again the dense darkness lit up by a vivid flash of lightning; the deck
appears for the moment peopled by phantoms combined with the fury of the
elements to bring destruction on the noble little vessel with its
precious freight struggling and trembling in their grasp.

The following morning the storm had quite abated, but the sea was such
as can be seen only in mid-ocean. Our little ship (she was only 700
tons) appeared such an atom in comparison with the enormous mountains of
water. At one moment we would be perched on the summit of a wave,
seemingly hundreds of feet high, and immediately below a terrible abyss
into which we were on the point of sinking; the next we would be placed
between two mountains of water which seemed going to engulf us.

I always took a place with the sailors on emergencies, to give a hand at
hauling the ropes, and got to be fairly expert at climbing into the
rigging. The rope-hauling was done to some chant started by the
boatswain or one of the sailors--this is necessary to ensure that the
united strength of the pullers is exerted at the same moment. One of the
chants I well remember. It was:--


"_Haul_ a bowlin', the 'Mary Anne's' a-_rollin'_.
_Haul_ a bowlin', a bowlin' _haul_;
_Haul_ a bowlin', the good ship's a-_rollin'_;
_Haul_ a bowlin', a bowlin' _haul_."


The chant is sung out in stentorian notes by the leader, and on the word
in italics every man joins in a tremendous and united pull.