TRAVELS IN THE CALIFORNIA S. 17 
hoarse cadences of the storm ! Every other sound of liv¬ 
ing thing was buried in the clangor of the elements. 
The next morning opened with gloomy grandeur. The 
clouds brightened by the first rays of the sun in detached 
spots only, appearing and disappearing in rapid succession, 
intimated that the whole mass of serial fluid was fleeing at a 
fearful pace before the unabated tempest. As the light in¬ 
creased into full day, the canopy hung so dark and densely 
down the heavens, that night appeared to have retained 
the half of its dominion. It need not touch the water as 
fogs do; but the massive heavy fold left between itself and 
the surface of the ocean, a space apparently three hundred 
yards in depth. That was a sight to wonder at. I could 
conceive of nothing in nature so far beyond the power of 
words to portray. Does the simile of a boundless tomb, 
vaulted with mourning crape, shaken by fierce winds, half 
lighted, filled with death-screams, represent it? I cannot 
tell: but such an idea rose as I looked out upon the scene. 
Old Ocean, too, was in a glorious mood. I had often 
seen the Atlantic lay with his mighty bosom heaving to 
the sky, calm and peaceful like a benevolent giant slumber¬ 
ing on a world of lesser things; or, to use no figure, I had 
seen it slightly agitated, every particle tremulous under a 
soft breeze, every drop sending back the sunshine, or mul¬ 
tiplying indefinitely the stars of a clear June night. I had 
seen it when the swells were torn by a u dry squall , 55 or 
an hour’s “blow , 55 and heard its icebergs crack and plunge ; 
and seen its fearful waterspouts marching so near me that 
I could hear their awful roar! But I had not seen it raised 
and rent, in the height of its tumult and power. All this 
was now before me in the great Pacific. 
At ten o’clock the storm had gained its utmost strength. 
The ship was laid to. The waves were dashing over her 
bulwarks. The Captain was standing braced upon the 
weather quarter, dressed in a long pea-jacket, stout sea- 
pants and boots, an oik cloth cap covering head and shoul- 
