the sun was obscured. Sunday, 10th, the barometer
falling fast, with the gale increasing, close reefed the topsails. At
noon heavy gusts. The courses were taken in and furled. At 6 the
fore-topsail was taken in, and the ship hove-to under the main topsail
and the main trysail. All the sails were re-secured, the top-gallant
yards sent down, and everything prepared for the storm, which it was
evident was now approaching. At noon the sun was again obscured, the
latitude being, by log, 11 deg. 6" north, and the longitude 96 deg. 0"
east. The wind now blew a hurricane. The barometer was 29 deg., and
falling. The main-topsail was taken in, and the ship left under the main
topsail only. At half-past three the fore and main top-gallant masts were
blown away. The wind was south, and so very severe that the main
trysail was blown to atoms, and the ship was lying-to under bare
poles, and laying beautifully to the wind, with her helm amidship and
perfectly tight. The hurricane was accompanied with a deluge of rain.
At 4 P. M. the wind shifted to the south-east, and was blowing so
terrifically that all the hatches were obliged to be battened down,
the sea making a fair breach over the vessel. The starboard-quarter
boat was washed away. About half-past 6 P. M. there was a lull, and it
was nearly calm, the wind backing to the south-west, and the sea
became comparatively quiet. The barometer having fallen as low as
28 deg. 45", the ship was kept away north by east, and the topsails
re-secured, portions of them having blown adrift. At 8 P. M. the wind
began to blow again, and within half an hour the hurricane was as
severe as before. The larboard-quarter boat was torn from the davits
and blown across the poop, carrying away the binnacle and crushing the
hencoops in its passage. At 9 P. M., the hurricane still increasing,
the foremast broke into three pieces, and carried away with it the
jib-boom, the main and mizen topmasts, the starboard cathead, and
mainyard, the main and mizen masts alone standing. At 10 P. M. the
wind and rain were so severe that the men could not hold on upon the
poop. The soldiers were engaged in baling the water out of their
quarters between decks, whither it had been forced down the hatches.
In other respects the ship was quite tight and free from leak, proving
herself to be a capital sea boat. The pumps being attended to drew
out the water which was forced down the hatches, mast-coats, and
topside forwards.

D