Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/446

426 three or four more hands came on board, also the pilot; and after proceeding amongst the quays for about seventeen miles, we anchored on the 17th: when the pilot had left us, the evening set in very stormy: it afterwards blew a hurricane; we were off Ambergris Quay, and, the wind blowing hard from the, we endeavoured to tack, but missed stays, and were a long time before we could get her to fill and gather way enough to make a second attempt, which most fortunately succeeded, as we had not room to wear, and must have been cast away had she missed stays a second time.

On the 23d, about sun-set, when off the western point of Cuba, the mate, whilst he happened to be looking over the side of the vessel, in conversation with me, suddenly started up, ordered the helm to be put a-lee and all sail to be reduced. I soon discovered that we were running right amongst a shoal of sunken rocks, which proved to be the Colorados: we had not room either to wear or stay: and were gliding upon