132 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



mentioned, needed, under the circumstances, the greatest 

 care in their handling. 



Commencing the twenty-second we steered Northward. 

 The weather continued to be somewhat rough and the 

 wind blew from the North and Northwest, bringing with 

 it a good deal of rain; and these northerly winds did not 

 leave us until the twenty-sixth. About noon on this last 

 named date the air clouded visibly and soon after we took 

 occasion to rejoice in a heavy snow fall which in these 

 regions is taken as a good omen for favorable wind, as 

 the North wind brings warmth and rain but no snow 

 with it. 



Our hope had not deceived us as a good South wind 

 came up toward five o 'clock, enabling us to turn N. N. W. 

 This favorable change continued throughout the night 

 and well along Monday morning, thus helping us con- 

 siderably as we had kept full sail all the while. We had 

 also occasion to hail a South Sea hunter but could not 

 understand each other. A snowfall, probably the last 

 one on this journey, changed the atmosphere slightly. 

 Monday, September 29th, was a playday for the winds 

 which seemed to chase each other from and into all direc- 

 tions. The crew made good use of the leisure hours by 

 mending torn sails and replacing the ones that had be- 

 come dangerously storm-beaten. The large mainsail had 

 suffered much and our men worked diligently to make it 

 sea and ship shape. After dark the wind settled once 

 more in the "West and a heavy storm came up. How 

 thankful we were to have repaired our sails, as the wind 

 gave us more and more concern. 



It broke the fore yard (which was fully sixty feet long 

 and eighteen inches thick) in two like a match; this hap- 

 pened about four o'clock in the morning of Tuesday, the 

 thirtieth. The rejiairs thus made imperatively necessary 

 took all day and delayed our progress considerably. We 

 fortunately found in the reserve hatch an old damaged 

 but large yard, which was put into service after having 

 been placed in proper condition by attaching small se- 

 curity planks and winding a strong rope around the weak 



