Day in the Life
Journal Entry
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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