124 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



warning or sign, another tornado struck us, coming from 

 South-Southwest with such violence that even the most 

 inexperienced of our passengers marveled that our masts 

 were not carried away; even the captain himself had ex- 

 pected it. 



As already mentioned this storm caught us at a time 

 when there was absolutely no preparation made to meet 

 it as it came unexpectedly; the barometer did not even 

 fall until we were in the midst of it, when it went down 

 to 25" 2'".— No wonder then that all our sails were set 

 at the time the storm so suddenly broke on us. It was 

 only possible to fasten and secure the sails by the most 

 strenuous efforts of the captain and crew which were 

 greatly hindered by the thick snowstorm and constant 

 motion of the ship. But they succeeded in fastening the 

 top-jib and foremast-sails, though every one of them 

 was more or less damaged or torn. The main sail, how- 

 ever, was doomed. While it still stood the tornado grew 

 fiercer and fiercer and there was danger in every mo- 

 ment's delay; but our captain dared not give the 

 order which was to have saved the beautiful sail made 

 of nearly fifteen hundred square feet of heaviest, 

 strongest sail cloth. All remonstration, all begging 

 proved fruitless. Nobody was willing to risk his life 

 to the imminent danger — for such it seemed. At last 

 there came forth three volunteers in the persons of our 

 sail maker, cook and ship's carpenter— three men, every 

 one of whom had already passed his thirty-fifth year and 

 was a true specimen of a South Sea sailor— these men 

 were ready to risk the hazardous undertaking. They 

 were just going along the main yard, slowly and cau- 

 tiously, when we heard a terrific noise, something like 

 the firing of a cannon. The storm had torn the brand 

 new sail. The carpenter retired, but the cook and the 

 sail maker undertook courageously to save at least part 

 of the cloth; but what could have been accomplished even 

 by the fist of a Hercules under such circumstances? Rag 

 after rag tore away from the beautiful sail and in a quar- 

 ter of an hour there was nothing left except a few tatters, 



