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176 craft—sailed out of Havre on the 25th of September. A great crowd had assembled on the pier-head to witness their departure, and cheered them as they passed. It was about noon, and they were under full sail; but they had scarcely been out two hours when the wind compelled them to reduce it. With the sail even thus diminished, the tiny vessel at times almost buried herself in the waves; but, as every part was sound the adventurous Cleveland flattered himself with the prospect of being able to weather the Cape, and pressed forward through a sea in which they were continually threatened with foundering, in the hope that they should soon be relieved by the ability to bear away from land. He was destined, however, to a sad disappointment, for the wind having much increased towards midnight, an extraordinary plunge into a very short and sharp sea completely buried the cutter, and snapped off her bowsprit. The vessel then turned to the leeward in defiance of the helm, while her last remaining sail was torn to tatters by the gale. In this state an attempt was made to put back to Havre, but in their crippled state this was found to be impossible. When morning came breakers were discovered under the lee of the vessel, and before night she had drifted ashore on the coast of Normandy.

Such a sudden and disastrous termination to a rash undertaking might well have cooled the ardour of the young adventurer; but after a momentary fit of despondency, he set himself quietly to repair the damage. As soon as the gale had abated, the vessel was unloaded, and floated into a neighbouring river. On examination of the cargo, it was found to be but little damaged. In