Page:Peterson's Magazine 1842, Volume I.pdf/199

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"How glad I feel," said the little fellow after a pause, " that every day brings us nearer to home. I could almost worship this breeze, Sir, if it would only blow all the way. Oh ! it will be so sweet when we reach Norfolk once more. I wonder if father and mother and Fanny will be there to meet me, I should think they would- don't you, Sir ?" and thus he continued, dwelling in his own boyish way, upon the happiness which was now only a few months distant, until the night had waned far into its middle hour, and the deserted decks warned us it was time to go below. Poor boy, the bright visions that smiled on his cheek that night, were soon to give place to a sad reality. He never lived to see them fulfilled. But I anticipate.

We reached the Phillipine islands, passed the straits, and at last entered the Bay of Bengal. We were all heartily tired of a close confinement on ship-board, and resolved to run up the bay and visit a few of the chief stations of the coast. It was a glorious day when we first caught sight of Madras rising above the distant ocean like a narrow streak of silver, as the sun-light fell full upon its white walls and minarets, while the waves now hid it from our sight, and now again discovered it flashing brightly in the distance. As we stood on with the wind nearly on our quarter, the snowy city rose rapidly before us, until we could plainly discern the long, low beach of white sand, crowned with the walls of the fort above and the tremendous surf, rolling and thundering in ahead. It was a beautiful sight. The sky was clear and cloudless, the horizon had not a mist upon it, a golden light flooded every thing around, while the snowy walls of the eastern city rising beautifully into the blue heavens, and glittering with the beams that danced upon their pure white surface, reminded us of the temples of Athens, the sunny skies of Greece, and the old classic fanes that flashed in their whiteness on every song-crowned hill. The whole crew leant over the side or filled the rigging, gazing on the splendid spectacle, and as we lay off and on, keeping away from the fearful surf that makes the city almost unapproachable from sea, you could hear nothing but expressions of delight from all on board. Every heart beat high with pleasure- and it was no difficult matter to obtain permission to land. A party of the officers, among whom were Broughton and myself, resolved on making an excursion into the town.

Give way, my lads, with a will boys- pull," said the lieutenant of our boat, as we dashed over the long, dark green waves, and leaving a whirl of waters behind us rapidly neared the land, "we'll soon be up with the surf -give way."

I should have mentioned that there is no port for vessels within twenty miles of St. George's Fort, and as our frigate would be compelled to stretch out and in until our return,we had but little time for our adventure.

We had intended, when we started, leaving the boats outside the surf, and landing in the flats which are used for passing the breakers, and which being sewed together and without keels, are admirably fitted to resist the jerking of the surf, and can, with great difficulty, be overturned. But when we neared the shore we saw that none of these native boats were at hand, and as we had but little time to lose, we lay upon our oars just outside the breakers and called a council to determine what to do. "What say you, Seyton, to making a dash and passing it at once, it will be something to talk of, eh ?" I shook my head in disapprobation as I pointed to the huge billows that raced by us, and curling over a cable's length ahead, broke with a noise like thunder on the beach, while the shivered wave foamed and boiled in the wild vortex below. "Give way, my sea-dogs, away !" shouted the third lieutenant, coming up abreast in gallant style, " shall we dash in, Mr. Tiller ?" "It looks like a venture where one cast is death and the other a ducking-but what say you, Broughton ?" " Oh, Sir," said the little fellow, his eye kindling as he spoke, "they say that an English man-of-war's boat passed it a few years ago,—and I'm sure we can do it too. Besides, Sir, we can try it with one boat firstwhy it isn't such a high surf after all, and look there, Sir, they're watching us from the fort," and true enough the officers ofthe garrison were quizzing us already with their glasses. I still, however, objected. I felt a strange kind of presentiment that some dreadful accident would occur if we ventured in the surf, and I dwelt earnestly upon the possible danger and real folly of such a course. A half an hour at most would bring out the flat bottomed boats of the natives, and meanwhile we could ride in safety on the edge of the boiling whirlpool. But it was in vain. The national pride of our men had been touched, and the lieutenant seeing it, wavered no longer, but shouting the order to give way,-our crew broke forth into a cheer, and then rapidly dashed up to the gigantic breakers. The aspect of the surf as we approached it was really terrible. The enormous billows rolled in one after another, rising up like monsters to the sky, pausing. a moment with their white crests combing before they descended, and then hurling their mass of waters down into the abyss below, with the noise as of some mighty cataract. The very earth seemed to tremble beneath the shock. Far along the coast the waves were running in, curling, breaking and foaming into the gulf beneath, and tossing their snowy spray wildly up from the vortex, while the ceaseless thunder of this eternal worship rose up continually to its great author on high.