ntinued to increase in height, and huge mountains
of water rose up on either side, whilst others came rolling astern, as
if about to break over the poop and sweep the decks of the stout ship.
The emigrants were desired to keep below, the hatches were battened
down, everything that could be washed away was secured. Lines were also
stretched along the deck, by the aid of which the seamen could make
their way from one end to the other. Four of the best hands, secured by
ropes, were at the helm, where they stood struggling and clinging to it
every now and then, in spite of all their efforts one or other being
thrown on either side from the violent jerks it made. The wind
increased every instant, low heavily laden clouds bounded the horizon,
circumscribed to a couple of miles. Sometimes the ship sank so low in
the trough of the sea that the curling summits of the waves appeared to
reach above her mast-heads; now she climbed a watery height, to remain
but for a moment, before she rushed down again on her impetuous course.
In vain the captain and his mates shouted to the men, their voices were
drowned by the loud uproar of the waves, the howling and whistling of
the wind in the rigging, the creaking of the bulk-heads, the flapping of
the canvas, the complaining of the masts and spars. A fierce hurricane
was blowing, such as Captain Westerway said he had never before
encountered in those seas. Charles and Mr Paget frequently made their
way on deck to witness the grand spectacle which the ocean presented. A
close-reefed fore-topsail, and a storm-staysail were the only sails set;
but even with these the masts bent as if they would go by the board, and
every moment it seemed likely that the canvas would be carried out of
the boltropes. Looking astern, they saw the huge waves following them,
now one came rolling up, its foaming crest towering over the taffrail,
while ahead appeared another, the summit of which could just be seen
above the fore-topmast-crosstrees. In an instant, the ship, escaping
from the watery mountain astern, rose to the crest of that before her,
and thus she careered onwards, again sinking so low down, that,
sheltered by the surrounding seas, the wind could not be felt on deck,
though still heard whistling aloft. Directly afterwards it came with a
force against which it seemed scarcely possible to withstand.
Frequently as the ship rolled, the ends of her yards flicked off the
crest of the waves which ro