Dana, Richard Henry, 1815-1882; Sailors; Seafaring life; Voyages and travels
A half hour served to clear all away, and she was suffered to drive on
with her topmast studding-sail set, it being as much as she could
stagger under.
During all this day and the next night, we went on under the same sail,
the gale blowing with undiminished force; two men at the wheel all the
time; watch and watch, and nothing to do but to steer and look out for
the ship, and be blown along;--until the noon of the next day--
Sunday, July 24th, when we were in latitude 50° 27' S., longitude 62°
13' W., having made four degrees of latitude in the last twenty-four
hours. Being now to northward of the Falkland Islands, the ship was
kept off, north-east, for the equator; and with her head for the
equator, and Cape Horn over her taffrail, she went gloriously on; every
heave of the sea leaving the Cape astern, and every hour bringing us
nearer to home, and to warm weather. Many a time, when blocked up in
the ice, with everything dismal and discouraging about us, had we
said,--if we were only fairly round, and standing north on the other
side, we should ask for no more:--and now we had it all, with a clear
sea, and as much wind as a sailor could pray for. If the best part of
the voyage is the last part, surely we had all now that we could wish.
Every one was in the highest spirits, and the ship seemed as glad as
any of us at getting out of her confinement. At each change of the
watch, those coming on deck asked those going below--"How does she go
along?" and got for answer, the rate, and the customary addition--"Aye!
and the Boston girls have had hold of the tow-rope all the watch, and
can't haul half the slack in!" Each day the sun rose higher in the
horizon, and the nights grew shorter; and at coming on deck each
morning, there was a sensible change in the temperature. The ice, too,
began to melt from off the rigging and spars, and, except a little
which remained in the tops and round the hounds of the lower masts, was
soon gone. As we left the gale behind us, the reefs were shaken out of
the topsails, and sail made as fast as she could bear it; and every
time all hands were sent to the halyards, a song was called for, and we
hoisted away with a will.
Sail after sail was added, as we drew into fine weather; and in one
week after leaving Cape Horn, the long topgallant masts were got up,
topgallant and royal yards crossed, and the ship restored to her fair
proportions.
The Southern Cross we saw no more after the first night; the Magellan
Clouds settled lower and lower in the horizon; and so great was our
change of latitude each succeeding night, that we sank some
constellation in the south, and raised another in the northern horizon.
Sunday, July 31st. At noon we were in lat. 36° 41' S., long. 38° 08'
W.; having traversed the distance of two thousand miles, allowing for
changes of course, in nine days. A thousand miles in four days and a
half!--This is equal to steam.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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