Page 140 - The Tigris Expedition

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I had made it clear that nothing was harder on a reed-ship than to be
towed in open sea. The risk was far greater that the short reeds
would be pulled apart by a jerky tow than if they danced free in a
hurricane. Norman and I, the only old-timers left on board, had our
hands on our knives several times, ready to cut the tow-rope if we
felt the bow might be ripped apart. But nothing seemed to happen,
and we fell asleep, dividing the watches on the rudder-oars among
the nine of us left.
How crazy it was to feel the breaking seas hammering against a
reed-ship straight from the bow.

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