Sentence:  With my mother's permission and blessings, I set off exultantly for Bombay, leaving my wife with a baby of a few months. But on arrival there, friends told my brother that the Indian Ocean was rough in June and July, and as this was my first voyage, I should not be allowed to sail until November. Someone also reported that a steamer had just been sunk in a <WSD>gale</WSD>. This made my brother uneasy, and he refused to take the risk of allowing me to sail immediately. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.