and wide-stretching horizon melting into the
azure distance, which had previously struck me with admiration, a thick
haze had crept up over the heavens from the westwards, which, extending
right up to the zenith, had soon shut out the bright sunlight, making it
darker than night--the air becoming at the same time chill and cold.

I had not much leisure, though, to note the pictorial effects of the
scene; for I heard the skipper's voice behind me.

"By Jove, Leigh!" he exclaimed, "we're going to have one of those
pamperos, as they call them, that come off the mouth of the Plate; and
we'll have all our work cut out for us to be ready in time. Call the
other watch, boatswain!"

"Aye, aye, sir," replied Jorrocks; and quickly his familiar hail rang
out fore and aft, as he rapped on the scuttle forwards--

"All ha-a-ands take in sail!"

We were carrying a full spread of canvas at the time; but the men,
tumbling out of their bunks with a will, not having had much of that
sort of work lately, were soon clambering up the rigging, furling the
royals and topgallant sails--I amongst them, you may be sure, having
been the first, as usual, on the main royal yard.

"Now, men, take in the flying jib," cried Captain Billings, when we had
come below, having so far stripped the ship for the coming fight; and
the headsail was stowed, the spanker and trysail were brailed, the
courses hauled up and the yards squared, when we awaited the attack of
the pampero.

"It'll soon be on us now," said the skipper, seeing that the heavens
became blacker and blacker to the westwards; and presently it came!

A streak of vivid lightning shot out from the blue-black storm-clouds
that were hung over the ship like a funeral pall, lighting up the
surrounding gloom and making it appear all the more sombre afterwards
from the momentary illumination; and then, with a crash of thunder--that
seemed as if the sky above was riven open, it was so awfully loud and
reverberating--the tornado burst upon us, accompanied by a fierce blast
of wind, that almost took the ship aback, and would have sent her down
beneath the water in an instant to a certainty if we had been under
sail.

"Let fly everything!" shouted the skipper; and the halliards being cast
loose, the topsails came down on the caps by the run; when the
_Esmeralda_, paying off from the wind, began to exhibit her old form of
showing her heels to the enemy--tearing away through the sea with all
her s