302 TRAVELS THROUGH UPPER CANADA t 
ed through the vessel, notwithstanding all the 
bustle of the seamen, and the tremendous roar¬ 
ing of the breakers amongst the adjacent rocks. 
Before two minutes had passed over, the 
vessel struck a second time, but with a still 
greater shock; and at the end of a quarter of 
an hour, during which period she had gra¬ 
dually approached nearer towards the shore, 
she began to strike with the fall of every 
wave. 
The general opinion now seemed to be in 
favour of cutting away the masts, in order to 
lighten the vessel; and the axes were actually 
upraised for the purpose, when one of my 
companions who possessed a considerable share 
of nautical knowledge from having been in 
the navy, opposed the measure. It appeared 
to him, that as the pumps were still free, and 
as the vessel had not yet made more water 
than could be easily got under, the cutting 
away of the masts would only be to deprive 
ourselves of the means of getting off the rock 
if the wind should veer about; but he advised 
the captain to have the yards and topmasts cut 
away. The masts were spared, and his advice 
was in every other respect attended to. The 
wind unfortunately, however, still continued 
to blow from the same point, and the only 
alteration observable in it was its blowing with 
still greater force than ever. 
