Page:Life in India or Madras, the Neilgherries, and Calcutta.djvu/28

18 in a way that was far from agreeable to voyagers so inexperienced as we were. We had a service in the morning, however, conducted by the senior member of our company. The motion of the ship was so great that we dispensed with many of the formalities of more stable churches, the preacher firmly holding to an upright post, while the audience braced themselves against cleeted chests and table-legs.

That night we had our first experience of a gale at sea. We turned into our berths, but not to sleep. The roar of the wind in the rigging, the furious pitching of the ship, the crash of boxes and trunks, thrown from their places and dashed from side to side of our state-rooms, the rush and tramp of men overhead, the quick, fierce orders of the captain, the cries of the sailors, and the swashing of water as it rolled in over the sides and down the deck of our ship, conspired to impress with a feeling of terror all who were not quite insensible to fear. Happy they who in such an hour rejoice to know that a Father's hand controls the winds and waves, making all things work together for their good!

A few weeks at sea made us feel quite at home in our new residence. Our ship was an ordinary merchantman of six hundred and fifty