WHALING VOYAGE. 
291 
sented themselves to our notice, with inexpressible joy 
we perceived the ship coming from behind some high 
land which stood upon our right, and she was soon fully 
in our view. A shout of exultation rent the air as we 
motioned to some of our companions who remained 
upon the beach, that the ship could be seen, and was 
near. They answered us with cheers, and rushing up 
the craggy rocks with dangerous velocity to the spot on 
which we stood, they feasted their eyes upon the object 
of our late solicitude with heartfelt satisfaction-some 
having deemed her lost, and others that she would not 
have made the island for several days. But our poor 
ship looked quite weather-beaten and dejected; her 
three top-gallant masts were struck ; she was lying with 
only a close-reefed maintopsail to the wind, and as she 
lay tumbling and rolling, now on the top of an enormous 
wave, and now between two of them, appearing to be 
half engulphed, and ever and anon the sea washing over 
her decks, gave us a plain representation of the toilings 
and sufferings of the tars who had remained on board. 
The wind and waves continued to abate, and we em- 
ployed ourselves in carrying the boat over a small neck 
of land, which divided the bay from another, and into 
which the ship appeared to be drifting. That glorious 
sun which gave us hope in the morning was now falling 
rapidly again into the abyss of night, but left us his 
evening rays to light us on our journey to the ship; 
and while we were climbing her side, amidst the con- 
gratulations of our companions, the magnificent orb was 
once more lost behind the dark and swelling bosom of 
the ocean. 
