Mr G.F. Relates An Interesting Enough Alarm That Occurred
During This Stormy Weather.
"A petty officer in the forepart of the
vessel, awaking suddenly, heard a noise of water streaming through his
birth, and breaking itself against his own and his mess-mates' chests;
he leaped out of his bed, and found himself to the middle of his leg
in water.
He instantly acquainted the officer of the quarter-deck with
the dreadful circumstances, and in a few moments almost every person
was in motion; the pumps were employed, and the officers encouraged
the seamen with an alarming gentleness, to persevere in their work;
notwithstanding which the water seemed to gain upon us; every soul was
filled with terror, increased by the darkness of the night. The chain-
pumps were now cleared, and our sailors laboured at them with great
alacrity; at last one of them luckily discovered that the water came
in through a scuttle (or window) in the boatswain's store-room, which
not having been secured against the tempestuous southern ocean, had
been staved in by the force of the waves. It was immediately
repaired," &c. Incidents of this kind are not often related by a
commander, but they are useful to a reader by diversifying the records
of bearings, courses, &c. &c. - E.
[2] "At half past ten in the evening, some water which had been
spilled on the deck was frozen, and in the morning we passed the first
island of ice. It was not very high, was smooth on the top and sides,
and not rugged like those I have seen in the north seas." W. - Mr
Forster in his observations has entered into a very important
discussion respecting the formation of the ice islands, but it is
vastly too long for insertion in this place.
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