Late yesterday afternoon the westerly winds which we have carried for two days began to weaken, and at seven last evening had eased down to a gentle breeze. Still, a wind which will drive a vessel three hundred miles in thirty hours in this part of the world and allow her to lay her course at the same time is not to be lightly spoken of, and we are all in a happy frame of mind. When the wind had almost let go, however, it began to edge stealthily to the southward, and at 8.30 was at southwest, the dreaded point, blowing in unsteady jerks. We had nothing above the topsails on the ship, though she could easily have carried the royals, but there was no use in piling on the canvas with the look that there was in the southern sky. When the glass stands at 29.00 bad weather must be expected; and when the captain left the deck at 8.45, the moon was peering dimly through a gray, thin squall, bleared and sickly; the sea was coming up from various points in short, convulsive, oily heaves and a frowning rampart of dark cloud was rising in the south. “I’m going below now for a wink,” said the skipper to Mr. Rarx, on watch; “keep your eye open, for when it comes it’ll be sharp work.” He had been down half an hour when, as the second mate and I stood watching the cloud approach nearer, an angry, white glare now below it, suddenly, without a second’s warning, like a blast from a cannon, the wind fell upon us, laying the ship far over, although the spars were almost naked. In a few moments Captain Scruggs rose out of the companion-way and stood for an instant, considering the best move; I have never yet seen him act without thinking, and it doesn’t take him long to decide. “Shall we double-reef ’em, sir?” said Mr. Rarx, meaning the upper topsails. “No, sir,” replied the captain; “let the yards run down and then tie up the sails; call the port watch, sir; all hands shorten sail.” “Ay, ay, sir,” heartily; and the next moment the second mate swung himself down the weather-poop-ladder, stopped for a second to rap on the mate’s door, and then disappeared forward in the wet and gloom, while we could hear his clear, strong voice crying out above the howling wind, “All h-a-n-d-s, shorten s-a-i-l.”