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had a fair wind through the Sound; but arriving at Elsinore late in the evening, we were obliged to anchor in order that the master might go on shore to the custom-house.

It

is a bad custom, Harold, for this lost us our passage; for although the wind blew from the southward all night, yet we had scarcely weighed and got into the Kattegat in the morning, when we were caught by a north easter, which, had we been further advanced, would have taken us out of the Sleeve and across the North Sea, but as it was, drove us back to Elsinore: there we remained for a week, and then, buffeting about for another in the Kattegat, we were at last obliged to take shelter in Norway from the westerly gales."

"I have often thought," said Harold, “ that the Sound List is obtained by unsound policy: surely the Danish Government would not think its dignity hurt, or its rights infringed, by the saving of human life and property; especially if their finances were benefited by it: and cer

tainly, British merchants had better pay double duty on passing the Sound, than have their ships detained in late seasons, to the greatest risk of their loss altogether. You know, Cramer, that every hour is of the greatest consequence there : and could not the duties be paid to the Danish consuls at the ports from which they clear out? Besides, they might still have a check upon them, by every master being obliged to leave a certificate on board the guard ship, from such consul, and which would not detain the ships: I hope, when we are again at peace with Denmark, our Government will look to it."

CHAPTER IV.

Cease, rude Boreas! blustering railer,
List, ye landsmen! all to me;
Messmates, hear a brother sailor

Sing the dangers of the sea.

OLD SONG.

"THE detention before alluded to, brought us into the dreary month of November. The high mountains were already covered with snow, and the ice in the harbour warned us to be gone, or remain there for the winter. We put to sea with a light breeze from the eastward; but before we had got twenty miles to the northward of the Naze, it died away in light drifting showers of snow, and left our sails flapping against the masts, and our ropes feathered with frost work. As the sun went down, the snow

ceased, and a dark cloud, fringed with wild white, arose in the west-while a gentle ripple on the heaving, oily-looking sea, heralded a breeze from that direction, which before morning ripened into a strong gale.

66 The ship was in no very safe situation, as we could not fetch the mouth of the Sleeve on one tack, nor weather the Norwegian land on the other.

"At three o'clock in the morning, it was dark and dreary; the wind was still unabated, and showers of sleet whistled through the rigging.

"Nothing could be seen around us but the flying spray, topping the furious waves, that threatened to break on board of us at every surge; for we were obliged to carry a press of sail, to keep the ship to windward.

"All hands were on deck: the ship lurched heavily in the hollow of the waves, and the very masts shook, when their wild and curling tops struck the bow.

"The mainsail flew in tatters, and at that mo

ment a loud crack was heard forward: the bowsprit had risen a foot from its place; the gammoning, which was rotten, had given way; the masts were in danger: the helm was instantly put a-weather, the ship flew before the wind, the foresail was hauled up, the runners and tackles were boused up to the stem, and a hawser passed out of the hawseholes over the bowsprit: this saved the masts, and the ship was again brought to the wind.

"We knew that we must have run several miles to leeward while the bowsprit was securing; but the loss of our masts there, would have been death to us, for we then heard the roaring of the breakers against the iron-bound coast. As daylight broke, red and fiery streaks with wind galls were seen among the clouds, and the rugged mountains of Norway, fleeced in white, were just showing their towering peaks above the misty curtain which hung over the horizon to the eastward. All eyes gazed with horror at a sight which, in security, would have been

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