ERROR OF OUR CHRONOMETER. 893 



the absence of sun, moon, and stars, we had nothing 

 by which to ascertain our whereabouts. At noon 

 we spoke the brig Pilotfish, of Boston, and found 

 that by her reckoning we were fifty miles farther to 

 the westward than what our chronometer gave it ; 

 however, we felt pretty well satisfied as to our own 

 correctness until night, when we shortened sail, 

 (which throughout the day we had carried to the 

 extent of the vessel's ability,) and luffed to the wind, 

 hove the lead, and sounded with the deep-sea line. 

 At the same time the gale increased to a hurricane, 

 and, as we could not see a ship's length ahead, we 

 were compelled, sorely against our inclinations, to 

 heave the ship to for the night. 



At 3 o'clock A. M. the next morning we all at 

 once felt a change in the atmosphere, and, on inqui- 

 ring the cause, found that the wind had hauled to 

 the westward. A few minutes afterward the fleecy 

 scud drove rapidly to the leeward, and the wind 

 from the southwest bore down on us with extreme 

 violence. But not too violent for us. Oh, no ! It 

 was hailed with delight. It was fair and strong; 

 and, although we could show only close-reefed top- 

 sails and foresail to it, we bowled away, with it on 

 our quarter, at the rate of twelve knots an hour. 

 As we gradually neared the land we saw a number 

 of small coasting-crafts laying-to, with the water 

 sweeping over them — they not venturing to run in 

 such weather. Of these we spoke several, and ascer- 

 tained from them the bearings of Montauk Point. 

 We found now that our chronometer was indeed 

 wrong, and that had we depended upon it we would 

 most likely have been by this time high and dry on 



