Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

452 CHALLENGER — BREAKERS. May eight o''clock, when it was thought prudent to haul to the wind until daylight. By many on board even this step was deemed unnecessary caution. Captain Seymour proposed putting her head to the south-west till daylight ; but the master felt so confident of the ship's place, and so much disliked the idea of losing both time and ground, that his opinion was preferred, and her head was kept to the northward. About nine, or soon after that time, the Challenger was lying from N. to N. | E., going about four knots, under the sail before-mentioned. The wind had moderated ; but a thick haze surrounded the ship, though the sky overhead was clear. Captain Seymour had been walking the deck for some time, and had only just gone to his cabin, when a change in the appearance* of the water alongside, and an unusual motion of the ship, startled the officer of the watch, and induced him to order the 'helm' down and ' about ship,' while a midshipman was sent to tell the captain there was a suspicious alteration in the water. Just then breakers were seen by the look-out men and by the officer of the watch at the same moment ; and as the captain flew up the ladder, (the ship coming round) he saw her position, and gave the order, ' mainsail haul,' as she was rising to a heavy rolling breaker. The after-yards swung round, but while bracing them up, she struck heavily ; then ' hauling the head -yards,' and bracing up, she seemed to ' gather way ;' — the foam alongside, from the recoiling waves, pro- bably deceiving their eyes. A high breaking sea struck her bows — and astern upon the rocks, a helpless wreck, the proud Challenger was dashed. -|- Again, a great roller approached, threatening to overwhelm her ; but it broke short, and only drenched her fore and aft with force sufficient to wash men overboard. While bracing- up, the topmen had been ordered aloft to shake the reefs out, and readily they went, without * Lines of foam, and intervals of light-coloured water. t When the ship was thus hove violently astern, her rudder, stern-post, dead-wood abaft, g-un-room beams, cabin-deck, and many timbers, besides planking, crashed awfully as thev broke at once before the resistless power of an ocean swell.