r for bad
weather. A severe gale set in from the east, which speedily increased
to a storm. A sailor fell from "the third stage of the mainmast," (the
main topgallant yard,) and was killed on the deck; and as the
inhospitable shores of Africa were close under their lee, the ship
appears for some time to have been in considerable danger. But in this
(to him) novel scene of peril, the khan manifests a degree of
self-possession, strongly contrasting with the timidity of the royal
grandsons of Futteh Ali Shah, the expression of whose fears during a
gale is absolutely ludicrous. "We were so miserable that we gave up
all hope; we gave up our souls, and began to beseech God for
forgiveness; while the wind continued increasing, and all the waves of
the western sea rose up in mountains, with never-ceasing noise, till
they reached the planets." Even after the violence of the hurricane
had in some measure abated, the sea continued to run so high that the
ports were kept closed for several days. "At last, however, they were
opened for the purpose of ventilating the interior; and the band,
which had been silent for some days, began to play again." The
appearance of a water-spout on the same afternoon is thus
described:--"An object became visible in the distance, in the form of
a minaret, and every one on board crowded on deck to look at it. On
asking what it was, I was told that what appeared to be a minaret was
only water, which was drawn up towards the heavens by the force of the
wind, and when this ceased would fall again into the sea, and was what
we should call a whirlwind. This is sometimes extremely dangerous to
vessels, since, if it reaches them, it is so powerful as to draw them
out of the sea in the same manner as it draws up the water; in
consequence of which many ships have been lost when they have been
overtaken by this wonderful phenomenon."

The storm was succeeded by a calm, which detained the ship for two
days within sight of the lofty mountains near the Cape. "It was
bitterly cold, for the seasons are here reversed, and instead of
summer, as we should have expected, it was now the depth of winter.
At length, however, (on the 69th day after our leaving Calcutta,) a
strong breeze sprung up, which enabled us to set all sail, and carried
us away from this table-land." The run from the Cape to St Helena
seems to have been barren of incident, except an accidental encounter
with a vessel in distress, which proved to be a