Always strong enough for duty .-- Hum! worthy of Nelson; said pretty much the same, didn't he?
something about duty I know it was, and always thought it uncommon fine .-- Now, then, what can you tell me about this business ?" It was a sad story; but no sadder than hundreds beside.

They had been struck by the gale to the westward two days before, with the wind south; had lost their foretopmast and boltsprit, and become all but unmanageable; had tried during a lull to rig a jury-mast, but were prevented by the gale, which burst on them with fresh fury from the south-west, with very heavy rain and fog; had passed a light in the night, which they took for Scilly, but which must have been the Longships; had still fancied that they were safe, running up Channel with a wide berth, when, about sunset, the gale had chopped again to north-west;--and Tom knew no more.

"I was standing on the poop with the captain about ten o'clock.

The last words he said to me were,--'If this lasts, we shall see Brest harbour to-morrow,' when she struck, and stopped dead.

I was chucked clean off the poop, and nearly overboard; but brought up in the mizen rigging.