Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-11-17

waved pretty badly, as is always the
case,with the breeze dead astern; and
at length the spanker- catching some
how side puff s.jibed,p, as the sea
term is, with such force that it's boom
was broken short in two.
A portion of the spar struck the cap
tain SO heavy blow as to disable him,
leaving Mr.. Yule, the mate, in COM
mand. Meanwhile, the passengers, sea-
sick, retired from the deck to wrestle
With their feelings. Mr.. Yule, though,
like Murat, good officer when directed
| by a superior, was like the unhappy
French marshal. greatly lacking in
! Judgment when thrown on his own re-
sources nor had he much confidence
in himself. There was nothing, how
ever, to be done but to keep on, and it
seemed as if almost any one should be
able to navigate vessel down the En-
| glish channel, with a fair wind.
But the weather presently grew foul
! the wind coming on to blow a gale
from the southwest, and the short, chop
ping channel swell getting extremely
bad. %
We came down to very short sail,
and finally, after run of some thirty
hours from the Downs, brought the
ship to with her head to the southwest,
in which position she would make, be-
tween her headway and ledwsy, north
westerly drift. This, if we were as Mr..
Yule supposed us to be, already out of
the channel, would take us entirely
clear of land. He believed the Swift
zerland would be thrown down or lose.
her topmasts, should she continue to
run longer with her three topsails.
A thickness of the atmosphere for
bade our seeing more than mile or
two in any direction.
"What does he heave to here for ?''
asked Dick. "Why don't he make sure
of his ofing? He might carry the
lower topsails and reefed foresail, in
spite of this gale-at least for a little
longer if he'd take my advice,
he'd do it. He seems confused and
hesitating, and heaves to without know
ing whether he's right or wrong. Chaps,
I've been here before !s I don't believe
the ship Switzerland is out of the Eng
lish Channel yetp
The gale presently blew much
harder, fairly beating down the sea,
and causing the ship to lie over at
fearful steep angle.
At length, sure enough, we all had
to spring into the weather-rigging, and,
in moment, over she went, with her
great yards swashing in the foam.
In this position she remained half an
hour, when the air to 1eewsrd becom-
ing little clearer, we saw in that
direction line of tall, gray cliffs, upon
which the spray was flying fifty feet
high. At this sight the mate lost all
presence of mind.
"Cut away the rigging with your
knives r he sang out. 1--WE must get
rid of the masts to light the ship. Gut
away the mizzen shrouds and the main
topmast backstays Let the fore-rig-
ing stand II
The idea was preposterous yet some
TO the sailors had already snatched their
heavy sheath knives, when Dick shouted
with voice that no tempest could
drown: "Ayast, every one of you
Don't cut spunyarnl Nothing can
save us if you do that I The gale lulls
little and tie ship is trying to right.
You chaps there, Isay l-you, Davy
you, big Jack don't you cut one of
those lanyards, whatever Mr.. Yule says 4
I'll shoulder the blame of this mu-
tinyi'
The wind had indeed slackened for
the moment, and the ship righted, pitch
ing and rolling prodigiously.
But the mate seemed strangely con-
fused' and incapable OF any coherent
plan OF action.
''Mr. Yule !" cried Dick, 1--WE must
have the three topsails and the foresail
on this ship-and quick, too, or she'll
be on the rocks These are the Scilly
Islands, and we must get past them
before our leeway takes us on"
His directions were followed and
the ship was enabled lust to clear the
outermost point Of the rocks, as she