I02 THE CALL OF THE SEA 



mysterious sea, with its dark masses and snowy 

 crests rolling terrifically on towards us, a sheet of 

 spray, some hundred yards in length, would dash 

 forward, and all but send me, as it did the little 

 vessel, heeling over to the other side. Turn which 

 way I would, look how I might, be stationary or 

 be moving, it was all the same ; and, no matter 

 what the ship, or what the voyage, or what the 

 skill, or what the advantages possessed, I will say 

 that such an awful night as we had off Cape Horn, 

 and such as hundreds and hundreds similarly ex- 

 perience, is a night as full of darkling terrors, 

 ghostly and real, as any one can possibly conceive. 

 Every sea that came seemed like a huge water- 

 mountain ready to leap upon us ; and though its 

 main body passed beneath our hull, yet in many 

 instances perfect cataracts of water came pouring 

 down upon us and streamed across our decks. 

 Where the men got to I know not ; for I could 

 neither see nor hear them at such particular 

 moments. All I could do, all I thought to do, 

 was to hold my breath, to gaze as if with fasci- 

 nated look, and watch with an all but awful fear 

 hoping that the mighty mass of briny element 

 would pass us scathless or without much damage. 

 And as it passed, with the thunder roar of wind 

 and sea alike sounding in my ear, I stood as if 

 entranced while I pierced the darkness to try and 

 see if all were right and well. But satisfy myself 



