He came very near being blown or shaken from the yard, several
times, but he was a true sailor, every finger a fish-hook. Having made
the sail snug, he prepared to send the yard down, which was a long and
difficult job; for, frequently, he was obliged to stop and hold on
with all his might, for several minutes, the ship pitching so as to
make it impossible to do anything else at that height. The yard at
length came down safe, and after it, the fore and mizen royal-yards
were sent down. All hands were then sent aloft, and for an hour or two
we were hard at work, making the booms well fast; unreeving the
studding-sail and royal and skysail gear; getting rolling-ropes on the
yards; setting up the weather breast-backstays; and making other
preparations for a storm. It was a fine night for a gale; just cool
and bracing enough for quick work, without being cold, and as bright
as day. It was sport to have a gale in such weather as this. Yet it
blew like a hurricane. The wind seemed to come with a spite, an edge
to it, which threatened to scrape us off the yards. The mere force
of the wind was greater than I had ever seen it before; but
darkness, cold, and wet are the worst parts of a storm to a sailor.
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