mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i3-051

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western cape. Toward noon we got to the middle one project-
ing at a blunt angle into the sea, and were in the curve of
the shore extending between it and East Cape. This was about
three o'clock in the afternoon, and then, an already rather
brisk wind started to increase. The captain, fearing that
we would be pushed against the shore, ordered us to proceed
close-hauled, but the high seas threw us off, and the drift-
ing was so strong with reefed topsails that the impossibility
of maneuvering was obvious. It was necessary to add canvas
or we were done for. We put up topsails to relieve the strain
on the shrouds, left the topsails reefed in two rows, put on
the topgallant sails, and put up the fore and mainsails. With
such wind, this amount of sail produced the desired effect,
the sloop started moving, and with its build and the high
seas, almost incredible: we were going five knots. The topmasts
bent like small twigs and we feared that they might
break despite the precautions taken by us. The sloop lay completely
on its beam ends. In this manner we spent two and a
half hours between fear and hope. Finally, we reached a point
from which it was possible to change course, ported the helm,
braced the yards, clewed up the mainsail, and the sloop, as if
sensing its dangerous position, inclined leeward, escaping the
point of danger and flew southeast. Hiding from the heavy
seas behind East Cape, we removed the topgallant sails, clewed
up the foresails, and directed our course to St. Matthew Island,
not having any hope of executing the given commission