The Next Morning The Gale Abated, And Was Succeeded By A Few Hours Calm;
After That A Breeze Sprang Up At N.W., With Which We Weighed And Ran Up
Into Ship Cove, Where We Did Not Find The Adventure, As Was Expected.
[1] "The water in Dr Lind's wind-gage was depressed 8-10ths of an inch
at times." - W.
"Though we were situated under the lee of a high and mountainous
coast, yet the waves rose to a vast height, ran prodigiously long, and
were dispersed into vapour as they broke by the violence of the storm.
The whole surface of the sea was by this means rendered hazy, and as
the sun shone out in a cloudless sky, the white foam was perfectly
dazzling. The fury of the wind still increased so as to tear to pieces
the only sail which we had hitherto dared to shew, and we rolled about
at the mercy of the waves, frequently shipping great quantities of
water, which fell with prodigious force on the decks, and broke all
that stood in the way. The continual strain slackened all the rigging
and ropes in the ship, and loosened every thing, insomuch that it
gradually gave way, and presented to our eyes a general scene of
confusion. In one of the deepest rolls the arm-chest on the quarter-
deck was torn out of its place and overset, leaning against the rails
to leeward. A young gentleman, Mr Hood, who happened to be just then
to leeward of it, providentially escaped by bending down when he saw
the chest falling, so as to remain unhurt in the angle which it formed
with the rail. The confusion of the elements did not scare every bird
away from us: From time to time a black shearwater hovered over the
ruffled surface of the sea, and artfully withstood the force of the
tempest, by keeping under the lee of the high tops of the waves. The
aspect of the ocean was at once magnificent and terrific: Now on the
summit of a broad and heavy billow, we overlooked an immeasurable
expanse of sea, furrowed into numberless deep channels: Now, on a
sudden, the wave broke under us, and we plunged into a deep and dreary
valley, whilst a fresh mountain rose to windward with a foaming crest,
and threatened to overwhelm us. The night coming on was not without
new horrors, especially for those who had not been bred up to a
seafaring life. In the captain's cabin, the windows were taken out and
replaced by the dead-lights, to guard against the intrusion of the
waves in wearing the ship. This operation disturbed from its retreat a
scorpion, which had lain concealed in a chink, and was probably
brought on board with fruit from the islands. Our friend Maheine
assured us that it was harmless, but its appearance alone was horrid
enough to fill the mind with apprehensions. In the other cabins the
beds were perfectly soaked in water, whilst the tremendous roar of the
waves, the creaking of the timbers, and the rolling motion, deprived
us of all hopes of repose.
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