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I was roused, at this moment, by Captain G., who shouted, "She luffs, my boys! brace the main-yard sharp up haul in the larboard fore-braces down with the fore-tack, lads, and haul aft the sheet; right the helm! steady, so haul taut the weather-braces, and belay all." These orders were given and executed in quick succession.
Not once, nor twice, but several times, a whole watch has been washed away from the fore-braces by some gigantic wave, and every single man in it been drowned. Squalls need smart handling. Black squalls are nothing, even when the ship lays over till the lee rail's under a sluicing rush of broken water.
Let go your lee main-braces and round in to windward gently now; not too quick; that's well; catch a turn with your after-braces and then square the fore-yard; well with the fore-braces; belay all and coil up. Ah! I expected that."
Royal-yard there! hold on tight, we are going to take a pull upon the weather-braces. Are you all ready there? Now then, lads, steady, not too much; you've rather overdone it. Ease off an inch or two of that royal-brace; haul taut to leeward, well there, belay! Lee to'gallant-brace haul taut; topsail and fore-braces, well there, belay of all. Forecastle there! ease up that flying-jib sheet.
In a minute the water had reached the top of the house. "Then, as the boats floated in the creamy turmoil, we pushed with the oars, and, though half swamped, managed to clear the fore-braces as they went under. There was a mighty roaring of water, and a mighty suction, but the two boats floated, though half full. "Then we saw that blooming old hippo rise out of the depths and head for us.
At 10h. 20m. the Pompée drifted between us and the French Admiral's, hove in our spring, and brought our guns to bear on the other enemy's ship on our bow, and the other's stern: at 12h. the Pompée drifted between our fire and the enemy's, slipt the sheet-cable, and eight-inch hawser, the spring, with the intention of getting alongside the enemy's southernmost ship, light air springing up at the time from the N.E.; in awaiting this opportunity, the mizen-top-mast, fore-braces, and jibb halyards, with various other standing and running rigging, shot away, and main-mast badly wounded: at 11h. 15m. breeze dying away prevented our intention, opened our fire on the southernmost ship; at 12h. calm and hazy, Cæsar, Hannibal, Audacious, Spencer, and us still firing on the enemy's ships, batteries, and gun-boats, boats of the squadron towing off the Pompée to Gibraltar; P.M. calm, still firing on the enemy's ships, which were warping farther in-shore.
"Starboard, your helm!" shouted Marble. "Starboard, your helm! Come to these fore-braces, Neb bear a hand this a-way, you cook. Captain Wallingford, please lend us a pull. Look out for the boat, Mr. Sennit; we'll take care of the head-yards." Now all this had been regularly concocted in the mate's mind in advance.
At length I heard a rushing sound over my head, and, looking up, I saw that the main-top-mast, with the yards and sails, had come down on the fore-braces, and might shortly be expected on deck. At this point, Captain Williams ordered all hands from the guns to clear the wreck. At the same instant, our antagonist, with a degree of complaisance that I could have hugged him for, ceased firing also.
"Let draw your jib-sheets," now shouted Ned; "let go your larboard and round-in upon your starboard fore-braces, and then lay aft here, two or three of you, and haul out the spanker. Steady the helm and meet her, Williams. Keep everything a-rap full and let her go through the water. What is the latest news from the anchor for'ard there?"
Captain Leicester, on seeing the near approach of the hurricane, had, after hailing his men to come down from aloft, lashed the wheel hard-a-starboard, and then, accompanied by Mr Bowen, he hurried away to the foot of the main-mast, where they cast off the starboard fore-braces and hauled in upon the larboard until they had braced the topsail as sharp up as it was possible for two men to get it.
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