58 
HARD UP THE HELM* 
sec a ship fii'stj uiul I feci confident that the approach of 
many vessels might be predicted by following the old 
Komaii idea of consulting the flight of birds.” 
“ Nov. 16. — Saw a school of white porpoises during the 
afternoon watch, wlio played about us with great case, 
darting ahead or astern as it pleased them, though we 
were running at the rate of ten knots. One of the men — 
Corcoran, an old whaler — got a harpoon over the bow, 
and put it entirely through one of them ; but our speed 
was so great that it tore out with the first jerk, and the 
wounded animal started frantically off at right angles and 
was followed by the entire school. He marked his path 
by a bloody streak.” 
“Nov. 18. — The weather has been dark and threaten- 
ing for the last twenty-four hours, and the barometer 
sinking with a determined uniformity unpleasant to 
behold. We knew that ‘something was in the wind,’ 
but thought we should be able to drag along cpiite com- 
fortably under double reefs or something of that sort. 
Wo contented ourselves, therefore, with hauling up the 
mainsail, stowing the jib, and setting the topmast-stay- 
sail; but it soon came a little harder than we had bar- 
gained for, and it was ‘up helm and run before it’ with 
unpleasant suddenness. We now shortened sail to a 
close-reefed maintopsail and foresail, and ‘let her slide.’ 
This latter sail was new, and therefore gave us no con- 
cern, but the topsail was half worn and not to be trusted. 
Suddenly the cyclone (it was blowing fearfully by this 
time) boxed around forward of the beam, and the old 
maintopsail blew into a hundred pieces. The lee sheet- 
block was snapped oft’ with the report of a young cannon, 
