ectly smooth water, and had there been
neither tide, nor air, it would have taken us half a day, at least, to
get out two bowers. It was folly, therefore, to think of it, situated as
we were. It only remained, to ride out the gale in the best manner
we could.

Nothing occurred, for several hours, except that the gale increased
sensibly in violence. Like an active disease, it was fast coming to a
crisis. Towards sunset, however, a little incident took place, that gave
me great uneasiness of itself, though I had forebodings of evil from the
commencement of that tempest. Two sail appeared in sight, to windward,
being quite near us, close in with the Irish coast before either was
observed on board the Dawn. The leading vessel of the two was a
man-of-war cutter, running nearly before it, under a close-reefed
square-sail,--canvass so low that it might easily be confounded with the
foam of the sea, at a little distance. She rounded the head-land, and was
edging away from the coast, apparently for sea-room, when she took a
sudden sheer in our direction. As if curious to ascertain what could have
taken so large a square-rigged vessel as the Dawn, into her present berth,
this cutter actually ran athwart our hawse, passing inside of us, at a
distance of some fifty yards. We were examined; but no attempt was made to
speak us. I felt no uneasiness at the proximity of these two cruisers, for
I knew a boat could not live,--our ship fairly pitching her martingale
into the water at her anchors.

The frigate followed the cutter, though she passed us outside, even nearer
than her consort. I got my first accurate notion of the weight of the
gale, by seeing this large ship drive past us, under a reefed fore-sail,
and a close-reefed main-top-sail, running nearly dead before it. As she
came down, she took a sheer, like a vessel scudding in the open ocean;
and, at one moment, I feared she would plunge directly into us, though she
minded her helm in time to clear everything. A dozen officers on board her
were looking at us, from her gangway, her quarter-deck guns, and rigging.
All were compelled to hold on with firm grasps; and wonder seemed painted
in every countenance. I could see their features for half a minute only,
or even a less time; but I could discern this expression in each face.
Some looked up at our spars, as if to ascertain whether all were right;
while others looked back at the head-land they had just rounded, like
those who exa