New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-15
PACIFIC OCEAN.
Tbirty-sIx Hours In n Notwithstanding
before the Wind Hailing n yesseI-De-
iiehfs of the sea.

Lust night the Orlg cuCOuutSISc H~AtNouo-e
circumstance so unusual 10 this region that
deem II proper 10 refer to it for the benefit OF nav
gators in the Pacific Ocean. The hurricane was
preceded by heavy squalls from the southwest,
accompanied with heavy rain These squalls
continued to increase in number and intensity
until about 5 O'Clock PM when the hurricane
commenced. The brig at this moment wss under
a close reefed maintopsail and ioresaiL Capt.
Watts, who is an excellent seaman, and who had
been in two previous hurricanes, Immediately put
bis vessel before the blast, or in other words,
"scudded" herl No language can depict the
horrors Of the long night during which the tenn
pest ragged with momentariiy increasing fury. lts
path was not straightforward, but commencing, as
have stated at s. s. w. it veered to due South,
thence TO s. f. and thence to the n. r. and North;
from thence it returned back again to s. W.-thus
making the circuit of the compass
According to our reckoning it veered "a points
in the space of six hours Daring all this time
the brig was kept before tan expedent In which
lay our only chance of escape.
At four o'clock AN the foresail was blown
from the yard-the vessel all the while going di-
rectly before the wind Imagine, if you can, the
power Of the wind All hands were immediately
called and it was determined to hesve the vessel
to. The attempt to lay tue vessel to was
course an experiment fraught with extreme dan
GER After severe struggle she was brought to
the " ind but she could not withstand the tornado
She was blown directly down upon her side or
beam ends--the sea meantime breaking over her
at every roll. Apprehending every instant that
she would founder, the order was gwen to put her
again before the wind the attempt to get her oil
L aacfnI ahp lxfpO
would not answer her helm AS last resource,
the mantopsail was let 60, and the brig, paying
/ of dashed away sgain like lightning before the
tempest. She was kept scuddng until the hurn-
canoe ceased. She was then laid to all day IN
heavy gale from the southwest which followed
the hurricane
The behaviour Of the seamen throughout this
storm excited my wonder and admiration; they
exhibited a cool and lofty courage. which is never
seen amid the shock of armies and the thunder OF
battle The courage Of the soldier is not TO be
compared to the deathdefying heroism of the sea
man. In one case death is met ia hot blood and
in the excitement of battle-in the other he 10
calmly confronted for hours or days. For whole
DAYS the seaman stands with one foot in watery
grave, without q murmur or a sign OF lear ne
endures a horrible suspense more than thousand
sudden deaths He stands upon the deck oil his
shin, cheek by jowl with the grim tyrant, and he
does not shudder or turn pale in his company.
/ The sailor is hero-they are heroes es class.
A brighter day must dawntor such men their
generosity their fidelity, and their death defying
bravery must be acknowledged, and their virtues
must be rewarded.s
The brig is now, four days after the tornado in
a comparatively safe position. Nothing but the
most admirable judgment and skiliull seamanship
could have availed her in the dreadful exigency
through which she passed.
Lat $40 N Lon. 1870 w, Oct %, 1850.
We are, as you will perceive, about 600 miles
1 from San Francisco. This morning we spoke the
bark "Kilby," of Boston, four days from San
Francisco, bound to Calcutta. 1t had been City.
five days since we had seen a sail, and it was
with the greatest pleasure that found my medi-
tations in the cabin suddenly disturbed by the cry
of Sail Ho from the seaman at the wheel.
"Whereaway?" responded the officer OF the
watch "Three points of the weather bow"
was the ready reply of the brave heart at the
helm. gale of wind from the Northward and
/ Eastward was blowing at the time, and walking
on deck could Just discern the royals OF the bark
bearing ~ N +. about fifteen miles distant. She
was coming down directly before the wind, with
! every thing set from sky scraper 10 a lower
studdng sail, something larger than a ladies'
'kerchef. Our brigantine was sailing ION q
wind heading W. N. w. Her progress in that
direction was necessarily slow In consequence Of
the heavy sea. But the beautiful bark, being a
ballast trim, and sailing before the wind, came
down upon as like meteor.
When the lead diminished the distance between
us to three miles she set the American ensign, and
the brigantine nswered by running up the same
starry banner. 1t was something less than an
hour and half from the time we first saw the
royals Of the barks till she ran down under our
quarter and hailed us. The interchange Of sslu-
tons between the respective captains was carried
on after this fashion brig ahoy," roared the
bark ahoy" echoed from the brig in the same
stentoran tone where are you from ~ "Valpa-
raiso." "Where bound ~ "San Francisco"
"Where are yOu from ?" yelled the brig. "San
Francisco. How many days3' -Four"
"Where are ye bound!" "To Calcutta"
"What s your longitude ?" "l3l u.s. Here the
vessels had got so far asunder that the dialogue
of the sea dogs was brought to sudden termin-
alton. The captain OF the hark uttered one or two
awful growls through his trumpet, but the idea ex-
pressed, whatever ii was, was swallowed up by
the wind. We could MT understand II, and, 90,
after having performed several salutatory gyra-
tons through the air with their trumpets, those
articles were laid aside and each captain, taking
up bis telescope, commenced q careful survey OF
the others rig-the letters on bis stern, with all
the other points, only sppreciabe by those who
are posted up In the nautical arcana How state
ly looked the bark with her unfolded wings
Stately as Falstaf when he played the sire Sc
we're to Prince Harry as the white swan that
Ovid made immortal
"Tbee behold majestic Cygun',
On the msrgs dancing Of The heavenly sea,
80 on The silver stream, when death is nigh,
The mournful Swan sings its own eiegy"
How leaped the bark upon the white crests OF
the heaving waves How she nestled in her
liquid element like babe nesting In its cradle,
or like the young God OF Liberty wrestling 10 old
Faneuil Hall. How the tempestsang the lullaby
of the mariners in the watch below" Eh, sirs,
ship running before the wind, with all sail set,
is sight 10 make q man forswear his allegiance
to the land, and walk up TO Neptune's Office and
get his naturalization papers. WAC.
AMosT MELANCHOLY OccURREEcE.-Welearn
from Capt James Bridges, from Bayside, Talbot
County, that most melancholy occurrence took
place at that place on Tuesday last at the dwell
ing of Mr. Ballard Shores. The particulars are as