We
found the boat just pulling ashore through the breakers, which were
running high, there having been a heavy fog outside, which, from
some cause or other, always brings on, or precedes a heavy sea.
Liberty-men are privileged from the time they leave the vessel until
they step on board again; so we took our places in the stern sheets,
and were congratulating ourselves upon getting off dry, when a great
comber broke fore and aft the boat, and wet us through and through,
filling the boat half full of water. Having lost her buoyancy by the
weight of the water, she dropped heavily into every sea that struck
her, and by the time we had pulled out of the surf into deep water,
she was but just afloat, and we were up to our knees. By the help of a
small bucket and our hats, we bailed her out, got on board, hoisted
the boats, eat our supper, changed our clothes, gave (as is usual) the
whole history of our day's adventures to those who had staid on board,
and having taken a night-smoke, turned-in. Thus ended our second day's
liberty on shore.
On Monday morning, as an offset to our day's sport, we were all
set to work "tarring down" the rigging.
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