Montevideo to Bahia Blanca
The weather has been tolerably fair for us; but in the evening the breeze was fresh & a good deal of sea. At this time, the situation of the vessel was for a few minutes very dangerous. We came suddenly on a bank where the water was very shoal. It was a startling cry, when the man in the chains sang out, "and a half, two" our bottom was then only two feet from the ground. If we had struck, it is possible we should have gone to the bottom; the long swell of the open ocean would soon dash the strongest timber into pieces.
The weather has been tolerably fair for us; but in the evening the breeze was fresh & a good deal of sea. At this time, the situation of the vessel was for a few minutes very dangerous. We came suddenly on a bank where the water was very shoal. It was a startling cry, when the man in the chains sang out, "and a half, two" our bottom was then only two feet from the ground. If we had struck, it is possible we should have gone to the bottom; the long swell of the open ocean would soon dash the strongest timber into pieces.
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[Note in margin: We have since had reason to believe it was a mistake of the Leadsman]
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It is beautiful to see the quiet calm alertness of the sailors on such occasions. We soon deepened our water, when we altered our course. At present we are riding in a wild anchorage, waiting for the morning.
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