I had slept well at night, and was now no more sea-sick, but very cheerful, looking with wonder upon the sea that was so rough and terrible the day before, and could be so calm and so pleasant in so little a time after. And now, lest my good resolutions should continue, my companion comes to me: “Well, Rob,” says he, clapping me upon the shoulder [19] , “how do you do after it? Were you freighted, last night, when it blew a capful of wind?” “A capful do you call it?” said I, “That was a terrible storm!” “A storm?!” replied he, “You call that a storm? Why? It was nothing at all; give us a good ship and sea-room [20] , and we think nothing of such a squall of wind as that; but you are a fresh-water sailor, Rob. Come, let us make a bowl of punch, and we’ll forget all that! Do you see what charming weather it is now?”

To make short this sad part of my story, we went the way of all sailors; the punch was made and I was made half-drunk with it: and in that one night’s wickedness I drowned all my repentance, all my reflections upon my past conduct, all my resolutions for the future.

The sixth day of our being at sea we came into Yarmouth Roads. These Roads are the common harbor, where the ships might wait the tailwind [21] . Here we came to an anchor [22] for seven or eight days. During this time many ships from Newcastle came into the same Roads.

After we had lain four or five days, the wind still blew very hard. However, the crew of our ship was absolutely calm: the Yarmouth Roads are known as the safest place; there is no more danger there, than in any other harbor. Moreover, our ship had the good anchor, and our ground-tackle [23] was very strong. So, our men spent all the time in rest and mirth, after the manner of the sea.

But on the eighth day, in the morning, the wind increased, and we had all hands at work to strike our topmasts [24] , and make everything close, so that the ship might ride as easy as possible.

By noon the sea went very high. Once or twice we thought that our anchor had come home; upon which our master ordered out the sheet-anchor [25] , so that we rode with two anchors ahead.

By this time it blew a terrible storm indeed. Anyone may judge what a condition I must have been in during all this; such a young sailor and so frightened in a first little storm. But it was not the fear of death that scared me. It seemed like a Providence punishment [26] . I had broken my oath, which I gave during the first storm. Now it seemed clear what fate awaited me, if I didn’t return home. And this, added to the terror of the storm, put me into such a condition, that I have no words to describe it.

I was lying still in my cabin, and I heard that the master went in and out of his cabin by mine, saying softly several times a minute “Lord, be merciful to us! [27] We shall be all lost! We shall be all undone!” and the like. I got up out of my cabin and looked out; but such a dismal sight I never saw. I saw terror and amazement in the faces of the seamen themselves. The sea ran mountains high, and broke upon us every three or four minutes.

Towards evening the mate and boatswain [28] asked the master of our ship to let them cut away the fore-mast. [29] When they had cut it away, the main mast [30] shook the ship so much, that they were obliged to cut that away also, and make a clear deck.

Two more ships, that were standing near us, drived from their anchors [31] and were run out of the Roads to sea, at all adventures, without any masts. The similar fate awaited us. The boatswain, the master, and some others more sensible than the rest were praying, expecting every moment that the ship would go to the bottom.

In the middle of the night we found the leak in a hold [32] . One of the men that had been down to see cried out that there was four feet water in the hold. Then all hands were called to the pump. We worked all night long, but the water kept coming. It was clear that the ship would founder; and though the storm began to fall off a little, it was impossible to keep afloat till we might run into any port. So the master began firing guns for help [33] .

The light ship, who had rid it out just ahead of us, sent a boat to help us. But it was impossible for us to get on board, or for the boat to lie near the ship’s side. All the men in the boat were rowing very heartily, and venturing their lives [34] to save ours. Finally, we extended them a rope [35] so they managed to swim very close to the board of our ship, and we all got into their boat. It was no purpose for them or us, after we were in the boat, to think of reaching their own ship; so all agreed to let the boat drive on it’s own, and only to pull it in towards shore as much as we could.