"Dreary and hollow moans foretold a gale;
Nor long the issue tarried; then the wind,
Unprisoned, blew its trumpet loud and shrill;
* * * * the rain
Came down like music."
The fore and main royals were clewed up; the breeze still freshening, we clewed up and stowed the fore and main-top-gallant sails, running thus until near daylight, when we single reefed the top-sails. At twelve that day, were under close reefed main-top-sail and reefed fore-sail, bounding along at the rate of twelve knots per hour. Thus we ran until we sighted Terra del Fuego. As we hauled around the Cape the wind seemed to follow us; the sea ran quarterly on the vessel and very high.
A heavy sea struck us on our quarter, and hove her on her beam ends; immediately letting go the fore sheet relieved her, and again she righted, broaching to as she done so. Hauling up and stowing her fore-sail, we hove her to, headed towards the Atlantic. The wind again shifted into the southwest, and abated somewhat, still the sea ran high indeed. We made all sail possible and drove her through the swells; sometimes she would scoop up water with her bows and throw it off astern, washing the men about deck in spite of all efforts to the contrary.
The weather was intensely cold, and, had we been compelled to have staid there much longer, I fear we should have frozen to death, for our clothes were already stiff with ice.
The wind continued in the southward till we reached the entrance of St. George's Channel; cast lead and found sixty fathoms of water; then bearing full, we saw Cape Clear in a few hours. The wind heading us blew down the channel for three days, during which we could make no progress at all. This seemed indeed tedious, being so near our port of destination. The wind springing up, and all sail set, we ran up the channel for Liverpool; took in a pilot at Holy Head, who hove us to at the Old Alms Head that night, and took us in the next morning.
As we came along the pier head we hired men to secure the sails, such was our anxiety to be on shore. The next day we were paid off, and took our chests to the boarding-house.
Liverpool, at the mouth of the Mersey, on the Irish Sea, is an important commercial city, being next to London, the greatest port in the British empire.
It is situated from Manchester thirty-six miles, and two hundred and four from London. The city is irregularly built, but the public buildings are elegant.
The Exchange is double the size of the Royal Exchange of London, and cost the immense sum of £100,000.
The Town Hall is another noble edifice.