Whenavesselistobelaid-to，herheadisbroughtuptothewindjustsonearlyastofillthesailunderwhichshelieswhenhauledflataft，thatis，whenbroughtdiagonallyacrossthevessel。
Thisbeingdone，thebowspointwithinafewdegreesofthedirectionfromwhichthewindissues，andthewindwardbowofcoursereceivestheshockofthewaves。Inthissituationagoodvesselwillrideoutaveryheavygaleofwindwithoutshippingadropofwater，andwithoutanyfurtherattentionbeingrequisiteonthepartofthecrew。Thehelmisusuallylasheddown，butthisisaltogetherunnecessaryexceptonaccountofthenoiseitmakeswhenloose，fortherudderhasnoeffectuponthevesselwhenlying-to。Indeed，thehelmhadfarbetterbeleftloosethanlashedveryfast，fortherudderisapttobetornoffbyheavyseasiftherebenoroomforthehelmtoplay。Aslongasthesailholds，awellmodelledvesselwillmaintainhersituation，andrideeverysea，asifinstinctwithlifeandreason。Iftheviolenceofthewind，however，shouldtearthesailintopiecesafeatwhichitrequiresaperfecthurricanetoaccomplishunderordinarycircumstances，thereisthenimminentdanger。Thevesselfallsofffromthewind，and，comingbroadsidetothesea，iscompletelyatitsmercy：theonlyresourceinthiscaseistoputherquietlybeforethewind，lettingherscuduntilsomeothersailcanbeset。Somevesselswilllie-toundernosailwhatever，butsucharenottobetrustedatsea。
Buttoreturnfromthisdigression。Ithadneverbeencustomarywiththematetohaveanywatchondeckwhenlying-toinagaleofwind，andthefactthathehadnowone，coupledwiththecircumstanceofthemissingaxesandhandspikes，fullyconvincedusthatthecrewweretoowellonthewatchtobetakenbysurpriseinthemannerPetershadsuggested。Something，however，wastobedone，andthatwithaslittledelayaspracticable，fortherecouldbenodoubtthatasuspicionhavingbeenonceentertainedagainstPeters，hewouldbesacrificedupontheearliestoccasion，andonewouldcertainlybeeitherfoundormadeuponthebreakingofthegale。
AugustusnowsuggestedthatifPeterscouldcontrivetoremove，underanypretext，thepieceofchain-cablewhichlayoverthetrapinthestateroom，wemightpossiblybeabletocomeuponthemunawaresbymeansofthehold；butalittlereflectionconvincedusthatthevesselrolledandpitchedtooviolentlyforanyattemptofthatnature。
BygoodfortuneIatlengthhitupontheideaofworkinguponthesuperstitiousterrorsandguiltyconscienceofthemate。Itwillberememberedthatoneofthecrew，HartmanRogers，haddiedduringthemorning，havingbeenattackedtwodaysbeforewithspasmsafterdrinkingsomespiritsandwater。Petershadexpressedtoushisopinionthatthismanhadbeenpoisonedbythemate，andforthisbeliefhehadreasons，sohesaid，whichwereincontrovertible，butwhichhecouldnotbepre。vailedupontoexplaintous-thiswaywardrefusalbeingonlyinkeepingwithotherpointsofhissingularcharacter。Butwhetherornothehadanybettergroundsforsuspectingthematethanwehadourselves，wewereeasilyledtofallinwithhissuspicion，anddeterminedtoactaccordingly。