“We’ll catch the but-end of a gulf sneezer soon.  Tell the boys to bear a hand with them sails.  We must get her snug, and stand by to lay her under a double-reefed maintop-sail and jib, with her head to the northward and eastward.  We may make a clear drift—­chance if it lasts long,” said Skipper Thompson, as he stood surveying the horizon and his craft.  Scarcely had he given the orders before the storm burst upon them with all its fury.  Its suddenness can only be appreciated by those who have sailed in the West India passages, where the sudden shocks of the short-chopping sea acts with a tremendous strain upon the hull of a heavy-laden vessel.  The captain ran to the windward gangway, hurrying his men in the discharge of their duty, and giving another order to clew up the coursers and foretop-sail.  Just as the men had executed the first, and were about to pull on the clew-lines of the latter, a sudden gust took effect upon the bag of the sail and carried it clean from the bolt-ropes.  The halyards were lowered and the yards properly braced up, while the Janson was brought to under the canvas we have before described.  In a few minutes more the wind had increased to a gale, and, as the sailors say, several times the old craft “wouldn’t look at it.”  Several times we had to put her helm up, and as many times she shipped those forcing cross seas which drive every thing before them, and sweep the decks.  At length a piece of canvas was lashed to the fore-rigging which gave her a balance, and she rode easy until about five o’clock in the morning, when by a sudden broach the canvas was carried away, and a tremendous sharp sea boarded her forward; starting several stanchions, carrying away part of her starboard bulwark and rail, and simultaneously the foretop-gallant-mast, which snapped just above the withe.  As a natural consequence, every thing was in the utmost confusion—­the old hull worked in every timber.  The wreck swayed to and fro, retarding the working of the vessel and endangering the lives of those who attempted to clear it from obstruction.  Thus she remained for more than half an hour, nearly on her beam-ends, and at the mercy of each succeeding sea that threatened to engulf her.

As daylight broke, the wind lulled, and, as usual in those waters, the sea soon ran down.  Enabled to take the advantage of daylight, they commenced to clear away the wreck.  In the mean time it was found necessary to remove the fore-hatch in order to get out some spare sails that had been stowed away near the forward bulkhead, instead of a more appropriate place.  The mate, after trying the pumps in the early part of the gale, reported that she had started a leak; which, however, was so trifling as to require but one man to keep her free, until she broached, and carried away her topgallant-mast.  The man on duty then reported the water increasing, and another was ordered to assist him.  On an examination in the morning, it was found that she was strained in the fore-channels, and had started a but.