Gardiner well knew he was on the most dangerous part of the whole American coast, in one sense, at least.  The capacious sounds that spread themselves within the long beaches of sand were almost as difficult of navigation as any shoals to the northward; yet would he gladly have been in one in preference to clawing off breakers on their outside.  As between the two schooners, the Vineyard-men had rather the best of it, being near a cable’s length to windward, and so much further removed from destruction.  The difference, however, was of no great account in the event of the gale continuing, escape being utterly impossible for either in that case.  So critical was the situation of both craft becoming, indeed, that neither could now afford to yield a single fathom of the ground she held.

All eyes were soon looking for the inlet, it having been determined to keep the Sea Lion, of Oyster Pond, away for it, should it appear to leeward, under circumstances that would allow of her reaching it.  The line of breakers was now very distinctly visible, and each minute did it not only appear to be, but it was in fact nearer and nearer.  Anchors were cleared away, and ranges of cable over-hauled, anchoring being an expedient that a seaman felt bound to resort to, previously to going ashore, though it would be with very little hope of ground-tackles holding.

The schooner had been described by Hazard as ‘jumping’ into the sea.  This expression is not a bad one, as applied to small vessels in short seas, and it was particularly apt on this occasion.  Although constructed with great care forward as to buoyancy, this vessel made plunges into the waves she met that nearly buried her; and, once or twice, the shocks were so great, that those on board her could with difficulty persuade themselves they had not struck the bottom.  The lead, nevertheless, still gave water sufficient, though it was shoaling fast, and with a most ominous regularity.  Such was the actual state of things when the schooner made one of her mad plunges, and was met by a force that seemed to check her forward movement as effectually as if she had hit a rock.  The main-mast was a good spar in some respects, but it wanted wood.  An inch or two more in diameter might have saved it; but the deacon had been induced to buy it to save his money, though remonstrated with at the time.  This spar now snapped in two, a few feet from the deck, and falling to leeward, it dragged after it the head of the foremast, leaving the Sea Lion, of Oyster Pond, actually in a worse situation, just at that moment, than if she had no spars at all.

Roswell Gardiner now appeared in a new character.  Hitherto he had been silent, but observant:  issuing his orders in a way not to excite the men, and with an air of unconcern that really had the effect to mislead most of them on the subject of his estimate of the danger they were in.  Concealment, however, was no longer possible, and our young master came out as active as circumstances required, foremost in every exertion, and issuing his orders amid the gale trumpet-tongued.  His manner, so full of animation, resolution and exertion, probably prevented despair from getting the ascendancy at that important moment.  He was nobly sustained by both his mates:  and three or four of the older seamen now showed themselves men to be relied on to the last.