104 A VOYAGE TO 



north across our lakes, to supply the vacuum produc- 

 ed by the caloric of the gulf stream. 



Nothing material occurred until the 17th, when 

 about latitude twenty-nine degrees thirty minutes, a 

 severe gale sat in, which lasted forty-eight hours. 

 Storms have been described by so many writers, and 

 so much bettter than I can describe this one, that I 

 think it unnecessary to say any thing further than that 

 the descriptions are much more agreeable than the 

 reality. The spectacle was indeed sublime, but it is 

 probable I should have enjoyed it much more, if there 

 had been less of the terrific. The ship was stripped 

 of her sails, excepting her main-top sail, which was 

 close reefed, and her storm stay sail; her top gallant 

 masts, and her principal yards were lowered, her jib- 

 boom rigged in, and a variety of other precautions 

 were taken, such as housing the guns and carrying 

 the shot below. The ship was then laid to, and rode 

 out the storm with ease and safety. During this un- 

 pleasant time I did not venture on deck, for such was 

 the violence of the wind and the motion of the ship, 

 that it was almost impossible to stand up: even the 

 sailors required the help of ropes stretched along on 

 each side of the ship. The rapidity and order with 

 which every thing was conducted during this time was 

 admirable; there was no noise or bustle among them. 

 Excepting now and then the shrill whistle of the boat- 

 swain, nothing was heard excepting the rushing of the 

 furious element through the shrouds, and the tumbling 

 and roaring of the sea around us. The appearance of 

 the sun and the gradual subsiding of the tempest was 

 a reason of joy to me; but the hardy mariners accus- 

 tomed to all weathers, scarcely considered it a circum- 



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