when a similar fate befel the Civet. This was
at two in the afternoon on the 5th, when, the
gale having greatly increased, it was found
impossible to take her in tow again, and three or
four hours later she lost sight of her convoy, and
the crew were left to their own devices.

The gale had by this time increased considerably,
and was blowing very hard indeed; no
time, therefore, was lost in getting her laid to
under very easy canvas. At half-past ten it was
discovered that the ship was leaking, so the
pumps were manned, but had not been working
more than an hour when they became choked.
All hands were then set to work baling with
buckets, but the utmost exertions failed to get
the leak under, and the cause of the leak
remained a mystery. By twelve o'clock the water
had gained so much, that it was washing in
and out of the furnaces, and had thus become so
hot that tubs had to be lashed to the stanchions
in the engine-room and filled with cold water
for the men to stand in while baling. During
this time the ship was labouring so heavily
that it became necessary to lighten her forward,
by throwing overboard the heavy shot
there stowed. By one in the morning two fires
had been put out; but, by dawn, the leak had
been happily discovered, and stopped. In three
hours she had got the water off her chest, and
bore up back again for Plymouth.

Damages having been repaired, the Civet
started again on the 16th of November, escorted
this time by the Thor, and accompanied by two
other gunboats. They had little difficulty in
reaching Madeira on the 30th. During this
short passage one of the Civet's men was taken
ill, and all on board being equally ignorant of
medicine, the commander had to play the part
of the Mock Doctor. In a case of like difficulty,
one gunboat officer, more provident than the
rest, soon after leaving England mixed all his
medicines in a bucket, and then issued to each
man his proportion of the mixture, telling him
that he had there his allowance of the remedies
provided against his probable ailments on the
passage out. This plan seemed to answer as
well as any other. Another officer numbered
his bottles as they stood on the shelf, and
administered them in rotation. Thus, the first
man who fell sick got a dose of number one
bottle, the second got his dose from number two.
One fact can be vouched for—not a single
death occurred from disease on the passage out on
board of any one of the six-and-twenty gunboats
that first and last made the passage. Had
there been six-and-twenty doctors with them,
somebody must have died of physicking.

Having hastily refitted and watered, the
convoy left Madeira on the 2nd of December.
One of the gunboats had been dispatched on
the previous day to try whether she could make
the passage by herself—an experiment which so
far failed that her engines broke down, and the
Thor and Civet came up with her two or three
days after starting. All arrived at Rio Janiero
on the 6th of January.

Having watered, coaled, and refitted we left
on the 11th. While at Rio the sailing qualities
of the Civet were improved by some rough spars
rigged out in every possible position, and setting
on them every awning, boat's sail, and other
canvas that could possibly be got to draw.
On the 17th of February, when at six in the
morning the wind was rapidly increasing, and
the jib was ordered to be stowed, a fine young
fellow went out to perform this duty, when the
ship gave a plunge, and he was washed overboard.
Everything was done that could be done,
for his rescue, but after a four hours'
unsuccessful search, the boat returned.

On the morning of the 21st, the Civet's tiller
was carried away, and on the 24th the gale,
which had been increasing steadily for some
days, rose a very heavy sea; and now the
want of better rigging was found; for every spar
and rope was straining fearfully,  though every
hawser and spare rope in the ship was in use to
secure the masts and yards. At about midnight
(the ship had been all day steered with the
greatest difficulty) she broached to, and a
tremendous sea nearly overwhelmed her. The
night was pitch dark, and we found ourselves
standing breast high in the water, which had
completely filled the ship, not a vestige of the
hull being visible for some minutes except the
black line of her gunwale. This appeared to be
on a level with the water in board and out. The
weather-quarter boat was in splinters, the
davits (strong iron supports by which she was
suspended) were bent back like pieces of wire,
the lee boat was broken in halves, and entirely
drowned. Orders were given to cut her away, and
the men were sent to the pumps to keep them
from doing anything rash. Shortly after the
boat was cut away she gave a sickly roll to
windward, when happily the stern and quarter
ports were forced out by the water, the upper
works abaft were started, and the water thus
having made a vent for itself left the deck
comparatively clear. Happily the hatchways
had been well secured, and little water got
below. Among other things that were washed
overboard were two iron rifle proof plates, weighing
about a hundred-weight each. Only one
other gunboat was with the Civet; the other
and her escort having parted from her a day or
two previously. The gale continued until the
28th, when a week of calm lovely weather
refreshed the men, upon whom exposure and
fatigue were telling seriously.

Then came hard weather again, and one of
the main shrouds was carried away. This was
at once repaired. The chain plates of the
weather fore-rigging (which form the sole lateral
support of the mast) were afterwards broken.
No time was lost in getting the vessel round on
the other tack, and passing chain cables under
her bottom to support the mast. This had
hardly been done, when the foremost plate on
the starboard side parted. Whereupon she had
to be wore, and the shroud secured in a like
manner. These and previous mishaps caused
so much anxiety for the safety of the ship, that
it was determined, at the risk of a long passage,