"That we are going to have another gale, which may drive us farther to
the southward than we have hitherto been," he replied.

Scarcely had he spoken than the first indications of the coming wind
reached us--a rising sea and a driving shower of sleet--the helm was put
up, and the ship kept before the wind, and then down came the gale upon
us, and once more we were driving before it, surrounded by dense sheets
of snow, which prevented us from seeing a yard beyond our bowsprit end.
Away we went during the whole of the next day and night and the
following day, driving madly before the gale. If the ship's company had
before this been full of forebodings of coming ill, it is not surprising
that they should now have entirely abandoned all hope of ever again
seeing land. On the 25th of January we were eighty leagues from the
Cape, and more distressed than ever for masts, spars, sails, provisions,
and water. So short, indeed, was our store of the latter necessary that
we were now put on an allowance of half a pint a day; so severe also was
the frost that we were compelled to throw hot water on the sails when
they were furled before we could set them. The men more rapidly than
before fell sick day after day, and completely lost their spirits, and
it became the fashion when the watch turned out for them to inquire what
fresh accident had occurred.

At length one night, as I lay sleeping in my hammock, I was awoke by a
terrific noise. I found that the ship was on her beam-ends. There was
a rushing of water, a crashing of timbers, a splitting of sails, the
howling of wind, the cries and shrieks and stamping of men. I felt
certain that the fatal and long-expected stroke had been given, and that
I and all on board were about to be hurried into eternity. I have been
since in many a hard-fought battle, I have seen death in every form, but
I never felt its horrors so vividly as I did on that night. I remained
in my hammock without attempting to dress, for I thought that I might as
well drown as I was, and I had not the remotest expectation of being
saved. Still the water did not reach me, and at length I heard
Kennedy's voice rousing up the idlers to go on deck, and help take the
canvas off the ship.

"We've been in very great danger, and for some minutes I thought it was
all over with us," he observed: "we've brought her to, however, and she
may ride out this gale as she has done many others."

"I hope so," said I, spri