“Well, my friend,” said the Duke, when I returned the paper to him, “has
my presentiment deceived me? have not I done well to urge our
return?--But why do we tarry here? (he added) let us fly to the
harbour!”
The horses were instantly saddled, and we mounted them in our travelling
dress. We rode in full speed, and each of us indulged silently his
sentiments.--The sky was gloomy, and the universal stillness, not
interrupted by the least breeze of air, seemed to presage no good. At
length we fancied, with astonishment, we heard the distant rolling of
thunder; however we soon perceived that it was the echo caused by the
report of guns. The distant firing of cannon, and the forerunners of a
rising tempest, thrilled my heart with chilling anxiety, for I
apprehended the ship must be in great danger. Soon after the firing
ceased, but this calm was more dreadful to me than the report of the
cannon. We spurred our horses, without uttering a word, for neither of
us dared to confess his apprehensions. Being at length arrived at the
sea shore---Heavens! what a scene of horror did we behold! the surge was
dreadful, the cliffs and the strand were covered with a white spume. The
rays of the sun could not penetrate the fog which overspread the surface
of the sea. We could, therefore, not discover the island where the ship
was lying at anchor, it appearing to us in the shape of a black cloud,
which seemed to be a mile distant from the shore. The veil which
concealed the danger of the ship from our eyes only served to augment
our anxiety.
A troop of mariners and soldiers under the command of Men*os, were
arrived with us at the shore. The drums beat, and a general volley was
fired. A flash of lightning darted instantly over the sea, and
immediately after it the report of a gun was heard. We all hastened to
the side where we had perceived the signal, and observed, through the
fog, the body and the main-yard of a large ship. We were so near that we
could hear the whistling and the acclamations of the sailors, in spite
of the roaring of the mountainous billows. The ship’s crew fired a gun
every three minutes, as soon as they perceived that assistance was near.
I admired my friend’s firmness of mind with which he, at a sight that
ought to have rendered him almost distracted, shewed the greatest zeal
to save the crew, ordering a large fire to be lighted on the cliffs, and
boards, cables, empty casks and provisions to be kept in readiness.
An impending hurricane seemed to be lurking in the air. The middle of
the clouds was of a horrid blackness, and their edges were of a copper
colour. The leaves of the trees were moving, and yet not a breath of air
was felt. The cries of the sea fowls, who were resorting to the island
for protection, resounded through the air.
At length we heard suddenly a dreadful roaring, as if foaming torrents
were rushing down from the summit of a lofty mountain, and every one
exclaimed, this is the hurricane! In the same moment a violent whirlwind
removed the foggy veil which had concealed the island from our eyes. We
had now a clear view of the ship; her whole deck was covered with
people, her colours were hoisted, her fore-part was secured by four
anchors, and her stern by one. Her stem opposed the billowing waves
which came roaring from the sea, and was raised so high above the
surface of the water, that one could see her whole keel, while the stern
was almost entirely buried in the foaming billows. The dangerous
situation of the vessel rendered it impossible for her to put out to
sea, or to run on store.
The howling of the wind, and the roaring of the waves, which were
swelling higher every moment, was dreadful. The whole channel between
the island and the shore was a mass of white thick froth, cut through by
black and hollow waves. The appearance of the horizon prognosticated a
long lasting storm. Some waves of a dreadful shape separated from the
main every now and then, and darted with the velocity of lightning
across the channel, while others remained immoveable like enormous
rocks. Not one blue spot could be descried in the firmament; a pale
faint glimmer enlightened heaven, earth and sea.
(_To be continued._)
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