A TERRIBLE STORM. 



Dampier's description of this storm is graphic and quaint. 

 "The sky looked very black," he writes, " being covered with 

 dark clouds. The winds blew hard and the seas ran high. The 

 sea was already roaring in a white foam about us, — a dark night 

 coming on, and no land in sight to shelter us, and our little ark 

 in danger to be swallowed by every wa ve ; and, what was worst of 

 all, none of us thought ourselves prepared for another world. I 

 had been in many eminent dangers before now ; but the greatest 

 of them all was but a play-game compared to this. I must 

 confess that I was in great conflicts of mind at this time. Other 

 dangers came not upon me with such a leisurely and dreadful 

 solemnity: a sudden skirmish or engagement or so was nothing 

 when one's blood was up and pushed forward with eager expecta- 

 tions. But here I had a lingering view of approaching death, 

 and little or no hopes of escaping it; and I must confess that 



DAMPIER'S BOAT IN THE STORM. 



my courage, which I had hitherto kept up, failed me here. 1 

 had long ago repented me of my roving course of life, but never 



