1812	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	60

sheet anchor at the bows ; but, as she did not drive, that was not let go. The main yard was now swayed outside the topmast, two-thirds up the same ; as the fore-yard and the spring brought on the small bower cable, people were sent on the yards to stop each yard-arm of the topsails and courses with four or five spunyarn stops, tied in a single bow, and to cast off and make up all the gaskets : the people were then called down, except one man to each stop, who received very particular orders to be quick in obeying the commands given them, and to be extremely cautious not to let a sail fall, unless that sail was particularly named : if particular attention were not paid to this order, the ship would be lost. The yards were all braced sharp up for casting from the reef, and making sail on the starboard tack. The tacks and sheets, topsail sheets, and main and mizen-stay-sail halyards were manned, and the spring brought to the capstan and hove in. The captain now told the people, that they were going to work for life or death ; if they were attentive to his orders, and executed them properly, the ship would be saved ; if not, the whole of them would be drowned in five minutes. Things beings in this state of preparation, a little more of the spring was hove in ; the quarter-masters at the wheel and bow received their instructions. The cables were ordered to be cut, which was instantly done ; but the heavy sea on the larboard bow would not let her cast that way. The probability of this had happily been foreseen. The spring broke, and her head paid round in towards the reef. The oldest seaman in the ship at that moment thought all lost. The captain, however, gave his orders very distinctly, to put the helm hard a-starboard, to sheet home the fore-topsail, * and haul on board the fore tack, and aft foresheet, keep all the other sails fast, square the main and mizen topsail yards, and cross jack-yard, keep the main-yard as it was. The moment the wind came abaft the beam, he ordered the mizen-top-sail to be sheeted home, and then the helm to be put hard a-port - when the wind came nearly aft - haul on board the main-tack, aft main-sheet, sheet home the main-topsail, and brace the cross-jack-yard sharp up. When this was done (the whole of which took only two minutes to perform), the ship absolutely flew round from the reef, like a thing scared at the frightful spectacle. The quarter-master was ordered to keep her south, and the captain declared aloud, ' The ship is safe. ' The gaff was down, to prevent its holding wind, and the try-sail was bent ready for hoisting, had it been wanted. The main and mizen staysails were also ready, but were not wanted. The fore-top-mast staysail was hoisted before the cables were cut : thus was the ship got round in less than her own length ; but, in that short distance,

* " The yards were all braced up for the starboard tack : consequently, when she cast the other way, the foresail and foretopsail were set as flat-a-back as they could be ; and they were not altered in bringing her to her course ; the way she was managed it was not necessary.

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