the poop and upper deck, where it was
now impossible to move a step without having something to lay hold of.

This was not only on account of the heavy lurches the vessel gave from
port to starboard and then back again to port; but, the planks were wet
and slippery, and besides, as she plunged and pitched, head to sea,
great green, rolling waves would break on the forecastle and pour down
into the waist, rushing aft like a river and sweeping anyone off his
legs who was caught unprepared.

The wind itself was blowing so strongly that I couldn't stand upright,
having to shelter myself under the lee of the bulwarks when I was on the
poop.

But, this was nothing to what came later, old Boreas then putting a
fresh hand to his bellows.

Hardly had the guns been properly secured and everything made snug and
fast below and aloft, when the gale recommenced with tenfold violence;
constant squalls bursting over the ship, accompanied by showers of hail
that pattered on the planks like rifle bullets and took the skin off any
fellow's face that was exposed to it without protection.

It made mine smart, I know!

In the midst of one of these sharp squalls, the maintopsail was blown to
pieces with a report that sounded as if a gun had been fired off close
to my ear; and, at the same moment, there was a loud crack heard from
the top as if something had given way in addition to the sail.

Nothing, though, could be done about this for the moment, more pressing
business being on hand; for, in consequence of the topsail giving, the
ship's head payed off and getting into the hollow of the sea she
precious nearly rolled her masts out her in less time than one could
count.

"Down with that fore staysail," shouted the commander through his
speaking trumpet. "Look alive man and set the topsail at once!"

His voice could not be distinguished beyond the length of the trumpet he
roared through; but the boatswain's mates passed on the order from hand
to hand until it reached the first lieutenant and the master, both of
whom were stationed forwards, where it was instantly acted on and the
ship's head brought back to the wind.

After this the storm staysail was rehoisted and we lay-to again in
comparative safety.

Mr Cleete, the carpenter, then went up into the maintop to see what had
happened to cause the loud crack we had heard.

He came back from his perilous journey with the unwelcome news that the
topsail yard had been sprung and