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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 (illegible text)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 (illegible text)aks of insanity. In one place stood the captain, (illegible text)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 ima(illegible text)s with all their might, calling upon them to allay the storm. One of our passengers, who was purser (illegible text) an English East Indiaman, had got hold of a case-(illegible text)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 (illegible text)nt of serving it about, in large tumblers, to the (illegible text)w undismayed people; and well convinced, that, far from alleviating, it would sharpen the horrors (illegible text) their mind, I went forward, and with much difficulty prevented him.
"Having accomplished this point, I applied my (illegible text) to the captain, and endeavoured to bring him back (if possible) to his recollection, and to a sense (illegible text) 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 (illegible text) the starboard side, which I really thought would have sent us down. The vessel seemed to sink
