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225 Saturday Nov 15th.- It commenced blowing last night about 12 Oclock, and this morning, it blows a perfect Gale, and we are going right before it, / a direct course however for us,/ we are under a close reef, fore top sail, flying, & past several vessels laying to- as we were crossing the Gulf Stream, the Ship being so light, with such a tremendious sea on too, could not make her mind her helm, a heavy sea struck her on her Larbord quarter carrying away a part of her wheelhouse and causeing her to broach-too and she lay in the trough of the sea at the mercy of the winds & waves. I stood on the hurricane Deck at the time holding on to a large iron stay, which saved me from rolling down into the Lea-scuppers, as unclear did, when the sea struck her, and she broached too & had it not have been for some old Sea Capts that were on board at the time, and sprung to the wheel taking charge of that- I doubt of our having got out of this perilous situation, so quick as we did, as the Capt of the Steamer appeared frightened at the time,- as the sea struck us he the Capt was standing just behind me, and was thrown down against the leerail, he was soon up again, but not, like the other Capts, had the wheel- it appear this is the first voyage our Capt has ever had command of a ship,