ROUGH AVEATIIER. 121 



CHAPTER VI. 



Finding, after a short stay, that the ground was 

 deserted both by ships and whales, we pursued our 

 course to the southward, intending to double Cape 

 Leuwin, thence to the eastward, and cruise in the 

 Great Australian Bight. Anticipating heavy weather 

 in those latitudes, our foretopgallant mast was sent 

 down, and the mizzen topmast housed ; and no sooner 

 were we thus far prepared than we caught a heavy 

 gale that exceeded in violence anything of the kind 

 we had experienced during the preceding part of the 

 voyage. It lasted eight or nine days, and as there 

 was an ugly sea running, the ship was almost con- 

 tinually drenched the whole extent of her decks. 

 One night whilst lying-to in the gale, when its vio- 

 lence was at its height, a heavy sea broke over the ves- 

 sel, carrying away part of the starboard bulwarks, and 

 fillins: the bow boat on the larboard side. The davits 

 of the boat were crushed by the weight of the water, 

 and the boat broke down amidships. The decks 

 were deluged, and it was necessary to knock out a 

 part of the lee bulwarks to allow the water to escape. 

 The third officer, who headed the watch, called the 

 first mate, Avho, on coming on deck, hurriedly ran 

 over the members of the watch, when missing one, 

 whose look-out he heard it was, and supposing him to 

 have been on the forecastle at the time the sea was 

 11 



