Escaped the “cyclone,” a fresh danger threatened, and from the element more feared by the sailor than either wind or water in their wildest moods.  It was about midnight of December the 14th that the watch on deck were startled by the smell of fire, soon followed by the appearance of smoke pouring out of the ventilator leading up from the berth deck.  The alarm was immediately given; hands turned up and sent to quarters, and a strict investigation made.  Fortunately no damage was done except to a mattress and pea-jacket which were partly consumed; but the escape was a narrow one, and the sentries on duty below no doubt considered themselves well off, to escape with no other punishment for their carelessness than a week’s stoppage of their grog.

On went the Sumter with varying fortune, now running pleasant races with some huge whale, that left a track upon the water almost as broad as her own; now rolling and tumbling in a gale, with ports barricaded to keep the water out, and donkey engine ringed to keep it under.  And at last the continued bad weather and consequent confinement to the crowded lower deck, began to tell upon the health of the crew, and no less than twelve were at one time upon the sick list.  The little vessel herself, too, was getting rapidly invalided.  The leak increased terribly, and fully half the day was taken up at the pumps.  The Christmas-tide entries in the Journal are as follows:—­

Tuesday, December 24th.—­An unpropitious Christmas-eve; the gale of last night continuing, with rain and a densely overcast sky.  The barometer is rising, however, which is a portent that the gale will not last long.  I have abandoned the idea of attempting to run into Fayal.  These Azores seem to be so guarded by the Furies of the storm, that it would appear to be a matter of great difficulty to reach them in the winter season.  We have thirty-eight days of water on board, allowing a gallon to a man; but still I have put the officers and crew on the allowance of three quarts per day.  I will run for the Straits of Gibraltar, which will carry me in the vicinity of Madeira, should I have occasion to make a port sooner.

Weather breaking somewhat at noon, but still thickly overcast.  No observation.  Lat. 37 deg. 31’ N., Long. 31 deg. 71’ W. by computation.  It freshened up from the N. at 2 P.M., and blew a gale of wind all night from N.N.E. to N.N.W.  Running off with the wind a little abaft the beam very comfortably; but the two small pumps were kept going nearly all night.  They do little more than keep her free.

Wednesday, December 25th.—­Christmas-day!  Bringing with it, away here in mid-ocean, all the kindly recollections of the season and home, and church and friends.  Alas! how great the contrast between these things and our present condition.  A leaky ship filled with prisoners of war, striving to make a port through the almost constantly recurring gales of the North Atlantic in mid-winter!  Sick list—­ten