ed,
and at every pitch which she made against it, the end of the bowsprit
was under water, and the surge broke over the forecastle as far aft as
the main-mast, in the same manner as it would have broke over a rock, so
that there was the greatest reason to apprehend she would founder. With
all her defects she was indeed a good sea-boat, and if she had not, it
would have been impossible for her to have outlived this storm, in
which, as well as on several other occasions; we experienced the benefit
of the bulk-heads which we had fixed on the fore-part of the half-deck,
and to the after-part of the fore-castle.

Notwithstanding this wind was fair, we durst not venture to put the ship
before it, for if in wearing, any of these enormous seas had broken on
her side, it would inevitably have carried away all before it. After
some time, however, it became more moderate, and we then got up our
yards and made sail, steering N. by W.; and now the men having been up
all night, and being wet to the skin, I ordered every one of them a
dram.

By the next morning, the 2d of May, the wind came again to the N.W. and
N.N.W. but by this time we had got down the broken mizen-gaff, repaired
it as well as we could, got it up again in its place, and bent the sail
to it; but we now most sensibly felt the want of a forge and iron.

On the 3d, at day-break, we found the rudder-chain broken, and upon this
occasion we again most feelingly regretted the want of a forge; we made,
however, the best shift we could, and the next day, the weather being
more moderate, though the wind was still contrary, we repaired our
rigging, and the carpenters fixed a new dead eye where the old one had
been broken; the sail-maker also was busy in mending the sails that had
been split.

On the 5th, we were again brought under our courses by a hurricane from
the N. by W. and N.N.W. and the ship was tossed about with such violence
that we had no command of her. During this storm, two of our
chain-plates were broken, and we continued toiling in a confused hollow
sea till midnight, when a light gale sprung up at N.W. which soon blew
very hard; but at two in the morning, we were again taken right a-head
by a sudden and violent squall at west, which at once threw all our
sails aback, and before we could get the ship round, was very near
carrying all by the board. With this gale we stood north, and in the
forenoon the carpenters fixed new chain-plates to the main shrouds, a