FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 189 



There was a fearful sea going, too, I think the worst I ever saw ; but we 

 did not ship any heavy water before eight o'clock, A. M. Just before that 

 hour I went up in the companion-way and spoke to the man who had the 

 watch, and who was busy aft by the wheel-box clearing the log-line, or some 

 other small gear which had been fouled up by the water washing it about 

 deck. He was standing with his back to the sea, totally unmindful of his 

 danger. As I went below I said to him, "Keep a good lookout for your- 

 self, George ; keep your eye to wind'ard. for there are some nasty seas com- 

 ing along." "All right, skipper, I'll look out for myself," he replied in a 

 cheerful tone. His watch was just out, and the man who succeeded him was 

 nearly ready to go on deck as I went below. 



I had not been in the cabin more than a minute, when a tremendous sea 

 broke on board abaft, or about the main rigging, swept aft with resistless 

 force, knocking the companion-way slide to as though it was struck with 

 a trip-hammer, ripping two boards off of it ; also the bait planks off the 

 house ; and last, and most appalling of all, sweeping the unsuspecting man 

 (George Miller) into the foaming and seething waters astern, so far away as 

 to be beyond the reach of all human aid. A feeling of horror, like an elec- 

 tric shock, passed through me as I heard the roar of the breaking waves 

 and the peculiar swishing sound of the waters rushing across the deck, and 

 I exclaimed to the man who was standing by the steps ready to go on deck, 

 "My God! Silas, I'm afraid that sea has washed George overboard." 

 Reaching up, Silas shoved the slide back, and we both sprang on deck. 

 But what a sight met our eyes ! More than a hundred feet astern and drift- 

 ing with the current, every moment still farther away, we saw the poor fel- 

 low rise to the surface, struggle for a few seconds, and then, buried beneath 

 a huge wave, disappear forever from mortal sight, while the shrieking and 

 howling winds sounded a requiem over his untimely grave. Sad, indeed, 

 were the faces of our crew when it became known that we had lost a man. 



However, we had but little time to indulge in regrets or sorrow, for the 

 gale, which had then increased to a furious hurricane, compelled us to make 

 extra endeavors for the safety of the vessel and our own lives. She hawsed 

 up so badly soon after the event just described, that we were compelled to 

 set the riding-sail to keep her more nearly head to the sea. We reduced 

 the sizf^ of the sail as much as was practicable, by making a "bag reef" in 

 it. This was done by tying up the clew and lashing the bottom hoops to- 

 gether, which being done, we hoisted it up a little before nine o'clock, A. M. 



Shortly after the riding-sail was set, we had a succession of tremendously 

 heavy snow squalls, which blew with a fury I never saw equalled or even 

 approached during an experience of thirty years battling with the Atlantic 

 storms ; while the snow was so dense that, when we were in the hollow of 

 a sea, the top of it could hardly be seen. The Howard quivered and trem- 



