Bobert Stevenson, Esq. 201 



" About two o'clock p.m. a great alarm was given throughout the 

 ship, from the effects of a very heavy sea which struck her, and 

 almost filled the waist, pouring down into the berths below, through 

 every chink and crevice of the hatches and sky-lights. From the 

 motion of the vessel being thus suddenly deadened or checked, and 

 from the flowing in of the water above, it is believed there is not an 

 individual on board who did not think, at the moment, that the 

 vessel had foundered and was in the act of sinking. On deck there 

 was only one solitary individual looking out, to give the alarm, 

 in the event of the ship making from her moorings. The seaman 

 on watch continued only two hours ; he had no great-coat or overall 

 of any kind, but was simply dressed in his ordinary jacket and 

 trousers ; his hat was tied iinder his chin with a napkin, and he 

 stood aft the foremast to which he had lashed himself with a gushet or 

 small rope round his waist, to prevent his falling upon deck or being 

 washed overboard. Upon deck everything that was moveable was 

 out of sight, having either been stowed below, previous to the gale, 

 or been washed overboard. Some trifling parts of the quarter boards 

 were damaged by the breach of the sea, and one of the boats upon 

 deck was about one-third full of water, the oyle-hole or drain having 

 been accidentally stopped up, and part of the gunwale had received 

 considerable injury. Although the previous night had been a very 

 restless one, it had not the effect of inducing sleep in the writer's 

 berth on the succeeding one ; for having been so much tossed about 

 in bed during the last thirty hours, he found no easy spot to 

 turn to, and his body was all sore to the touch, which ill accorded 

 with the unyielding materials with which his bed-place was sur- 

 rounded. 



*' This morning about eight o'clock the writer was agreeably sur- 

 prised to see the scuttle of his cabin sky-light removed, and the 

 bright rays of the sun admitted. Although the ship continued to 

 roll excessively, and the sea was still running very high, yet the 

 ordinary business on board seemed to be going forward on deck. It 

 was impossible to steady a telescope, so as to look minutely at the 

 progress of the waves, and trace their breach upon the Bell Kock, 

 but the height to which the cross-running waves rose in sprays, 

 when they met each other, was truly grand, and the continued roar 

 and noise of the sea was very perceptible to the ear. To estimate 

 the height of the sprays at 40 or 50 feet would surely be within 

 the mark. Those of the workmen who were not much afflicted with 

 sea-sickness came upon deck, and the wetness below being dried up, 

 the cabins were again brought into a comfortable state. Every one 

 seemed to meet, as if after a long absence, congratulating his neigh- 

 bour upon the return of good weather. Little could be said as to 

 the comfort of the vessel, but after riding out such a gale, no one 

 felt the least doubt or hesitation as to the safety and good condition 

 of her mooriugft. The master and mate were extremely anxious 



