and variable, had still
allowed us to lay our course, and we had really made a very fair passage
up to this point.

But we had scarcely entered the notorious Bay of Biscay when the aspect
of affairs began to change.

The first omen of evil revealed itself in a steadily and rather rapidly
falling barometer. The wind for the previous twenty-four hours had been
moderate, and steady at about east, but toward evening it became fitful,
now dying away until the roll of the ship caused the canvas to flap
heavily against the masts, and anon freshening up again for a few
minutes, quite to a seven-knot breeze. Then it would drop once more;
and nothing would be heard but the heavy flap of the canvas, the creak
of the spars, the _swish_ of the water as it lapped in over our
bulwarks--the craft rolling gunwale-under--and a low weird moaning of
pent-up wind, which teemed to be imprisoned in a heavy cloud-bank
rapidly piling itself up on the north-western horizon. The sky, which
had been clear all day, became overspread with a canopy of dirty lead-
coloured vapour, between which and ourselves soon appeared small ragged
patches of fast-flying scud. The moaning sound became louder and more
weird and dismal in tone; while the sea--its surface curiously agitated
by waves which leaped up and subsided without any apparent cause--grew
black as ink.

Fortunately, we had ample and unmistakable notice of the impending
change; and we fully availed ourselves of it by making every possible
preparation for the expected gale, and adopting every possible
precaution for the safety of our craft.

Our first act was to take in and secure our lofty lateen-canvas by
getting the yards down on deck and firmly lashing them there; we then
set a storm-jib and a leg-of-mutton mizzen, just to steady the craft and
place her under command when the breeze should come. This done, we
divided our crew into two parties, one of which, under the gunner's
mate, secured the guns with extra breechings, while the other, under
Hardy, battened down everything, and put extra lashings upon the booms
and boats.

We were ready in excellent time; all our preparations being complete a
good half-hour before the breeze came.

At length, about the time of sunset, a sudden break appeared in the mass
of cloud piled up to the north-westward, revealing a long narrow strip
of fiery copper-coloured sky; and at the same instant the wind, which
had hitherto blown in fitful gusts, di