l_ crossed the meridian of Greenwich, or longitude zero--
at which precise time her position could not be said to be either east
or west--in latitude 38 degrees south, a couple of degrees below the
Cape; and the wind, which had kept steadily from the north-east and
northward ever since the South American coast had been left astern, now
got well round to the south-west, enabling every stitch of canvas to
draw, from the spanker to the flying jib. Seeing this Captain Dinks
caused the upper yards to be squared a bit and the main and fore top-
gallant studding-sails set, thus helping the vessel on her way.

This sort of weather lasted for five days, the ship being steered east
by south, meeting the sun and losing an hour a day by the chronometer
and going twelve knots each hour out of the twenty-four; when on
reaching the longitude of the Cape "a change came o'er the spirit" of
the _Nancy Bell's_ "dream."

The wind shifted suddenly from the south-west to the north-east; and the
heavy rolling sea, peculiar to the Southern Ocean, set in, accompanied
by showers of rain, and hail, and snow. Soon, sail had to be reduced,
and the ship, with all her gay canvas stripped off her, had as much as
she could do to stagger along under reefed topsails and foresail, the
mizzen staysail being set to give her more power aft, her steering
becoming very wild after a bit although two men were at the helm.

From merely looking squally, the clouds gathering on the horizon grew
thicker and thicker, till they got as black as ink. The sea, also,
darkened to a dark leaden hue, and the swell increased so rapidly in
height that when the vessel sank down into the intermediate valley not a
glimpse could be obtained of anything beyond the watery mountains on
either side.

"I guess we're going to have it pretty rough, Cap, eh," said the
American to Captain Dinks; "it looks all-powerful squally, it dew!"

"You're right," said the captain. "We're now in the vicinity of the
Cape of Storms, and we've got to look out."

So saying, Captain Dinks showed his determination of "looking out," by
having all the lighter spars of the ship sent down from aloft, besides
causing everything to be made secure on deck and below for the expected
storm.

Not long after the _Nancy Bell_ was made snug the tempest burst upon
her. The high, smooth rolling waves were torn and wrenched asunder, as
it were; and their summits wreathed into masses of foam, which curled
over