It was to me a novel and magnificent sight.

Uniform and lofty ridges of waves advancing in rapid succession, and yet with so regular and undisturbed a motion that one might easily fancy these great walls of water to be stationary: yet onward they moved in uniform and martial order; whilst as the ship rose upon their crests she seemed to hover for a moment over the ocean in mid air.

And now the wind drew round to the northward and it blew almost a gale.

The vessel felt its power and bent before it.

It was beautiful to watch the process of hand-reefing topsails and making the vessel snug--the ready obedience to the word of command and the noiseless discipline with which each duty was fulfilled.