THE VOYAGE OF THE HASSLER 135 



March 9 

 I LEFT you on Thursday, just after we had rounded 

 the point of San Mathias Gulf and river, keeping on 

 our southern course again. We had a fine day and be- 

 ing nearly out of the "Pampiro" region began to flatter 

 ourselves we had escaped, but the sun went down in 

 magnificent clouds which the Captain said were full 

 of wind and looked risky. The whole evening the 

 lightning was superb with chains of electricity from 

 cloud to cloud and down into the ocean. Still the 

 night was still as sleep and the water almost without 

 a ripple. At about ten o'clock with the force of a hur- 

 ricane and the suddenness of lightning, the land wind 

 struck the ship. After that there was little sleep for 

 any one; everything (in sailor's parlance) that could 

 "fetch away" "fetched away"; among other things 

 my bed, which as Helen and Sallie will remember 

 was clamped with an iron bar to the inner one, 

 worked itself loose and I found myself adrift. I 

 jumped on to the inner bed, and there I remained 

 blockaded calling for help. Finding no one heard in 

 the noise of the storm I climbed over it and called to 

 the carpenter to make all fast. At last I was settled. 

 Towards morning the row abated, and we got a 

 nap. We waked to fine weather though a very rough 

 sea and came out to hear the funny adventures of 

 the night — upsetting of water-pitchers, drenching 

 of beds, smashing of crockery, etc., — but we came 

 through safe and sound, no harm done and have seen 

 the elephant in the shape of a "Pampiro"; once is 

 enough. I don't appreciate the grandeur of storms at 



