Our first mate being an active man, made us a
few table forks from an old barrel hoop, using the
anchor as an anvil. These, with our pocket-
knives, served as a substitute for those we had lost.
This little occurrence manifests the propriety of
passengers providing themselves each with an
extra knife and fork.

About two days after this, we got clear of both
the English and Irish coast, and made a rapid
progress on our way across the Atlantic. There
seemed every probability of our being favoured
with a short passage; but, in a voyage at sea, as
in the voyage of life, it often happens that our
prospects are not realized.

After about two weeks of fair wind in the gene-
ral, we began to experience hard gales, and from
unfavourable quarters; so that for a week or ten
days, we made but little way. The patience of our
Captain being a good deal tried, and his temper
somewhat soured, he was liable to use harsh lan-
guage to his people, and particularly to a black
man who was steward of the ship. On one occasion,
the ship had laid to for several hours, not being
able to carry any sail, excepting a single one to
steady her. In this state she was left to drift be-
fore the wind, which was then, to use the Captain's
expression, blowing a hurricane, and she was of
course a good deal agitated. The waves, according