The commander had observed the signs of a change of weather, and by the master’s advice, who felt sure that a heavy gale would soon be blowing, though he could not say from what quarter it might come, the ship’s head was put off shore, so as to gain as good an offing as possible before it was down upon them. The wind increased, and though the Champion could still carry her whole canvas, it was necessary to keep a bright look-out against a sudden squall, all hands remaining on deck, ready to shorten sail at a moment’s notice.
Chapter Eighteen.
The Champion in a hurricane—Hove on her beam-ends—Loss of main and mizen-masts—Runs on before the gale—Strikes on a reef—An island discovered at daybreak—Boats and stores got out—The crew reach the shore—Water found—Site for a fort chosen—Stores and guns landed—A gale—Ship goes to pieces—Launch lost—A vessel seen—Chased—Escapes—Fort finished—A Spanish man-of-war approaches—Attacks the fort—Spaniards defeated—A gale—Spanish ship lost—Vain attempts to save the crow.
The Champion was standing across the channel between Jamaica and Cuba. The night came on very dark. The wind, though blowing fresh from the north-west, did not increase as much as had been expected, and it was hoped that the ship would claw off the shore and obtain a good offing before the morning. The topgallantsails had been handed, and as much canvas was set as she could carry. The master turned many an anxious glance over the quarter, where he could still dimly discern the outline of the land. The ship was heeling over till her lee bulwarks were smothered in the fast-rising sea. Still the commander was unwilling to shorten sail while she could bear what she was then carrying. It was impossible to say from which direction the wind might next blow. It might come from the northward, and if so, she would have the shore dead under her lee, and, should her masts go, might be driven helplessly towards it. Another reef was taken in the topsails, but still she heeled over to the wind more than the commander liked, notwithstanding which she was evidently making considerable leeway.
At length there came a lull; the ship righted, and for some time continued to stand up better than heretofore to her canvas. The appearance of the sky, however, did not improve. Dark masses of clouds flew across it, gradually thickening till a dense canopy hung over the ocean without any discernible break. The wind howled and whistled, and the sea rose more and more.
“We’ll heave the ship to, Mr Billhook,” said the commander. “We have got, I should think, a sufficient offing, and we must return to the shore as soon as the weather will allow.”
“If you will take my advice, sir, we will rather stand on for some time longer. We are perhaps nearer the coast than we may fancy, and we might find it a hard matter to get off again, should we discover in the morning that we have been drifting towards it.”
“Keep her as she is going, then,” said the commander, who thought that the master was probably right.