Being unwilling to call up the
watch who had been on deck all night, he roused out the carpenter,
sailmaker, cook, steward, and other idlers, and, with their help, we
manned the foreyard, and after nearly half an hour's struggle,
mastered the sail, and got it well furled round the yard. The force of
the wind had never been greater than at this moment. In going up the
rigging, it seemed absolutely to pin us down to the shrouds; and on
the yard, there was no such thing as turning a face to windward. Yet
here was no driving sleet, and darkness, and wet, and cold, as off
Cape Horn; and instead of a stiff oil-cloth suit, south-wester caps,
and thick boots, we had on hats, round jackets, duck trowsers, light
shoes, and everything light and easy. All these things make a great
difference to a sailor. When we got on deck, the man at the wheel
struck eight bells, (four o'clock in the morning,) and "All
starbowlines, ahoy!" brought the other watch up. But there was no
going below for us. The gale was now at its height, "blowing like
scissors and thumb-screws;" the captain was on deck; the ship, which
was light, rolling and pitching as though she would shake the long
sticks out of her; and the sail gaping open and splitting, in every
direction.
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