e gaff was lowered down. All hands were now employed in
setting up the lee rigging, fishing the spritsail yard, lashing the
galley, and getting tackles upon the martingale, to bowse it to
windward. Being in the larboard watch, my duty was forward, to assist in
setting up the martingale. Three of us were out on the martingale guys
and back-ropes for more than half an hour, carrying out, hooking, and
unhooking the tackles, several times buried in the seas, until the mate
ordered us in from fear of our being washed off. The anchors were then
to be taken up on the rail, which kept all hands on the forecastle for
an hour, though every now and then the seas broke over it, washing the
rigging off to leeward, filling the lee scuppers breast-high, and
washing chock aft to the taffrail.

Having got everything secure again, we were promising ourselves some
breakfast, for it was now nearly nine o'clock in the forenoon, when the
main-topsail showed evident signs of giving way. Some sail must be kept
on the ship, and the captain ordered the fore and main spencer gaffs to
be lowered down, and the two spencers (which were storm sails,
brand-new, small, and made of the strongest canvas) to be got up and
bent; leaving the main-topsail to blow away, with a blessing on it, if
it would only last until we could set the spencers. These we bent on
very carefully, with strong robands and seizings, and making tackles
fast to the clews, bowsed them down to the water-ways. By this time the
main-topsail was among the things that have been, and we went aloft to
stow away the remnant of the last sail of all those which were on the
ship twenty-four hours before. The spencers were now the only whole
sails on the ship, and being strong and small, and near the deck,
presenting but little surface to the wind above the rail, promised to
hold out well. Hove-to under these, and eased by having no sail above
the tops, the ship rose and fell, and drifted off to leeward like a
line-of-battle ship.

It was now eleven o'clock, and the watch was sent below to get
breakfast, and at eight bells (noon), as everything was snug, although
the gale had not in the least abated, the watch was set and the other
watch and idlers sent below. For three days and three nights the gale
continued with unabated fury, and with singular regularity. There were
no lulls, and very little variation in its fierceness. Our ship, being
light, rolled so as almost to send the fore yard-arm u