We now found that
      the vessel did not labour quite as much as before, but our
      situation was still exceedingly precarious, and in spite of the
      utmost exertions, we could not gain upon the leak without the aid
      of both pumps. The little assistance which Augustus could render
      us was not really of any importance. To add to our distress, a
      heavy sea, striking the brig to the windward, threw her off
      several points from the wind, and, before she could regain her
      position, another broke completely over her, and hurled her full
      upon her beam-ends. The ballast now shifted in a mass to leeward
      (the stowage had been knocking about perfectly at random for some
      time), and for a few moments we thought nothing could save us
      from capsizing. Presently, however, we partially righted; but the
      ballast still retaining its place to larboard, we lay so much
      along that it was useless to think of working the pumps, which
      indeed we could not have done much longer in any case, as our
      hands were entirely raw with the excessive labour we had
      undergone, and were bleeding in the most horrible manner. Contrary to Parker’s advice, we now proceeded to cut away the
      foremast, and at length accomplished it after much difficulty,
      owing to the position in which we lay. In going overboard the
      wreck took with it the bowsprit, and left us a complete hulk. So far we had had reason to rejoice in the escape of our
      longboat, which had received no damage from any of the huge seas
      which had come on board. But we had not long to congratulate
      ourselves; for the foremast having gone, and, of course, the
      foresail with it, by which the brig had been steadied, every sea
      now made a complete breach over us, and in five minutes our deck
      was swept from stem to stern, the longboat and starboard bulwarks
      torn off, and even the windlass shattered into fragments. It was,
      indeed, hardly possible for us to be in a more pitiable
      condition. At noon there seemed to be some slight appearance of the gale’s
      abating, but in this we were sadly disappointed, for it only
      lulled for a few minutes to blow with redoubled fury. About four
      in the afternoon it was utterly impossible to stand up against
      the violence of the blast; and, as the night closed in upon us, I
      had not a shadow of hope that the vessel would hold together
      until morning. By midnight we had settled very deep in the water, which was now
      up to the orlop deck. The rudder went soon afterward, the sea
      which tore it away lifting the after portion of the brig entirely
      from the water, against which she thumped in her descent with
      such a concussion as would be occasioned by going ashore. We had
      all calculated that the rudder would hold its own to the last, as
      it was unusually strong, being rigged as I have never seen one
      rigged either before or since. Down its main timber there ran a
      succession of stout iron hooks, and others in the same manner
      down the stern-post. Through these hooks there extended a very
      thick wrought-iron rod, the rudder being thus held to the
      stern-post and swinging freely on the rod. The tremendous force
      of the sea which tore it off may be estimated by the fact, that
      the hooks in the stern-post, which ran entirely through it, being
      clinched on the inside, were drawn every one of them completely
      out of the solid wood. We had scarcely time to draw breath after the violence of this
      shock, when one of the most tremendous waves I had then ever
      known broke right on board of us, sweeping the companion-way
      clear off, bursting in the hatchways, and filling every inch of
      the vessel with water. CHAPTER 9


      Luckily, just before night, all four of us had lashed ourselves
      firmly to the fragments of the windlass, lying in this manner as
      flat upon the deck as possible. This precaution alone saved us
      from destruction. As it was, we were all more or less stunned by
      the immense weight of water which tumbled upon us, and which did
      not roll from above us until we were nearly exhausted. As soon as
      I could recover breath, I called aloud to my companions. Augustus
      alone replied, saying: “It is all over with us, and may God have
      mercy upon our souls!” By-and-by both the others were enabled to
      speak, when they exhorted us to take courage, as there was still
      hope; it being impossible, from the nature of the cargo, that the
      brig could go down, and there being every chance that the gale
      would blow over by the morning. These words inspired me with new
      life; for, strange as it may seem, although it was obvious that a
      vessel with a cargo of empty oil-casks would not sink, I had been
      hitherto so confused in mind as to have overlooked this
      consideration altogether; and the danger which I had for some
      time regarded as the most imminent was that of foundering. As
      hope revived within me, I made use of every opportunity to
      strengthen the lashings which held me to the remains of the
      windlass, and in this occupation I soon discovered that my
      companions were also busy. The night was as dark as it could
      possibly be, and the horrible shrieking din and confusion which
      surrounded us it is useless to attempt describing. Our deck lay
      level with the sea, or rather we were encircled with a towering
      ridge of foam, a portion of which swept over us every instant. It
      is not too much to say that our heads were not fairly out of the
      water more than one second in three. Although we lay close
      together, no one of us could see the other, or, indeed, any
      portion of the brig itself, upon which we were so tempestuously
      hurled about. At intervals we called one to the other, thus
      endeavouring to keep alive hope, and render consolation and
      encouragement to such of us as stood most in need of it. The
      feeble condition of Augustus made him an object of solicitude
      with us all; and as, from the lacerated condition of his right
      arm, it must have been impossible for him to secure his lashings
      with any degree of firmness, we were in momentary expectation of
      finding that he had gone overboard—yet to render him aid was a
      thing altogether out of the question. Fortunately, his station
      was more secure than that of any of the rest of us; for the upper
      part of his body lying just beneath a portion of the shattered
      windlass, the seas, as they tumbled in upon him, were greatly
      broken in their violence.