The sea, swelled by
the violence of the wind, rose higher every moment; and the channel between
this island the Isle of Amber was but one vast sheet of white foam, with
yawning pits of black deep billows. The foam boiling in the gulf was more
than six feet high: and the winds which swept its surface, bore it over the
steep coast more than half a league upon the land. Those innumerable white
flakes, driven horizontally as far as the foot of the mountain, appeared
like snow issuing from the ocean, which was now confounded with the sky.
Thick clouds, of a horrible form, swept along the zenith with the swiftness
of birds, while others appeared motionless as rocks. No spot of azure could
be discerned in the firmament; only a pale yellow gleam displayed the
objects of earth sea, and skies.
"From the violent efforts of the ship, what we dreaded happened. The cables
at the head of the vessel were torn away; it was then held by one anchor
only, and was instantly dashed upon the rocks, at the distance of half a
cable's length from the shore. A general cry of horror issued from the
spectators. Paul rushed towards the sea, when, seizing him by the arm, I
exclaimed, 'Would you perish?'--'Let me go to save her,' cried he, 'or
die!' Seeing that despair deprived him of reason, Domingo and I, in order
to preserve him, fastened a long cord round his waist, and seized hold of
each end.
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