HEAVY GALE. 137 



sure) it was agreed that we had never seen two is-24. 

 such dehghtful days as the past^ since lea\'ing October. 

 England. And now the homeward passage 

 appeared of easy accomplishment, and plans 

 were arranged as to what we should do on our 

 arrival in England at the expiration of three 

 weeks ; a fair period to allow for our crossing 

 the Atlantic, as north-westerly -winds have 

 always been found to prevail at this season of 

 the year. We were, however, fated to meet 

 with still farther inconveniences, and to expe- 

 rience another convincing proof, that the order 

 of the seasons and winds had been strangely 

 changed during this autumn. 



The weather was fine until the evening of 

 the 4th, when a heavy gale set in from the 

 southward, and a long Atlantic swell quickly 

 arose. There was not the slightest abatement 

 of the gale for many days, and the horizon 

 was alwavs obscui'ed, so that we remained in 

 ignorance as to whether any pack or berg was 

 lying to leeward of us. and our suspense day 

 and night was very painful, for to see ice in 

 such weather, was only a prelude to being 

 wrecked upon it. 



On the r2th a ship hove in sight and bore 

 down to us ; she proved, on hailing, to be the 

 Phoenix whaler, of Whitby, and informed us 



