Page:Letters from India Vol 1.djvu/68

 mass of muslin and scarlet beads twisted round his head.

January 27.

We had an adventure yesterday; a sudden squall carried away our maintop-mast. It was just after breakfast—the finest possible day, and no wind, apparently; but it happens constantly so near the line, that a sudden puff of wind does a great deal of mischief up aloft, and is not felt on deck. You may guess what a ‘stramash’ they made, with all the ropes and yards attached to them. The mast was four feet in circumference where it gave way, and it was cut off almost as clean as if it had been cut with a knife. The wind turns out a very active, clever fellow of an element when you live much with him; does just what he likes, and in an authoritative way. At first there was a horrible cry of ‘A man overboard,’ which always puts everybody in a fever; but it was only a hat, and the owner was happily caught in one of the lower sails; and though he was carried down stunned and bruised, yet he was not at all seriously hurt. It was a great mercy, for all the officers who have ever seen a similar accident with a topmast say they never