Voyage across the Pacific. — Split the Main-yard. 277 



Our voyage to the west coast of America was speedy, 

 though rather stormy. Seldom were the heavens clear, and 

 alternately with violent rains, we felt that discomfort arising 

 from constant motion, the result of heavy seas and tremend- 

 ous rolling, to which the voyager is so frequently exposed. 



On 4th April, at night, while shortening sail, owing to the 

 violence of the wind and the threatening aspect of the wea- 

 ther, one of the crew was precipitated from the main-top- 

 gallant-yard, a height of 125 feet above the deck. Being 

 caught as he fell among the shrouds and rigging, he suc- 

 ceeded in catching hold of one, and so with diminished force 

 fell into the main-top, a fall of 69 feet, upon which some of 

 his comrades, going to his assistance, rescued him from further 

 danger, when he was found to have suffered so little, that he 

 returned to duty the following day ! 



On the 11th, without any particularly heavy weather, the 

 main-yard suddenly snapped in two. On a more minute in- 

 vestigation it was found that it had become greatly weakened 

 by dry rot, so much so that it could no longer be used. It 

 was fortunate this took place during ordinary weather, so that 

 the two fragments could be lowered without much difficulty. 

 In a high sea and heavy weather, such an accident is often 

 attended by most lamentable results, for two pieces of timber, 

 each above 40 feet in length, measuring 21 inches at the 

 thickest, by 8 inches at the smallest diameter, and several 

 thousand pounds in weight, can hardly come rattling down 



