The weather was thick as
buttermilk, so we had to keep the bell constantly ringing, as we could not
see the jib--boom end from the forecastle. Every now and then we heard a
small, hard, clanking tinkle, from the fishing--boats, as if an old pot
had been struck instead of a bell, and a faint hollo, "Fishing--smack," as
we shot past them in the fog, while we could scarcely see the vessels at
all. The morning after this particular time to which I allude, was darker
than any which had gone before it; absolutely you could not see the
breadth of the ship from you; and as we had not taken the sun for five
days, we had to grope our way ahnost entirely by the lead. I had the
forenoon watch, during the whole of which we were amongst a little fleet
of fishing--boats, although we could scarcely see them, but being
unwilling to lose ground by lying to, we fired a gun every half hour, to
give the small craft notice of our vicinity, that they might keep their
bells agoing. Every three or four minutes, the marine drum--boy, or some
amateur performer,--for most sailors would give a glass of grog any day to
be allowed to beat a drum for five minutes on endi--beat a short roll, and
often as we drove along, under a reefed foresail, and close reefed
topsails, we could hear the answering tinkle before we saw the craft from
which it proceeded; and when we did perceive her as we flew across her
stern, we could only see it, and her mast, and one or two well--swathed,
hardy fishermen, the whole of the little vessel forward being hid in a
cloud.
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