214 A VOYAGE TO BookVIH. 



always blow with great violence but not always with 

 the fame degree : being lefs ftrong in the beginning 

 than in the depth of winter, when their rage ftrikes 

 the moft reiblute with horror, and raifes fuch enor- 

 mous waves, that the atmofphere is crowded with 

 vapours ; and thefe turn to a drizzling rain, which 

 lafts as long as the ftorm continues. It often happens 

 that thefe violent N. winds, without the leaft fign of 

 an approaching change, fhifts round inftantly to the 

 W. which change is called the travefia, but continues 

 to blow with the fame force. Sometimes indeed this 

 fudden change is indicated by the horizon clearing up 

 a little in that quarter : but in feven or eight minutes 

 lifter the appearance of this fmall gleam of light, a 

 fecond ilorm comes on ; fo tliat when a ihip is labour- 

 ing againft the violence of a ftorm from the N. the 

 greateft care muft be taken, on the leaft appearance, 

 to prepare for the travefia ; indeed its rapidity is often 

 fuch as not to allow time fufficient for making the ne-^ 

 ccffary preparations, and the danger is fuificiently evi^ 

 dent if the (hip has her fails fet, or is lying to. 



In the month of April 1743, in the latitude of 40% 

 I had the misfortune of experiencing the fury of a ftorm 



N. which lailed in its full violence from the 29th of 

 March till the 4th of April. Twice the wind ihifted 

 to th^ travefia, and veering round to the fouthward, 

 returned in a few hours to the N. The firft time it 

 Ihifted to the W. the iliip by the vortices formed in the 

 fea by this fudden opoofition to the courfe of its 

 waves, was fo covered with water from head to ftern, 

 lhat the officers who were on the watch concluded 

 (he had foundered ; but fortunately we had our lar- 

 board tacks on board, and by a fmall motion of the 

 helm, the fhip followed the change of the wind, and 

 brought to without receiving any damage ; whereas 

 we fhould othervv'ife in all probability have been loft, 

 Another circumftance in our favour was, that the 

 wind was fom^ points to the weftward of the N. 



