Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-03-28


For TO iurl this enormous sail, in such a gale
required at least fifty men on the yard, whose
weight superadded 10 that Of the poiltiercu.
stick itself, still further jeopartlized their
lives. But there was no prospect OF a cess;,.
tion Of the gale, aud the order was at Iasl
given. At this time a hurricane of slantins
seet and hail was descending upon us the
rigging was coated with thin glare OF ice
fOrnIed within the hour. sAIoit, main yard
men! and all you maintop-Inen anG iurl
the main.sail! ! cried Mad Jack. | dashed
down my hat, slipped out ofmy quilted Jacket
in an instant kicked the shoes from nv feet
and, with " crowd OF others, sprang Tor til Z
rigging. Above the bulwarks (which in a
fleaie are SO high as to afford ,nucl, protec.
lion to those on deck) the gale was horrible.
The sheer force OF tile wind fialtened W 10
the rigging as we assembled, and every hand
seemed consealing 10 the icy shrouds by
which we held. 'Up-up, my brave heart
les! shouted Mad Jack and up we got,
some way or other. nll OF us, and groped our
way out on the yard-arnl. Hold on, every
mother's SOM cried an old quarIer-oanner
Mt my side. He was hnwlng ut The Iop OF
his compass but in the gale he seemed TO l,r
whispering; and only heard him from his
hint was unnecessary ] dug my mails into
the jdck-stdys, and swOre that nothing tul
death should part me and them unrll was
able 10 turn round and look to wintlward.-
As yet. thus was impossible /; l could scarcely
hear the nIan To leeward at my elbow the
wind seemed to sn. tcll The words from his
mouth and fly AWAY with them to the South
Pole.
LII. Ia d.,
about, sometimes catching over our head,
and threatening 10 tear lis from the yard IN
spite OF all our lugging. For about three
quan-rs Of an hour we lhus hung suspended
Iight over the rampant hillows, whicr curl
ed their very orests under the feet of some
four or FIVE ot us climgng to the ee-yard-arm,
as if to float VI from our place. Presently,
the woid passed along the yard from wind
ward, that we were ordered to come down
and leave the sail To blow, since il could no,
he iirled. A midshlpnan, il seemed had
been sent mp by The officer Of the deck 10
give the order, as no trumpet could he hea d
where we were. Those on The weather yard.
arm managed 10 crawl upon The spar aud
scramble down the rigging; but with u.s. up.
or the extreme Ieeward side, this feat wa.
out of the question II was literally like
Cumming pIeciIice 10 get 10 WlnUNaru ~
order to reach The shrouds I; besides, the en-
tire yard was now incased in ire, and ON
hands aud lcet were so numb that we daIe
not trust cur lives TO them. Nevertheless b,
assisting each other, we cOntrlyed 10 throw
ourselves PROSTATE along The yard, aud EN-
brace II with our anus and legs. In thi,
position, the stun l-boons greatly assisted
in securing our hold. Strange us il may mp
pear. do not suppose that, at this moment
The slightest sensation of fear was ielt hy one
man on that ward. We clung to il will
might and ma but this wns instinct. Tile
truth is, that, in circumstances like these, the
sense of fear is annil,laIed in the un,literuble
sights that fill the eye, aud Iie sounds than fiji
the ear. You beco,ne Unidentified with the
tempest; your lnsignifi unce is lost in the riot
OF the stormy universe around. Below us
our noble frigate seemed thrice its real length
a vnst black wedge, opp sing its widest end
10 The combined fury of the sea and wind
At length Tho first fury OF tue gale began tc
abate, and we al once fell TO pounding oul
hands, as. a preliminary operation to going
10 work for gang Of meu had now ascend
ed 10 help secure what was left of The SAL
we somehow packed il away, at last. and
came down. About noon the next day, the
gale so moderated that we shook two reef:
out oil the top-sails. set new courses, nnt
stood due east with the wind stern.-Frou
.Neiuille's forthcoming ,rork.