A Heavy
Cross Sea Was Running, Which Gave The Little Brig Another Opportunity Of
Displaying Her Good Qualities.
On the 28th at noon she was in 38 degrees
54 minutes south, and towards evening on the following
Day she
encountered a heavy gale which obliged her commander to heave her to.
Violent gusts with showers of sleet blew continually, and the seas were
so heavy that often in striking the bow they threw the ship so far over
as "to expose her beam." A drag-sail was then used in order to steady
her, and it answered remarkably well. The fore-top-sail yard was also got
on deck and eased the ship wonderfully; fortunately little water was
shipped, as, owing to her small draught and flat bottom, she rose like a
piece of cork on the top of every wave.
On November 1st, in accordance with expectations, the island of Amsterdam
was sighted. The Lady Nelson steered a lonely course along its high,
inaccessible shores, and beyond seeing that it was covered with grass,
those on board could observe little. A flagstaff with a flag flying came
into view, but not a single human being could be seen through the
telescope, although a party of sealers was known to visit the place
frequently. As the ship left the coast a boat's thwart with a piece of
rope wound round it was observed floating in the water, and its presence
caused some curiosity on board. Within the next few days a shoal of
whales known to sailors as the Right whale was sighted, and later in the
month several other whales of various species with two threshers at work
upon one of them were seen.
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