I stood with my arms folded, feeling as glum as ever I did in my life, until their cutter was only a square hickering patch of white among the mists of the morning.

This was, however, fortunately prevented: in a few seconds she reached deeper water and we providentially escaped a danger which had so nearly proved fatal to the vessel and our lives; for had the cutter remained a-ground on the bank during the night the sea was so heavy that there would not have been the least vestige of her the following morning.

The leather cutters and dressers were famous for their skill, as well as workers in linen.

Our loss of anchors was now much felt for no sooner were we under sail than the wind died away; and from the heavy swell the cutter was so ungovernable that the vessel twice missed stays in endeavouring to tack in shoal water; fortunately the water deepened again on standing on, or nothing could have prevented our going on shore.

So far, the cutter and team of which I had robbed Buck Gowdy, had been a benefit to us.

Both Cutter and Poole are Americans.