He ordered
the boats to be hoisted, and the treasure carried below. Every stitch
of canvas had already been taken off the ship by the captain's orders,
and we now rode upon a glassy sea under bare poles. Then the moaning
increased, and presently there appeared upon the horizon a black line
over which lightning played, although no clouds were visible. The
atmosphere was at this time so oppressive that it was difficult to
breathe.
Hartog then ordered the helm to be lashed, the hatches to be put on,
and all hands below, he and I being the last to quit the deck just as
the storm broke upon us with hurricane force.
For three days and nights we remained between, decks, with the hatches
battened down, not knowing but that each moment might be our last. The
noise was deafening, while the violent motion of the vessel made the
getting about from one part of the ship to another difficult and
dangerous. Food and water we obtained with difficulty, not at regular
intervals, but when opportunity offered, crawling from one to another,
and helping those who, from exhaustion, were least able to help
themselves. The air became so foul in the cabin as to cause the ship's
lanterns to burn dimly, so that we feared they would soon be
extinguished.
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