Every thing movable was capsized. Those below, thinking the vessel was going down, came hurriedly upon deck with horror most visibly depicted on their countenance. For some time all stood still, momentarily expecting the next moment would see us engulphed beneath the billows. Fortunately for us our sails were all stowed, as is customary in the time of boiling the oil, except a close reefed main-top-sail and fore-sail. The fore-sail was hauled up soon as possible, and the helm seized by one of the officers. The violence of the wind abated somewhat, when the rain came down in torrents, accompanied by lightning and thunder. The gale continued from the N. E. about six hours, when it suddenly shifted to the opposite point of the compass and blew, if possible, with redoubled energy, another six hours. The vessel creaked most terribly in[100] her struggles, her lee gunwales in the water, and the sea breaking yard arm high. The captain thought proper at this time to lighten her of her top hamper. We were obliged to mount the masts to a distance of seventy or eighty feet, and when there, with every swell of the sea we would be carried with great velocity through a space of eighty or a hundred feet. The screams of those below, as they tried to make themselves heard, came to our ears, borne upon the tempest, like the shrieks of the dying. The mast and yards being let go eased her considerably, though the storm raged with unabated fury. Never before had I seen the sea presenting such an awful spectacle. "The fearful commotion which it was under was indeed indescribably sublime, yet was too dreadfully terrific, when at its height, to allow of much enjoyment. When it evidently begins to abate, and hope tells you the worst is passed, you are left to the indulgence of unmingled and enthusiastic admiration, and may gaze with delight at the ever varying scene, as wave after wave rears its monstrous head 'and casts its foaming horrors to the clouds.' "But, till this change does take place—while every successive blast blows harder and harder, and each billow threatens more surely than its precursor, to bury you under its weight,—it is impossible. Thoughts of fear must check, if they do not take entire place of the higher feelings of admiration." At length the fury of the tempest abated; we finished trying the oil, made sail and stood for the Sandwich[101] Islands. Nothing of note occurred while on the passage. Reached Maui the first of October, 1834. Having cut my foot on the passage, I was put under the charge of a resident physician, where I remained fourteen days. At the expiration of that time we took our departure from the island and stood away for the Navigators' Islands, cruising for whales, though taking only a few, and those very small. Cruising among the different groups, we reached Pitcairn's Island in the month of December.