42 Our North Land. 



not much concern themselves with the prospect of the night. They 

 were too much occupied with their own wretched condition. Mean- 

 while the conduct of the vessel became worse, and, now and then, 

 great seas were breaking with a smashing sound over the starboard 

 bow. The waves ran very high, very uneven, and furious withal ; 

 but our ship fought them bravely, not, however, without much 

 groaning, and creaking and trembling. At one moment she was 

 thrown violently on her side with a heavy sea pouring and dashing 

 across her decks. She received the blow quietly, then shook, as 

 with anger, and, mounting the swell, rode in majesty out of the 

 trough upon the long waves. But these triumphs were ever des- 

 tined to be of momentary duration ; again and again was she 

 pelted, and dashed and thrown by the sea, and again and again she 

 came forth, trembling and shaking and groaning, but in the power 

 of a conqueror. 



But, while the Neptune was fighting and conquering the waves, 

 she was utterly regardless of her passengers and the movable objects 

 on board. Everything not stationery was sliding and slamming and 

 knocking about the cabin, pantry and state-room floors in a terrific 

 pandemonium. Sea-sick expeditionists were forced to brace them- 

 selves in their berths in order not to be thrown out upon the floor. 

 Sick cans were tossed from their places and upset, and thrown into 

 and out of the beds. The dishes in the pantry seemed to be in a 

 promiscuous heap, dashing about the floor and against the walls. 

 In short, every movable thing was in aggravated motion, beating 

 against the floors, walls, and striking against each other. The wind 

 was terrific, the waves relentless, the night wretched, the men dis- 

 heartened, and the seamen angry ; but on, or rather up and down, 

 and sideways, we rode, pitching and rolling, and rising and falling, 

 shaking and trembling and groaning, while without, the noise of 

 the elements added a doleful, surging, moaning, wailing sound. We 

 were simply rolled and pitched about all night, intensely sick, 

 intensely blue, and intensely out of patience. 



