THE BE AC, LI'. CHANNEL 



229 



CDiiipcllcd lis to shorU'ii sail and stand out to sea. '1 lu; surf 

 was brcakin[^ fcarfull)- 011 tli<j coast, ani.1 tlic spray was carried 

 owr a cliff cstimatctl at 200 feet in liciLjht. On the I2tli tlic 

 Ljale \\'as \er\- heavy, ''ind we ch'd not l^iiow cxactl)' whei'e wo 

 were; it was a most unpleasant sound to hi/ar coiistantl)' 

 repcatetl, " Kccj) a !_;ood Inokout to leeward." On the 13th 

 tlic .storm raL;ed with its lull lur)- ; our hiaazon was narrowl)' 

 limited by tlic sheets of spi'a)- hnrne b\' the wind. The sea 

 looked ominous, like a dre.u')' wa\ in;^" [ilain with [latches of 

 ilriltcil snow; whilst the ship laboured hca\ il\-, the albatross 



.v.\ ^^fe. ^\\^-^^t/ '"^ "* ^^W; 



:w^. 



^^^-^ ..v^#?%^-^: 



I;AU WEATIII-.K, ^).\r.|iLLAN STRAITS 



glided \\'ith its expanded wings right up the wind. At nrion a 

 great sea broke o\-er us, and filled one of the whale-boats, which 

 was obliged to be instantly cut awa)-. Hie poor JltOi^ii' 

 trembled at the shock, and for a few minutes would ncit obe\- 

 her helm ; but scjon, like a good ship that she was, she riglited 

 and came up to the wind again. J lad another sea follnwed the 

 first, our late would lia\-e jjcen decided soon, and ha- e\ei'. 

 We had now been twenty-lour da)-s trN,'ing in \,iin tn get west- 

 ward ; the men were worn out with fitiguc, and the_\' had nut 

 had for many nights or da_\-s a drs' thing to put on. Captain 

 Fitz Ro)' ga\e up the attempt to gel westwanl b)" the laitside 

 cfjast. In the exening we ran in behind haUi- ('a|)e ilmii.and 



