1846.] DELIVERANCE. 219 



I think there were but few who did not internally send 

 up a fervent prayer to " Him who rules the storm " for our 

 merciful deliverance. The moments were awful ; safety, or 

 probably more serious thoughts, seemed to paralyse con- 

 versation. We remained at our posts anxiously, and almost 

 silently, awaiting dawn. The gusts were fearfully heavy, 

 and good sea-boat as the ' Samarang ' had always proved 

 herself, still she writhed under it, and owing to her lee 

 ports being open, lashing the water fore and aft, with a 

 most disheartening noise. With the dawn, measures were 

 taken for repairing defects, clearing the holds of the water 

 shipped down the hatchways, and lightening the ship of 

 all top hamper. About 8 o'clock we noticed a schooner 

 on our lee bow, on which we should inevitably have fallen 

 had it not been daylight. Setting our fore storm stay- 

 sail, we gathered sufficient steerage way to pass under 

 her lee, and thus saved both from much anxiety. As we 

 passed close to her we looked for some tokens of life, and 

 although it was very evident, from her canvas, that she 

 was properly handled, not a soul was noticed on her 

 decks, even at her helm ; it is probable, therefore, that 

 her helm had been lashed a-lee, and the helmsman gone 

 below to the cabin to report our motions. She subse- 

 quently proved to be one of the Mediterranean fruit 

 vessels. 



Less than twenty-four hours had elapsed, from the rising of 

 this gale, when we experienced a foul wind succeeded by 

 calm, with all the concomitant disagreeables of tumbling 

 about, and heavy flapping of the sails, a sensation parti- 

 cularly harassing to any one who feels for his craft, and 

 to those who are not actively occupied, tedious beyond 



