One of the vessels was the flag-ship, with its admiral on board.
On one of the other vessels was an officer who had years before explored
this harbour. It was the hurricane season. He advised the admiral not to
enter the harbour, for the indications foretold a gale, and himself was
not sure that his chart was in all respects correct, for the harbour had
been hurriedly explored and sounded. But the admiral gave orders, and
they sailed in.
"That day a tremendous hurricane came crying down upon Samoa. It swept
across the island, levelled forests of cocoa palms, battered villages to
pieces, caught that little fleet in the harbour, and played with it in a
horrible madness. To right and left were reefs, behind was the shore,
with a monstrous surf rolling in; before was a narrow passage. One vessel
made its way out--on it was the officer who had surveyed the harbour. In
the open sea there was safety. He brought his vessel down the coast a
little distance, put a rope about him and in the wild surf made for the
shore. I believe he could have been court-martialled for leaving his
ship, but he was a man who had taken a great many risks of one kind and
another in his time.
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