ted for the soldiers. There the heat was
suffocating, and the stench intolerable. The scene in the orlop-deck was
truly distressing: soldiers, their wives and children, all lying
together in a state of the most dreadful sea-sickness, groaning in
concert, and calling for a drop of water to cool their parched tongues.
I screwed myself up behind a butt, and soon fell into that stupor which
sea-sickness will create. In this state I continued until morning; and,
when I awoke, I found that the hurricane had returned with redoubled
fury, and that we were standing towards land. The captain came ahead to
look out, and, after some consideration, he at last told the officer to
stand out to sea. The following morning was ushered in by the sun's
bright beams diffusing their lustre on the dejected features of
frightened and helpless mortals. The dark clouds of sad despair were in
mercy driven from our minds, and the bright beams of munificent love
from above took their place. The before downcast eye was seen to sparkle
with delight, and the haggard cheek of despondency resumed its wonted
serenity. The tempestuous bosom of the main was now smooth as a mirror,
and all seemed grateful and cheerful, directing the eye of hope towards
the far-distant haven to which we were bound.

A great number of the fleet were the same morning to be seen emerging
from their shelter, or hiding-place, from the terrific hurricane of the
day before; but our captain was resolved to be alone; so the same night
he crowded sail, and, by the following morning's dawn, we were so much
ahead that not a sail was visible, save one solitary sloop, that seemed
bending her way towards England.

Some three weeks after this we were again visited by a most dreadful
storm, that far exceeded the former one, and from which we suffered much
external injury, our main top-mast, and other smaller masts, being
carried away. But the interior of our poor bark exhibited a scene of far
greater desolation. We were then far from land, and a pestilential
disease was raging among us in all its terrific forms. Nought could be
seen but the pallid cheek of disease, or the sunken eye of despair. The
sea-gulls soared over the ship, and huge sharks hovered around it,
watching for their prey. These creatures are sure indications of ships
having some pestilential disease on board, and they have been known to
follow a vessel so circumstanced to the most distant climes--to
countries far from their