The incessant rolling of the ship made this a difficult eHa ijob; they were however securely spiked and plenty of o-ood lashings packed round them, after which, we considered the mast secure. While we were engaged about this job, the slings of the mainyard broke, and it came down among us, and although there were twenty men at work on the mast under it, not one was injured. The yard broke off in the middle, and while hauling it out of the way, we heard the report that the foremast was sprung. This was apalling news, especially just at this time. Capt. Downes wished me to go forward and examine it, which I did, and sure enough, it was broken off just above the deck, and in several places higher up.
I left the mainmast now in the hands of the sailors, who were securing the lashings, and took my crew forward, cleared away the wedges, and with much difficulty, we succeeded in getting the fishes in their places, and spiking the ends, as we had done with the mainmast. The top-mast and top-sail yard had already gone over, together with the jib-boom. The lashings were passed and secured in a workman-like manner. We got up two large tacklea on each side, to assist in supporting the mast, as the forerigging was somewhat slack. This was done while we were securing the fishes, and we now considered the mast safe. And strange as it may appear, the foreyard came down in about the same manner as did the main, and without any damage to those at work under it.
The gale had not abated, but came on in sudden and fearful gusts that lasted from fifteen to twenty minutes, and during these squalls it seemed as if the heavens and earth were coining together. Our quarter boats were blown away as though they had been made of paper, and as though the tempest had marked us for a plaything, and before we had got through with securing the mainmast, crash went the mizzenmast over the side. It broke short off about four feet above deck. All hands were called to clear the wreck. A piece of the mast had got under the stern, and was thumping against the bottom, and would have soon made a hole in the ship if not speedily removed.
All the axes, hatchets, and every sort of an instrument having an edge, were employed in cutting away the rigging. I took my position on the weather quarter, and with an adze cut away whatever belonged to the mizzen-mast; and although busily employed, holding on with one hand, and cutting away with the other, I could not help pausing occasionally, when the full moon would shine forth at short intervals between the rapid scuds, and there, all around upon the white crest of the mountain waves, were the dark fragments of our shattered spars and broken boats. And then the black heavy clouds would shut.,out the light again, as if it was a favor too great for us.
At length the morning dawned. It was the Sabbath. The Almighty had said " Peace, be still!" The raging billows, obedient to the Divine command, had drooped their proud heads, and now all was still. Here we lay like a rolling log upon the ocean, and all around the decks were groups of exhausted seamen, catching a few moments sleep. Here we see Nature acting in direct contrast. Only a few hours before, the elements seemed as if soon to melt with fervent heat, and the heavens to be rolled togetJwr as a scroll Now all is hushed; a lighted taper may be carried fore and aft without being extinguished. The glorious sun emerges from the —o+ov shooting his rays over the glassy ocean, as though had happened.
There is poor Jack perhaps, at this, in happy converse with some loved one on shore, but im must soon be disturbed, and changed into the ' CD >f clearing the wreck, and getting up jury masts.) had taken no food for twentv-four hours, there was place in each stomach that required to be filled. ns were served out, and we all had a good warm jt. I knew well what part of the play devolved on after consulting with the first lieutenant, went to;.th my crew. My first job was to get up a jury nast. This we did by cutting off the stump of the aast close to the deck, then cut a mortice in it, took — longest part of the broken main-yard, cut a tenon in the end, and shipped it into the stump of the mizzen-mast.
Mr. Percival, (now Capt. Percival,) had the management of the rigging department. We also got up a top-gallant mast on the fore, and another on the mainmast, next fixed up the waist that had been stove in by a heavy sea, got a top sail yard on each inast on which we could carry a whole topsail in good weather, and top-gallant sails over them. Our jib-boom went with the foretop-mast, and the bow-sprit was sprung so that all that we could do forward was to set a flying jib, and in two or three days we were quite snug. When we turned the ship's head for home, we were one thousand miles east of Norfolk, and for which place we steered.