334 MITCHILL ON THE TERRIBLE SNOW STORM IN 1811. 



damage in some of our other sails and rigging; we scudded for four or 

 five hours, by which time the sea had risen to a most dreadful height; 

 Captain J. was himself four hours at the helm, and one man with him, 

 till he was so bruised with the tiller that he could stand no longer; the 

 mate and another man then took the helm, and about one o'clock a sea 

 struck her on the larboard quarter, which swept the quarter deck 

 entirely, took the boat from the stern, broached the vessel to, and washed 

 Captain J. overboard, who fortunately saved himself by catching a 

 rope, and got on board again; the quarter-boards and bulwarks were 

 all taken off on the starboard side : we then lay to throughout the gale, 

 which continued with unceasing violence for thirty-six hours, by which 

 time we had drifted as far to the eastward as longitude seventy-two de- 

 grees thirty minutes; as soon as the gale abated we put the vessel in as 

 good order as circumstances would permit, and made the best shift we 

 could, having had almost constant head winds ever since, but have at 

 last been so fortunate as to reach Charleston, the wind being still ahead. 

 A. few hours before the gale commenced, spoke ship Jefferson from 

 New- York, bound to Wilmington, (N. C.) and on the 27th spoke her, 

 again. She had suffered very much in the gale by loss of sails, jib 

 boom, &c. and the captain informed that he came very near losing the 

 hip. About half an hour before the gale, passed a schooner standing 

 io the northward ; she must have been taken aback by the squall, and 

 lost, or suffered very much indeed." 



The United States brig Nautilus, Captain Sinclair, suffered extremely 

 in this storm. She lay at Norfolk, and had been ordered to go to New- 

 port, (R. I.) I had seen her commander at Washington a few days 

 before he started. She sailed from Norfolk on the 22d of December, 

 and on the 23d, off Delaware Bay, was met by a snow storm. Its vio- 

 lence was dreadful, so as to throw her into the greatest danger. By 

 12 o'clock at night, as she was lying to, the tempest hove her upon her 



