STORM OF TECOANTEPEC. 



and upon consulting the barometer, which 5 in 

 these low latitudes, is seldom of much use, was 

 startled by finding it had fallen considerably. 

 This determined me immediately to shorten sail, 

 but before it could be fully accomplished, there 

 came on a furious gale, which split many of our 

 sails, broke our ropes like cobwebs, and had it 

 not been for great exertions we might have been 

 dismasted. At length we got things put in pro- 

 per trim to withstand the storm, which lasted 

 with unabated violence for two days. During 

 the greater part of the gale the wind was fair, but 

 blowing so hard, and with so mountainous a sea, 

 that we could make no use of it, nor show even 

 the smallest stitch of sail, without its being in- 

 stantly blown to rags. 



The place where we were thus taken by sur- 

 prise was near the top of the Gulf of Tecoante- 

 pec, which lies opposite to that part of the Gulf 

 of Mexico, between Vera Cruz and Campeachy, 

 nearly abreast of the narrowest part of the land ; 

 and about three hundred miles to the eastward of 

 Acapulco. 



On the 8th of March, we anchored in Acapul- 



