136 STORM INCREASING. 



cold ; the clouds were as thick and dark as ever. An occasional 

 flurry of snow came down, and the scattering raindrops began to 

 freeze as they fell ; it was hard to find standing places where the 

 ground was not frozen and treacherous. The wind had also drifted 

 the snow, into ridges and drifts of uncomfortable depth, though, 

 thank fortune, the cold had hardened the crust so that one could 

 readily walk upon it, could he once gain a foothold ; thus with 

 ice, glare, and drifts it was nearly impossible to face the wind that 

 whistled and blew so terribly. The temperature by this time went 

 rapidly downward, until about dusk it reached i8° above zero, — 

 not very cold for this region, but just in the beginning of winter 

 cold enough to freeze everything liquid that presented its surface 

 to the air. 



The wind continued to blow, fiercely and more fiercely, long 

 after the dark heavy clouds had shut out what glimpses of daylight 

 remained struggling faintly with the approaching night; and we 

 could hear the howling and roaring of the tempest without, as the 

 mingled sissing and whistling of the wind combined with the 

 crashing and the thrashing of the waves against the shores, and the 

 thug ! thug ! of the broadsides of water that fell upon the rocky 

 beach. It was a fearful night. Any other than a strong, well built 

 house would have with difficulty stood against the tempest ; and, 

 beHeve me, there was very little sleeping done that night. 



Monday the 2 2d. The storm is not yet over. We awoke this 

 morning and found the same war of elements to whose music we 

 listened as we sank to sleep last night. I had the pleasure of wit- 

 nessing this morning, and in fact throughout the day, a sight that I 

 shall not probably see again soon. The sea in all its rage and 

 power, lashed by the wind and augmented by the tide, vents its 

 fury upon itself. Huge ridges of wave press forward like an army ; 

 suddenly each end concentrates its waters toward the centre of the 

 ridge and with a grand onward, upward rush sends up a huge mass 

 of spray and white foam which still shoots upward in smaller angry 

 sprays and jets, while the mass of wave below sinks down into the 

 water, or boldly crashes or tumbles over itself as it splashes on 



