Wishing to go to St. Johns, I watched every opportunity to work my passage. This I could find no means of doing until some time in July, when I was offered the berth of chief mate on board the Ashburton, Capt. Poole, bound thither. The Ashburton was a splendid ship of 1009 tons register, built for either passengers or freight. All things ready, we left our moorings the 18th of July, with sixteen passengers, and cargo of dry goods, iron, &c. Proceeded down the Mersey, and stood across to the Irish shore, made the hill of Howth. The wind blowing a double reefed top-sail breeze from the southwest, and every moment freshening, we hauled up and stowed our main-sail; tacked and stood back to the English coast. Sighted the Calf-of-man at midnight. Finding we made no progress, and the wind still increasing, we close reefed the fore and mizzen top-sails, and double reefed the main top-sails. At three, the next day, the Captain thought best to square away, and stand northwest towards the North Channel; which course we ran about six hours, then hauled our wind N. N. E. till midnight, and stood N. N. W. During this time I was below: coming on deck at half past twelve, found the Captain had been on deck all night. On learning that, at nine o'clock, the Calf-of-man bore E. S. E. four leagues distant, and since that time we had been bearing northwest, I was fully persuaded all was not right, and went aft into the poop, where the Captain was walking with a thoughtful expression of countenance. The rain was at this time falling in torrents. [291] [292] WRECK OF THE ASHBURTON ON THE COAST OF IRELAND. [293] I told the Captain we were close in upon the Irish shore. With a sneering laugh he replied, "We are far enough from Ireland, and we must still haul our course a little to the westward." I turned away and went forward, biting my lips through indignation at his proceedings. Knowing him to be a skillful navigator, I immediately made up my mind that it was his intention to run the ship upon the rocks, regardless of his own life and also the lives of his crew and passengers, in order to get the insurance, as she was insured for double her real value. Putting a man on the lookout, I went aft again and told the captain we should be on the rocks in a few moments, if the ship was not hauled to the eastward. He forced a smile, and attempted to laugh me out of the idea I held with respect to our situation. I told him it was his privilege to laugh if he chose, but it would be no laughing affair for the crew and passengers to go on the rocks, as we certainly should, unless we stood to the eastward. At that moment, he seeing a little light on our starboard bow, exclaimed: "All right! Port Patrick light; we must haul to the westward!"