THE WEATHER. 123 



from whence it dropped for many hours after i834. 

 we had ceased to take the seas over all. The Sept. 

 lower-deck had not now been dry for three 

 weeks, and was in a most unwholesome state ; 

 but we were quite unable to remedy this^ for 

 the hatches were of necessity always battened 

 down, and when that w^as the case the galley- 

 fire Avould not draw. Silvester's stove might, 

 indeed, have been of some use, but we could 

 not try its effect, as the square of the main- 

 hatchway, the space in front of the stove, and 

 even its warm air-chamber, were still crowded 

 with small stores, which we had not room to 

 stow elsewhere. With all these discomforts, 

 nothing could equal the patience and good 

 conduct of my men, who bore all their recent 

 reverses with admirable fortitude. 



The gale continued all night, but a most 

 alarming sea, or '^ race," arose at midnight, 

 caused, in all probability, by the conflux of the 

 tides of the Welcome and that from Hudson's 

 Strait, and which, on the 29th August, had 

 been experienced while the ship was in her 

 present position, in an equally dangerous de- 

 gree. The sea had no decided set, but pitched 

 " up and down," notwithstanding the violence 

 of the wind, and it frequently happened that 

 we shipped four seas at the same time, one 



