It lasted but a few seconds, and then died away.
"Hold on!" the captain again shouted.
Half a minute later, with a tremendous roar, the wind struck the brig.

Knowing which way it would come, Fairclough had, half an hour before, lowered a boat and brought the vessel's head round, so that it pointed north.

The boat had then been hoisted up.
In the interval of waiting, the ship's head had slightly drifted round, again, and the wind struck her on the quarter.

So great was the pressure that she heeled far over, burying her bows so deeply that it seemed as if she were going to dive, head foremost.

The water swept over the bulwarks in torrents, and extended almost up to the foot of the foremast.