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utmost, and he succeeded in setting up a temporary mast, 

 which enabled Captain Back to keep the head of tlie boat to 

 windward, and we continued to drive before the wind farther 

 and farther out to sea. We had already lightened our little 

 skiff by heaving overboard several casks of provision with 

 which she had been loaded, and it was proposed to run her 

 ashore, but most of the party opposed this, and it was 

 resolved to continue out to sea. The night was dark in the 

 extreme, with tremendous thunder and rain, the billows 

 rolling mountains high, and breaking continually over us, 

 which, added to the severe cold, caused us great suffering. 

 Mr. Douglas became dreadfully ill, and the rest were in so 

 benumbed a state, that it was hardly possible to make the 

 necessary exertion to keep the boat from sinking, which 

 could only be done by relieving her constantly from the 

 water as fast as she filled. I shall never forget the sound of 

 the waves as they approached us : sometimes, by the skill of 

 our steersman, we partly avoided them, but much oftener 

 did they dash over us with tremendous fury, and had two of 

 these billows followed in quick succession, our instant 

 destruction would have been inevitable, but by constant 

 baling we kept the boat afloat. The storm continued 

 without abating during the night, and at break of day we 

 found oui'selves rapidly drifting towards a lee shore. This 

 we avoided by tacking, and we still continued to drive to sea. 

 Towards the middle of the next day, tlie hurricane began to 

 diminish a little in violence, but the sea was still dreadfully 

 agitated, and it was not till the middle of the following night 

 that our oars could be of the smallest service to us. At this 

 time we were entirely out of sight of land, without compass 

 to guide our course ; the sun, too, was not visible. As the 

 storm diminished, the men recovered from their sickness, 

 and the oars were again plied, and with some success, as it 

 afterwards appeared that we had gone to a distance of 60 or 

 70 miles in the Bay. With the aid of the tide and our oars 

 we retraced our way back, and never shall I forget the joy 

 that beamed on every countenance when the masts of the 

 ship were again visible. Previous to this we had felt a return 



