354 A LEAF FROM A LOG-BOOK. 



the wind hauled ahead, and we had it first light and 

 clear, then strong and cloudy, with showers of rain 

 and thick fog. For the benefit of those who imagine 

 that sailors have but little to do when afloat, I will 

 copy from my log-book the proceedings of several 

 days (whilst in this bafiling weather), verbatim et 

 literatum. 



December l(jt7i. — This day opens with a strong 

 breeze from the eastward, cloudy. At midnight 

 running before it, with maintopgallant sail, fore, and 

 foretopraast studding sails set. At 1 o'clock A. M. 

 the breeze increasing to a gale, we took in the stud- 

 dingsails and topgallantsail ; at three, double-reefed 

 the topsails ; at 6 A. M. the wind hauling forward, 

 loosed and set the mainsail ; at 8, were obliged to 

 furl it ; at 9, shook a reef out of each topsail, and 

 set jib, spanker, and mainsail ; at 11, the wind hauled 

 to the S. S. W., clewed down the topsails and close- 

 reefed them — thus remained for the balance of 

 the day. 



December 17th. — At 1 A. M. shook a reef out of 

 each topsail ; at 4|, struck by a squall that hove her 

 down rail to, hauled up the courses, kept the ship 

 off to haul down the jib, which was done, and furled 

 the sail; then furled the spanker, lufl:ed to, close-reefed 

 the topsails and furled the mainsail amid torrents of 

 rain ; at 3 P. M. furled the foretopsail ; at 6 P. M., 

 after having shipped a sea that filled it full, took in 

 the bowboat ; at 6 J, furled the foresail ; at 7, clewed 

 down the maintopsail, shook out the reefs and reefed 

 it over; at 7|, loosed the foretopsail, shook out the 

 reefs, reefed it over, sheeted it home and set it. 



December 18<A. — At IJ A.M., furled foretopsail; 



