“At another time success seemed to be more in favor of the northeast; for, shortly after this great defeat, the southwest came forth and, like a petty tyrant intoxicated with success, began to oppress the subject ocean.  It blew its gales and filled the air with clouds and rain and fog.  Suddenly the northeast, as under cover of the darkness, and as one driven to desperation, burst forth on its too confident enemy with redoubled fury.  Old ocean groans at the dreadful conflict; for, as in the warring of two hostile armies on the domains of a neutral, the neutral suffers most severely, so the neutral ocean seemed doomed to bear the weight of all their rancor.  The southwest flies affrighted.  And now the northeast, vaunting forth, stalks with the rage of an angry demon over the waters; the ocean foams beneath his breath, it steams and smokes and heaves in agony its troubled bosom.

“But, alas! how few can bear prosperity; how few, when victory crowns their efforts, can rule with moderation; how often, does it happen that we reenact the same scenes for which we punished our enemy.  For now has the northeast become the tyrant and rules with tenfold rigor; he pours forth all his strength and, drunk with success as soldiers after a victory, at length sinks away into an inglorious calm.

“Now does the southwest collect his routed forces, checked but not conquered; he again advances on his recreant foe and seizes the vacant throne without a struggle.  Ill-fated northeast! hadst thou but ruled with moderation when thou hadst gained, with masterly manoeuvre, the throne of the air; hadst thou reserved thy forces against surprise, and not, with prodigal profuseness, lavished them on thy harmless subjects, thou hadst still been monarch of the sea and air; all would have blessed thee as the restorer of peace, and as the deliverer of the ocean from western despotism.  But alas! how art thou fallen an everlasting example of overreaching oppression.

“This evening there is a fine fair wind from northeast carrying us on at the rate of five or six knots.  This is the cause of the foregoing rhapsody.  Had it been otherwise than a fair wind I should never have been in spirits to have written so much stuff.”

Still tantalized by baffling head winds and alternating calms and gales, they were, however, gradually approaching the coast.  Omitting the entries of the next eleven days, I shall quote the final pages of the journal.

“Wednesday, 18th October. Last night was a sleepless night to us all.  Everything wore the appearance of a hard storm; all was dull in the cabin; scarce a word was spoken; every one wore a serious aspect and, as any one came from the deck into the cabin, the rest put up an inquisitive and apprehensive look, with now and then a faint, ’Well, how does it look now?’ Our captain, as well as the passenger captain, were both alarmed, and were poring over the chart in deep deliberation.  A syllable was now and then caught from them, but all seemed despairing.