Page:The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.pdf/256

[ 210 ] in, and desired him to come upon deck immediately. He said it was very well, and I went up again. As soon as I was upon deck, the wind, which had been pretty high, having abated a little, the vessel began to be carried sideways towards the rock, by means of the current. Still the captain did not appear. I therefore went to him again and told him the vessel was then near a large rick, and desired he would come up with all speed. He said he would, and I returned on the deck. When I was upon the deck again I saw we were not above a pistol shot from the rock, and I heard the noise of the breakers all around us. I was exceedingly alarmed at this; and the captain not having yet come on the deck I lost all patience; and growing quite enraged, I ran down to him again, and asked him, why he did not come up, and what he could mean by all this? 'The breakers,' said I, 'are around us, and the vessel is almost on the rock.' With that he came on the deck with me, and tried to put the vessel about, and get her out of the current, but all to no purpose, the wind being very small. We then called all hands up immediately; and after a little we got up one end of a cable, and fastened i to the anchor. By this time the surf foamed round us, and made a dreadful noise on