The first mate did this; and, then, it was found, on hailing Jackson in the main-chains--the sea at present making a breach between us and dividing our forces--that the other sailor was a man named Briggs, who had been ailing for some days past. He had been in his bunk in the forecastle when the ship capsized, so his fate was almost as certain as that of Harry, the mulatto steward. All things considered, though, it was a great mercy, from the sudden nature of the calamity, that so many of us should have been saved. But for the fact of the accident having occurred in the afternoon, when the majority of the hands were fortunately on deck aft, many more lives would undoubtedly have been lost. However, albeit temporarily preserved from the peril of a watery grave, our outlook, clustered there together on the outside of the partly- submerged vessel, was a very sorry one; for, the sea was still running high, and the waves were breaking over us in sheets of foam, and, although the sun was shining down and the air was comparatively warm, this made us feel most uncomfortable. Besides, the continual onslaught of the rolling billows necessitated our holding on to everything we could get a grip of, to prevent ourselves from being washed away. We had to lie along the side of the ship, grasping the mizzen rigging, which attitude was a very wearying one; for, the sea would lift us up as the swell surged by, and then, we had to take a fresh grip, our feet sliding down the hull as the billow retired and the vessel sunk down in the hollow. "I say, Marline," called out the captain presently, "as you are nearest the signal halliards, do you think you can manage to run them clear?" "I'll try, sir," answered the other; and Moggridge, who had now crept alongside the mate, helping him, the two contrived to haul out the rope in question. "Now, who's got a knife handy?" next inquired Captain Miles. There was half a dozen replies to this question; but, ere the article wanted could be passed along, the old boatswain had drawn out his from his waistband by means of the lanyard slung round his neck, and was busily employed in cutting up the signal halliards into short lengths of about a fathom each. "Ah, I see you guessed what I was after," said the captain noticing this. "If we lash ourselves to the rigging here, it will save us a world of exertion and trouble, besides leaving our hands free for other purposes." "Aye, aye, sir, I know'd what you want," responded Moggridge, and passing down the pieces of rope as he cut them off, all of us were pretty soon well secured from being washed away, each man helping to tie up his neighbour in turn. "Golly, massa, dis am a purdicafirment!" ejaculated Jake, grinning as usual, and with his ebony face shining with the spray; "I'se 'gin feel want grub--um precious hungry."