FROM FAFA TO SAY 255 by the whirling foam. She received a tremendous blow, but fortunately did not sink.

But where was the Aube? That was our care now.

She was approaching rapidly, borne on by the current, but the whole pass was blocked before her. She would crash into the Dantec, and both vessels must inevitably be wrecked.

But no ! Clouds of spray dash up over bow and stern alike ; Baudry has flung out the anchor and the grapplingiron : oh that they may grip properly !

Thank God ! They have. The Aube stops short some three hundred yards at least from the Dantec at the brink of the rapid.

But what in the world is up now? The Aube is tilted at an angle of some 45 degrees ! The force of the current is such that it has taken her in the rear and forced her into this extraordinary position, whilst the grappling-chains and those of the anchor are strained to the uttermost, producing the terrifying result described.

I now moored the Davoust to the bank, for we must try to save our other boats.

With regard to the Dantec it was a simple affair enough, for she is a wonderful little craft, answering readily to the helm, and so buoyant that we got off with no worse damage than the bursting asunder of a couple of planks of her bottom. I sent Digui to help the men on board of her, and she got safely through.

The rescue of the Aube was a more difficult matter, especially as her rudder had got broken in the struggle. The anchor was raised all right, but when it came to the grappling-iron we could not make it budge ; it had probably got jammed between two rocks, and all our efforts to move it were in vain, indeed they only seemed to fix it more firmly.

Driven on by the wind and whirled round by the strong