Page:Letters from New Zealand (Harper).djvu/103

Rh bays and harbours, some like vast wedding cakes; and in all, in every crevice, hollow, or recess, shadows, if the phrase may be used, of deep heavenly blue. Beautiful exceedingly, but terribly cruel, as everyone must have thought who watched their long procession on either side of the vessel that day.

Our perils were not over; early in the afternoon, as evening drew on, we had to lie to again for the night, a choice of evils, not knowing where we might drift, and yet not daring to risk collision with the ice by going on. This went on for four nights in succession; after fairly fine days, dark danger by night; much anxiety, and little restful sleep. One night another panic arose; lying to, we were caught by a huge cross wave, which leapt upon the decks, carrying away all loose gear, and smashing many fixtures. I was asleep in my bunk, and was flung out on to the floor of the cabin, but not hurt, for I must own to sleeping during these nights, dressed, and with boots on, to be ready for any emergency. The water rushed in torrents down every available opening to the decks below, flooding my cabin several inches in depth, and for the moment I thought all was over and we were sinking,—then came the welcome cry of the first mate, overhead, "She's right again!" and crawling carefully up the companion ladder to the poop deck, I met him; "I was washed right off my feet, and only saved by being jammed up against the mizzenboom."

After this our course gradually became clear of ice; a strong westerly wind soon took us out of danger, and all went well. Naturally talk turned on the chances of that American ship, which was due to follow us in ten days. "I shouldn't care to be on her," said one of the officers, "those Yankees are too fond of