I found that the cutter, hoisted up 
to the port davits, had literally been dipped under 
water, partly filling the boat and tearing her from 
the fastenings confining her to the ship’s side; it was 
only by the greatest exertions that her wreck was 
saved. 
While on this subject, I may mention that some 
time afterwards, when lowering my gig (the captain’s 
