As I reached the cabin stairs the rain came down in sheets ; there was a booming, roar ing sound; the ship heeled over and raced through the water as the storm came down upon her. A flash of lightning showed me that the sea was already white with foam. I went below, made a hearty meal off some salt beef and biscuit I found on the table, drank a stiff glass of rum and water, and turned into my berth to renew my nap, weariness drowning the sense of danger. How long I slept, or what happened in the time, Ido not know. When 1 awoke, the ship was rolling heavily, and there was a ontinuous, ominous sound, thud, thud, thud, accompanied with the pouring of water, which caused me to hurry on deck, where a scene of terrible confusion met my eyes, for it was broad daylight. A mast had gone ; the deck was littered with cordage and broken woodwork. All was confusion, authority in abeyance; convicts, sailors, marines were mixed up together, hurry ing to and fro, or working at the pumps. The gale had abated, was dying out in fact, but there was a leak which could not be discovered, though, in conse quence of the number of hands to relieve one another in pumping, the water did not gain upon us. Finding I was not wanted there, I went below again to attend upon Phipps, who had been left 1 knew not how long, and was too weak to help himself much. The fever had left him, but he was low and desponding, and asked me to read the Bible to him, which I did. After a time I heard Mac Nab come down, and went into the saloon out of which our private cabins opened to speak to him. I round him loading his pistols. ‘ The leak has been found and stopped, ’ he said, ‘but 1 dinua like the look of the convicts ;

some of them ha’e got arms, 1 fear me. ’ While he was speaking shouts and shots were heard above, and he rushed to the cabin stairs, I following him. Directly we reached the deck we saw a body of convicts coming aft, headed by Williams, who had a musket in his hands.
