OLD WHALING DAYS. 129 



other ships were in sight, which broke the monotony, and 

 made it more cheerful for us, after the stormy weather we 

 had encountered. 



At midnight the barometer suddenly fell very low. The 

 Aurora Borealis was very brilliant, and we were surrounded 

 by coloured vapours. This phenomenon was followed by 

 a very heavy northerly swell, which warned us to prepare for 

 a gale. The sails were securely stowed, except a close- 

 reefed main topsail. Contrary to expectation, it remained 

 calm two days. The tremendous swell caused the ship to 

 roll with the rails under, which made it most uncomfortable. 

 No one could rest in the berths, so hammocks were eagerly 

 sought for. In those days each man provided himself with 

 one. Although we were not caught in the gale, it was very 

 near us. 



The master of one of the ships which we saw afterwards, 

 told me they had encountered a terrific storm, and had a 

 narrow escape of being in collision with an iceberg. To use 

 his own expression, the wind howled like ten thousand cats. 

 The distance between us at the time was only thirty miles. 

 During the day he was a few miles north of us, and had a 

 breeze which carried him into the gale. Moderate winds 

 prevailed four or five days, enabling us to get further to the 

 westward, and we then met with a very heavy gale, which 

 made us lay to under close-reefed main topsail and balance- 

 reefed main trysail. The main .staysail was reefed, and a 

 double sheet rove ; the halyards through a leading block 

 ready for immediate use in case of emergency in heavy 

 weather, especially amongst bergs. This precaution proved 

 our safeguard on the first night of the gale a night to be 

 remembered by everyone who was on deck. The wind was 

 blowing furiously, and the sea running very high, and not a 

 star to be seen in the inky black sky. Thick sleet fell, and 

 the waves broke over our little barque. The watch on deck 

 and myself were lashed in case a heavy sea struck us. An 



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