378 
GREENLAND VOYAGE. 
It was now sun-set, and we had the terrible 
prospect before us of a dark and dismal night, in 
which we must encounter the several dangers of 
stormy wind, tremendous sea, neighbouring rocky 
islands, and a lee-shore. 
Hitherto, for nearly two hours, the ship, though 
rapidly nearing the land, was laid-to under hare 
poles. This was a matter of prudence as well as 
necessity; because, had we set any canvas while 
the hurricane lasted (for such was the character the 
gale for a time assumed) the loss of the sails, if not 
of tlje masts, seemed inevitable. In either case, 
we must have drifted on shore in a few hours, and 
nothing could have saved us. Soon after ship¬ 
ping the fatal sea, however, the hurricane charac¬ 
ter of the gale began to change, and the wind 
fortunately veered a little more towards the north, 
so that we found, if we could-carry sail, we might, 
under the blessing of God, be able yet to clear the 
land on the starboard tack. We therefore set a 
treble-reefed foresail, giving it every support that 
we could contrive, and wore to the westward^ 
We then added the close-reefed main-topsail, and 
reefed trysail, which was all the canvas the ship 
could safely bear. Under this sail, we were urged 
to the westward, against the sea, which now 
and then broke over the ship, threatening to 
sweep every thing away. St Kilda now lying di- 
