THE GULF. 17 



heard passing out at the bow. The vessel began to 

 change her direction, when suddenly she was brought 

 to again with a jerk, and a cry forward announced that 

 the last bolt of the chain refused to pass through the 

 hawse hole. 



A cold chisel was procured, and while it was em- 

 ployed to cut the iron bolt, all who were aware of the 

 circumstance were inclined to check their breath. Our 

 position was truly one of no ordinary peril, as the strain 

 upon the forward timber threatened to tear it out of the 

 ship, in which case we must instantly have gone down. 



At length the bolt was severed, and the vessel, free 

 from all obstacles, whirled round, and began to fly be- 

 fore the wind. 



Such a wind I had till then never even imagined. 

 The sea was apparently levelled under its pressure ; and 

 far and near seemed like a carpet of driving snow, from 

 the sleet and foam which were raised and hurried along 

 its surface. 



Thus we turned our backs on the shore, and drove 

 hour after hour in storm and darkness into the unknown 

 void before us. 



What appearances there were in the sky I do not 

 know, as our vision was limited to a narrow circle of 

 half a furlong around us ; but if the disorder of the clouds 

 answered that of the waves, there must have been awful 

 doings over our heads. 



The sea, in spite of the tremendous force of the wind 

 which I have alluded to, was not long to be lulled in 

 this unnatural slumber, but began to rise and toss us 

 about in fearful wise ; and yet it was not till we had run 

 under shortened sail for many hours, in a direction which 

 carried us out of all danger of the coast, and we lay to 

 under three-reefed mainsail and trysail, that we felt all 

 the discomfort of our situation. 



By this time the decks, washed by the sea, had been 

 cleared of all lumber. The cocks and hens had been 

 drowned in the coops, the boat had been half staved, the 

 binnacle and compass broken, and all the inhabitants 



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