At 7 p.m. both wind and sea increased, and a huge mountain of water broke over the port quarter and swept the decks, the whole length of her. The cabin skylight was burst in and the water flooded below, breaking into the saloon and cabins, the sail locker, the lazarette and even into the ’tween decks; the companion hatch on the poop was carried away, and along with it went both compasses, stands and binnacles, side lights and screens, the patent log from the taffrail; in fact, pretty near everything on the decks except the wheel. Mr. Le Sueur, the mate, lost no time in getting a sail over the gaping skylight and all hands were turned to bailing out the water from below, which was up to one’s waist in the cabin. 8 p.m. found the gale still blowing with undiminished force, and the ship was rolling heavily as she ran before it. By midnight the seas were mountainous and the squalls became fiercer and more frequent. About 4 a.m. a big sea washed out the carpenter’s quarters, and “Chips,” under the impression that the ship was sinking by the head, made the best of his way aft. But Captain Bowling and his officers were all below clearing up the wrecked cabin, etc. The carpenter, thereupon, informed the man at the wheel of his fears, with the result that the latter had an attack of nerves, thought he was running the ship under, and allowed her to come to. As the ship broached to, the cargo shifted for the second time and the _Invercargill_ went over on her beam ends. The foresail, fore upper topsail, jib, fore topmast staysail and main royal all blew adrift out of the gaskets and were soon in tatters. The lifeboat to leeward was lifted out of her davits and swept away. Then, whilst the ship lay down with her lee foreyard arm dipped 6 feet into the broken water to leeward, the seas worked havoc on the flooded main deck. Daylight disclosed the extent of the damage; the galley was gutted, the carpenter’s shop was bare, all his tools gone and the doors smashed in; the contents of the bosun’s locker, paint locker, and the mate’s and second mate’s cabins were washed clean out of them, and gone overboard. The topgallant bulwarks to leeward were all gone, and the running gear being dragged backwards and forwards through the swinging ports was cut to pieces, two of these ports had been torn off their hinges; the foc’s’le-head and poop ladders were gone and all the poop stanchions; whilst the racks for handspikes and capstan bars were empty. All that day and the next night the _Invercargill_ lay like a log with her lee rail buried deep and her main deck full of water. At last, early on 10th December, the wind dropped very light and went into the S.W. with thick weather.