I Had Been On The Look-Out For A Moment To Jump Below And Clap On
A Thick Jacket And
South-wester; but when we got on deck we found
that eight bells had been struck, and the other watch
Gone below,
so that there were two hours of dog watch for us, and a plenty of
work to do. It had now set in for a steady gale from the south-west;
but we were not yet far enough to the southward to make a fair wind
of it, for we must give Terra del Fuego a wide berth. The decks
were covered with snow, and there was a constant driving of sleet.
In fact, Cape Horn had set in with good earnest. In the midst of
all this, and before it became dark, we had all the studding-sails
to make up and stow away, and then to lay aloft and rig in all the
booms, fore and aft, and coil away the tacks, sheets, and halyards.
This was pretty tough work for four or five hands, in the face of
a gale which almost took us off the yards, and with ropes so stiff
with ice that it was almost impossible to bend them. I was nearly
half an hour out on the end of the fore yard, trying to coil away
and stop down the topmast studding-sail tack and lower halyards.
It was after dark when we got through, and we were not a little
pleased to hear four bells struck, which sent us below for two
hours, and gave us each a pot of hot tea with our cold beef and
bread, and, what was better yet, a suit of thick, dry clothing,
fitted for the weather, in place of our thin clothes, which were
wet through and now frozen stiff.
This sudden turn, for which we were so little prepared, was as
unacceptable to me as to any of the rest; for I had been troubled
for several days with a slight tooth-ache, and this cold weather,
and wetting and freezing, were not the best things in the world
for it.
I soon found that it was getting strong hold, and running over all
parts of my face; and before the watch was out I went aft to the
mate, who had charge of the medicine-chest, to get something for it.
But the chest showed like the end of a long voyage, for there was
nothing that would answer but a few drops of laudanum, which must
be saved for any emergency; so I had only to bear the pain as well
as I could.
When we went on deck at eight bells, it had stopped snowing, and
there were a few stars out, but the clouds were still black, and it
was blowing a steady gale. Just before midnight, I went aloft and
sent down the mizen royal yard, and had the good luck to do it to
the satisfaction of the mate, who said it was done "out of hand
and ship-shape." The next four hours below were but little relief
to me, for I lay awake in my berth, the whole time, from the pain
in my face, and heard every bell strike, and, at four o'clock,
turned out with the watch, feeling little spirit for the hard
duties of the day.
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