Page:Melancholy consequences of two sea storms.pdf/5

(5) twenty-first, I was alarmed by an unusual noise upon the deck, and running up, perceived that every re ining sail in the vessel, the fore sail one excepted, was totally carried away. The sight was horrible, and the whole vessel presented a spectacle as dreadful to the feelings as mortifying to human pride. Fear had produced, not only all the helplessness of despondency, but all the mischievous aks of insanity. In one place stood the captain, ving, stamping, and tearing his hair in handfuls from his head-here, some of the crew were cast upon their knees, clasping their hands, and praying, with all the extravagance of horror painted in their faces-there, others were flogging their imas with all their might, calling upon them to allay the storm. One of our passengers, who was purser an English East Indiaman, had got hold of a case-ttle of rum, and with an air of distraction and deep dispair imprinted in his face, was stalking about in his shirt. I perceived him to be on the nt of serving it about, in large tumblers, to the w undismayed people; and well convinced, that, far from alleviating, it would sharpen the horrors their mind, I went forward, and with much difficulty prevented him.

"Having accomplished this point, I applied my to the captain, and endeavoured to bring him back (if possible) to his recollection, and to a sense  what he owed to his duty as a commander, and to his dignity as a man: I exhorted him to encourage the sailors by his example; and strove to raise his spirits, by saying that the storm did not appear to me by any means so terrible as some I had before experienced.

"While I was thus employed, we shipped a sea the starboard side, which I really thought would have sent us down. The vessel seemed to sink