'Tis a Question With Us, Sir Knight

"We reeled down the english coast, with the wild mid channel in fury on our left and the dim seen ramparts of breakers at the cliff feet on our right. Then as we went the light began to fail us," he writes. "Our weather beaten steersman's face,. which had looked from his place the tiller so calm and steadfast over the war of wind and sea, became troubled and long and anxiously he scanned the endless line of surf that shut us from the many little villages and creeks they were passing." The ship was hit by a great wave 'with thunderous power' - but not two planks remained together.