VOYAGE OF THE SHIP PRESIDENT. 149 
a Holyhead signal, bearing on the opposite tack to ourselves, 
and carrying, for the wind, a great press of sail. Toward 
evening the wind grew fluctuating and fitful, and soon we 
wore ship, heading about S. W. from some indications of a 
southerly breeze. Lat. at noon 39 deg. 40 m. long. 69 deg. 
20 m. — giving us about seventy miles in forty-eight hours. 
Tuesday, November 29. — During the past night the wind 
was rather moderate, from about W. S. W. and we all enjoyed 
the luxury of a good sound sleep. Toward morning it hauled 
to the W. N. W. accompanied with heavy falls of sleet and 
snow, with frequent and violent gusts of wind. About nine 
o'clock two ships appeared a little on our starboard bow, ex- 
hibiting such marks of distress as induced our captain to bear 
down for them; and in a short time we discovered that our 
conjectures were not unfounded. Coming along side the most 
injured of the two, we perceived her to be the " Lycurgus, of 
New- York," evidently run foul of by the neighboring ship. 
She appeared to have been struck astern, as her mizen and 
mainmast were both carried away, and the other ship was 
completely deprived of her bowsprit and foremast. The Ly- 
curgus was evidently abandoned, and appeared in a sinking 
condition, the other was lying to the wind under close-reefed 
maintopsai], and from showing no signal of distress, seemed 
to have undergone no damage in her hull. The wind was 
blowing a gale at the time, and the sea running very high, so 
that, even had it been desired, we could have afforded her no 
assistance. The sight of these dismantled ships was a truly 
appalling spectacle, and awoke in our hearts a strong feeling 
of gratitude, that, amid all the storms and tempests to which 
we had been exposed, no accident of any consequence had be- 
fallen us.* 
The clouds, after 12 o'clock, break a little, but the wind is 
very violent in squalls, and the sea exceedingly heavy. A 
fall of wet and cold sleet occasionally accompanies these 
squalls,, rendering it so exceedingly uncomfortable to the poor 
mariners that all the spare flannels and warm hosiery amongst 
the cabin passengers was put in requisition, and most cheer- 
fully furnished. 
About six o'clock we were visited by two or three squalls, 
which perhaps exceeded in fierceness the very worst we had 
encountered in the whole course of our truly tempestuous 
* The other of the above ships has since proved to be the Fabius, of 
New- York, and which went ashore herself before reaching port, losing 
her fir^ mate overboard. j 
13* 
