gravity of the cargo would be too far below the centre of the ship’s displacement, and hence when a wave struck the vessel’s side she would, after heeling over, recover her perpendicular so suddenly that a severe jerk would be the result. The other ship, having the centre of gravity of the cargo too high, would roll too easily and would be so slow in starting to recover herself that her decks would be flooded from the lee side, and if there were places where the water could go below, no human aid or skill could keep her afloat, unless she could at once be brought up head to wind and sea. The latter movement would, of course, be an impossibility in the case of a sailing ship—or a steamer with weakened power—so rigged that she could not set after canvas. Anything beyond smooth water and a light breeze will put a “lame” ship in peril at sea, and little or nothing can be done by the people on board to help her; but a good, sea-worthy ship, even in very bad weather, may give time for skill and courage to do much. As an instance in point I have much pleasure in relating the following incident:— In 1890 the ship _Enterkin_, commanded by Captain James Logan, who, by the way, was a schoolboy with me, and in after years we were both together “before the mast,” was on her passage from England to Melbourne with 2,500 tons of steel rails for the Victorian Government. The ship had got nearly as far along as Cape Leuwin when she experienced a heavy gale which, through bad stowage in port, shifted the cargo and threw the vessel on her beam ends. After some trouble the _Enterkin_ was put round on the other tack, but this did no good for the cargo shifted again, and the ship lay down just as bad on her other side. She was then put away before the wind, and whilst running along in her crippled state Captain Logan, with great presence of mind, caused all the wooden upper spars to be sent down from aloft. These spars, top-gallant and royal masts with their respective yards, were, together with all the spare ones on deck, sawn into short chunks. Watching chances between the rolls these chunks were thrown down the hatchways amongst the rails, and thus the cargo was wedged up enough to enable the ship to run back to Mauritius, where the rails were re-stowed and the _Enterkin_ made all “atanto” again. Afterwards she brought her cargo safely to Melbourne, and loaded up for England. When she reached there the insurance agents were so well pleased at the captain’s conduct that they forwarded a cheque for £300 as a slight token of appreciation. This sum, I may add, Captain Logan divided amongst all hands, from the smallest boy upward, as he considered all were entitled to share as well as himself.