13th The wind changed to the west again
during the last night. It is an exceding
cold day like the bank weather of the
coast of North America we have a light
head wind but a vary heavy swell As
though there had been A Heavy blow or
immediately would be And According to the
Barometer yesterday A cold snow storm
set in at 10 oclok the snow and wind contin[u]ed
untill 4 oclock which coverd the ship with
snow sleet & frost. it then increased to
a gale And the Air so full of snow we
could not see scarcely any distance the
whole rigon began to be coverd with ice
& it was so cold the wheel & watch had
to be releaved vary often to keep them
from freezing it is a cold North westen
the gale in the evening arose to A Hurricane
And dreadful cold I never saw so gloomy
A time for sailers All canvass was taken
in except one or two small stay sails to
steady the ship they then lit her drive
I never saw so gloomy a time at sea on
board of A ship in the midst of A Hurrica
ne, the raging billows pouring out there
fury upon us evry thing stifning up with
cold & frost No one knowing whats [next]
the yards would be blown away or a
mast go by the board or the ship spring
a leak or founder & go to the bottom
It was Amid thiese reflections late in
the evening that I stood on deck & gazed
late in the evening upon the wild & dismal
appearanc that surrounded me And raised
A secret pray to my Heavenly father to
prote[c]t us then with calmnes & composur
retired to my bunk leaving all in the hands
of God
No person can form any idea of the
Awfully grandure & dismal appearance of
such a scene without the sight it is in
the midst of such scenes that I wonder
And marvel that men enough can be
found in the world to carry on the com-
merce of the Nations of the earth by sea
that can be hired to follow such a trade
pass through such exposures & suffer such
privations for the paltry sum of $10 or
$15 per month. we however through the
goodness of God And the strenght of a str[o]ng
oak ship passed through the scene withot
damage the dwind died away during the
night & the gale ceased & we were all preser
ved
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I never saw so gloomy a time at sea on board of A ship in the midst of A Hurrica ne, the raging billows pouring out there fury upon us evry thing stifning up with cold & frost No one knowing whats [next] the yards would be blown away or a mast go by the board or the ship spring a leak or founder & go to the bottom It was Amid these reflections late in the evening that I stood on deck & gazed late in the evening upon the wild & dismal appearanc that surrounded me And raised A secret pray to my Heavenly father to protect us then with calmnes & composur retired to my bunk leaving all in the hands of God
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