Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/197

Rh there rose squalls of wind and rain, which to the sailors just from the sheltered island seemed icy cold. The main care was to keep off the reef, and thus they worried along until morning. Night at last passed without accident, though their progress was very slow. The second day was passed on the sea, all land being out of sight. Just at sunset again, as the day before, there came up squalls of wind and rain. At length the rudder of the canoe was carried away, and there .was nothing but to drift and keep as nearly upright as possible until morning. At early daylight, as the weather moderated, they succeeded in making the rudder fast again, and resumed their voyage to anywhere or nowhere.

They so continued until the fifth day, having considerable confidence in sailors' luck, and keeping a sharp lookout for an island or for a sail. On the evening of that day, however, affairs took a turn for the worse. Just after sunset the wind rose again as on the first nights, only more fiercely, with heavy black clouds succeeding. A gust, reminding them of the corner of a typhoon, struck the sail of the canoe, careening and nearly capsizing the clumsy craft. Hardly had it recovered from the first before it was struck by a second that bent the mast until the sail dipped in the water, upon which the canoe was overset and rolled on its beam. It immediately filled, and was now but a log on the waves. It had to be abandoned then and there, and the entire company crowded into the old whaleboat to the imminent risk of its also swamping. It was no little task to take off the sailors from the rolling hulk, but all were rescued safely, the Pelews taking care of themselves and swimming like water rats to the boat. One, however, clung to the canoe all night trying to get provisions, and succeeded in securing four cocoanuts. All