ver remember, my pilot came to me somewhat agitated, and
said that there were strong indications of an approaching hurricane, and
advised me to make all possible preparations to encounter it.

We therefore quit taking in salt, and made every thing about the ship
snug as possible. At twelve o'clock, midnight, the gale commenced, as
the pilot had anticipated, and continued to increase until six in the
morning, at which time it became most terrific. Every blast grew more
and more violent until our cables all parted, and we were left to the
mercy of the gale. It blew directly from the land. We got the ship
before the wind, as the only course we could pursue. In doing this we
were well aware of the dangerous channel we had to pass, and my only
hope was, that we might get to sea clear of the land. But this hope soon
vanished. In about twenty minutes after we started, the ship struck a
rock, which knocked off her rudder, and set her leaking badly. The
rudder being gone, we of course had no control of the vessel. She came
around side to the wind, and at this moment her mainmast was blown over
the side. We at once cut away the rigging that attached it to the hull,
and it floated off, and the foremast still standing, the ship swung off
again a little before the wind. All hands were soon set to pumping, but
we found that in spite of all our exertions, the water rapidly increased
in the hold.

The appearance of the elements at this time almost baffles description.
So violent was their commotion that no one could stand without grasping
something for support. Not a word could be heard that was uttered. I had
to communicate every order by means of signs, while I stood on the
quarter-deck holding on to the cabin doors. In this situation I
endeavored calmly to reflect. Here we were, as we supposed, on the open
ocean,--in a tempest of unparalleled violence--with no rudder--one mast
gone--boats all lost--and the ship settling under us from the weight of
water in the hold. The sky was black almost as midnight above us, and
the waves beneath, and around, and over us--for they dashed at quick
intervals, like so many furies, across the devoted ship--seemed ready to
drown us ere we sank into their dread abyss. The voice of the gale as it
howled through the rigging, mingled with the creaking of timbers, and
the roar of waters as they struck the vessel, was an awful wail, as it
appeared to me, over bodies devoted to almost instant death. Destruc