Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 2.djvu/293

 mentally adoring the works of the Creator, and my heart sunk within me at my own insignificance, folly, and wickedness.

As we were now running along the shore, looking for our landing-place, and just going to take in the sail, the American captain, who sat close to the man at the helm, seemed attentively watching something on the larboard bow of the boat. In an instant he exclaimed, "Put your helm, my good fellow, port-hard." These words he accompanied with a push of the helm so violent, as almost to throw the man overboard who sat on the larboard quarter. At the same moment, a heavy sea lifted the boat, and sent her many yards beyond, and to the right of a pointed rock, just flush or even with the water, which had eseaped our notice, and which none suspected but the American captain (for these rocks do not shew breakers every minute, if they did they would be easily avoided). On this we should most certainly have been dashed to pieces, had not the danger been seen and avoided