Page:Memoirs of a Huguenot Family.djvu/257

 Two fowls killed by the bad weather. for dinner, and stirabout for supper. In good health, God be praised.

26th, Sunday.—Wind W. by N. At 5 in the morning, not quite so stormy, but a great sea and much rain. We set our main-sail and fore-sail, and steered S. by E. at the rate of three knots per hour. Provisions scant, all our fowls dead.

27th.—Winds from N. W. to W. by S., very varying, rainy, cloudy, dismal and stormy, the sea great and raging, and we not able to carry any sail.

28th.—The wind at S. W., very stormy. We endeavored to scud before the wind, but the ship would not steer, so we were forced to bring to under our mizzen, driving at the mercy of the sea. The sea was extraordinary great. At the rising of the moon, a star rose close after and followed the moon, which the sailors said was a great sign of a tempest, and upon the like occasions that it commonly happens.

29th.—The wind rose and blew very hard in the morning, and increased continually till it blew a tempest. About 10 at night, we were obliged to take in our mizzen and lay under bare poles, and about two hours and a half after the wind blew so terribly in the rigging that it clapt one side of the ship under water, and the sea-water came in from the steerage door in such abundance, that had it continued long it would have filled the ship. The sailors were for cutting away the mainmast, but two went up and cut away the main-top-mast, and then the ship righted. The main-top-mast fell overboard, but all the ropes not being cut, the sea drove the mast with such violence against the side of the ship that we were afraid it would stave her through; but at last we got clear, and cut all the ropes which held, and were in hopes that we should receive no further damage, but that was not