Login

A bright moon meant clear weather. A heavily clouded night sky, or a halo around the moon, or a touch of rheumatism in the forecaster's joints meant rain. Large rays emitted by a rising or setting sun, or very red clouds on the horizon at dawn or dusk meant a tempest. An exceptionally calm, clear sea with many more fish than usual jumping wildly on or near the surface, followed by huge ocean swells not produced by wind, meant a hurricane was on its way.

"Very early in the morning of the sixth, when it was still quite dark, the wind, which had been blowing strongly from the southeast, suddenly ceased and we were becalmed, but the buckling seas caused all the ships to rock from side to side a great deal. It was so dark that we could not see a single star or even any of the nearby ships, but we could hear orders being shouted aboard several ships."

The orders concerned the measures that were customarily taken aboard ship in preparation for a storm. The longboat, which was towed behind the ship so that the sun would not shrink the wood and open the seams, was taken aboard and tied down. Hatches, passageways, and ventilation ports were battened down to prevent seas from washing below. Lines were strung all over the ship to give the seamen something to hold on to while they performed their tasks.

Below deck, seamen tied down the cargo so that it would not shift during the storm's buffeting and cause the ship to capsize. The pitching and rolling a ship was subjected to in a storm always strained the hull, opening seams, and carpenters, coopers, and caulkers, assisted by seamen, were stationed below deck to search for and repair leaks from the inside, while divers were sent overboard to do the same from the outside. The most important safety measure-often the difference between life and death for everyone aboard a ship-was the hoisting of a storm sail. The regular sails were taken down, and a small, thick sail was placed as low on the forward-most mast to avoid strain on the mast. The storm sail served to keep the ship running before the wind and to make the rudder respond to steerage. Without a storm sail, a ship would be turned sideways to the wind and seas, ready to be overturned by the first big wave that came along.

"The wind was so strong, and, although only the small storm sail was set, the pressure on the masts and rigging was so great that many ropes began snapping and spars and other rigging began falling to the deck. The captain, although a scoundrel in our eyes, proved at least that he was courageous, for he risked his life throughout the duration of the storm.... With waves sometimes going completely over him, he stood right in the waist of the ship, so as to be better heard above the howling wind, and gave orders in helping save the ship"  [The orders undoubtedly pertained to chopping up the fallen rigging and tossing the pieces overboard, for an accumulation of weight on any one section of the ship could cause it to capsize].  "We heard a frightful noise, which sounded like a million demons screaming, coming from the north. Seconds later such a powerful wind struck the ship that it was almost toppled over on its side. Great panic ensued. It was a norther, which many believe can be worse than a hurricane. When the ship heeled over, two of the iron cannons broke loose from their places, rolled across the main deck, and broke right through the far side of the ship, dragging one young seaman, whose leg got caught in some ropes of a cannon carriage, into the boiling sea.