150 STOKMS AND FOGS PREVALENT ON THE COAST. 



by the wind at first blowing from the south-west 

 with the greatest intensity from eight to twelve 

 liours, and then, shifting to the opposite point of the 

 compass, we would have a second edition of about 

 the same duration ; the north-easterly gusts being 

 always accompanied with torrents of rain, unequalled 

 in violence by any I ever saw elsewhere. This weather 

 would sometimes last for weeks without an interval 

 of a pleasant day, and then be followed by a thick 

 mist, which enveloped everything for five or six days 

 more; thus precluding the possibility of whaling or the 

 performance of other duties. Some idea of this miser- 

 able weather maybe formed, when I state that during 

 the four months we continued on the coast we were 

 hove-to for fifty-eight days, and at least half as many 

 more we were prevented from whaling by the density 

 of the fog. "Whenever our barometer foretold such 

 weather, we shortened sail, until we had nothing 

 spread but a close-reefed main topsail, main spencer, 

 and foretopraast staj'sail : with this canvass we gene- 

 rally managed to sweat it out; although on two 

 occasions we found even this sail too much, and were 

 compelled to clew up the main topsail, and heave the 

 ship to under the main spencer. On another occasion 

 we heard a clap, like the discharge of a gun, and, 

 hurrying forward, we found our foretopmast staysail 

 blown into shreds. 



Of course, little was to be done whilst Boreas was 

 giving vent to his wrath in this turbulent manner. 

 During the watches on deck it was really as much 

 as one could do to look out for himself. Then there 

 was the rigging to keep in repair, preventer-topsail 

 braces to shift and reeve, besides taking in and putting 



