and capsized. We pulled strongly in, and as soon as we felt that
the sea had got hold of us and was carrying us in with the speed
of a race-horse, we threw the oars as far from the boat as we could,
and took hold of the gunwale, ready to spring out and seize her when
she struck, the officer using his utmost strength to keep her stern on.
We were shot up upon the beach like an arrow from a bow, and seizing
the boat, ran her up high and dry, and soon picked up our oars,
and stood by her, ready for the captain to come down.

Finding that the captain did not come immediately, we put our oars
in the boat, and leaving one to watch it, walked about the beach to
see what we could, of the place. The beach is nearly a mile in
length between the two points, and of smooth sand. We had taken
the only good landing-place, which is in the middle; it being
more stony toward the ends. It is about twenty yards in width
from high-water mark to a slight bank at which the soil begins,
and so hard that it is a favorite place for running horses.
It was growing dark, so that we could just distinguish the dim
outlines of the two vessels in the offing; and the great seas
were rolling in, in regular lines, growing larger and larger as
they approached the shore, and hanging over the beach upon which
they were to break, when their tops would curl over and turn white
with foam, and, beginning at one extreme of the line, break rapidly
to the other, as a long card-house falls when the children knock
down the cards at one end. The Sandwich Islanders, in the mean time,
had turned their boat round, and ran her down into the water, and were
loading her with hides and tallow. As this was the work in which we
were soon to be engaged, we looked on with some curiosity. They ran
the boat into the water so far that every large sea might float her,
and two of them, with their trowsers rolled up, stood by the bows,