Page:Small-boat sailing; an explanation of the management of small yachts, half-decked and open sailing-boats of various rigs; sailing on sea and on river; cruising, etc (IA smallboatsailing01knig).pdf/306

 drifted several hours down the rapids, holding on to the bottom of the overturned and often submerged boat.

It was now, amid these really dangerous rapids, when a slight error of judgment would have brought instant shipwreck and probable loss of life, that our old reis showed that he knew his work after all. His lazy expression vanished; his eye keenly scanned the broken water round him as he firmly held the tiller and shouted his orders as to the handling of the sails to the two lads. Generally with the head of his vessel pointing up-stream and foresail set to give him good steerage-way, he cleverly guided the boat, so that, well in hand, she drifted stern foremost between the numerous dangers, rocks always close to him on either side and angry whirlpools ever and anon rising at his bows as if with intent to throw the gayassa off her course, and dash her on the treacherous needles of rock that lay in wait beneath the foaming water. Sometimes he sailed across the river to seek the safest channel through a rocky reef; having found it, he placed his boat in mid-entrance of it, and then, having done all that lay in his power, he loudly invoked the assistance of Allah, and left her to be swept helplessly down the boiling rapid, escaping destruction by but a few yards on either hand. Sometimes, when he perceived no serious difficulties ahead, he triced up his sail to allow the boat to drift the faster; on the other hand,