888 
SOUTH SEA 
north-west winds, which almost constantly blow in that 
part of the world. All sail was now crowded upon the 
ship, including studding-sails, low and aloft, and the 
ship’s head was placed directly towards Cape Horn. As 
we increased our distance from New Zealand, so we found 
the regular waves, which now rolled after us, increasing 
in size, and by the time we had passed over about two- 
thirds of the enormous stretch of ocean that lies between 
New Zealand and Cape Horn, the prodigious seas had 
attained their maximum height, which was about thirty 
feet, while the masses of water which formed them were 
of vast magnitude. The weather, too, became exceed- 
ingly disagreeable, from the coldness, dampness, and 
darkness which now prevailed, all tending to rob us of 
our natural warmth to a most inconvenient extent ; for 
not only were our frames most miserably susceptible of 
cold, from our long sojourn in hot countries, but what 
rendered our stormy passage still more distressing to the 
sailors was the want of warm clothing which many of 
them experienced, many of them having worn it out 
during the voyage ; while others had imprudently parted 
with their winter clothing for the most trifling consi- 
derations, at the various places we had touched during 
the voyage. Our bedding, and almost everything in 
the ship, during our passage round the 66 Horn,” became 
saturated with sea- water ; for the ship as she passed along, 
now on the top of a giant wave, and now appearing like 
a mere cock-boat between two of them, took in a great 
deal of water, not only on account of the heavy press of 
sail that was almost constantly kept upon hen but also 
