sail at once. We got the first touch of one during my watch on deck.
I was walking in the lee gangway, and thought that I saw lightning
on the lee bow. I told the second mate, who came over and looked
out for some time. It was very black in the south-west, and in
about ten minutes we saw a distinct flash. The wind, which had
been south-east, had now left us, and it was dead calm. We sprang
aloft immediately and furled the royals and top-gallant-sails,
and took in the flying jib, hauled up the mainsail and trysail,
squared the after yards, and awaited the attack. A huge mist
capped with black clouds came driving towards us, extending over
that quarter of the horizon, and covering the stars, which shone
brightly in the other part of the heavens. It came upon us at
once with a blast, and a shower of hail and rain, which almost
took our breath from us. The hardiest was obliged to turn his back.
We let the halyards run, and fortunately were not taken aback.
The little vessel "paid off" from the wind, and ran on for some
time directly before it, tearing through the water with everything
flying. Having called all hands, we close-reefed the topsails and
trysail, furled the courses and job, set the fore-top-mast staysail,
and brought her up nearly to her course, with the weather braces
hauled in a little, to ease her.

This was the first blow, that I had seen, which could really be
called a gale. We had reefed our topsails in the Gulf Stream, and
I thought it something serious, but an older sailor would have thought
nothing of it. As I had now become used to the vessel and to my duty,
I was of some service on a yard, and could knot my reef-point as
well as anybody. I obeyed the order to lay(1) aloft with the rest,

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