While we were carrying the hides to the boat, I perceived, what I had been too busy to observe before, that heavy black clouds were rolling up from seaward, a strong swell heaving in, and every sign of a southeaster.  The captain hurried everything.  The hides were pitched into the boats, and, with some difficulty, and by wading nearly up to our armpits, we got the boats through the surf, and began pulling aboard.  Our gig’s crew towed the pinnace astern of the gig, and the launch was towed by six men in the jolly-boat.  The ship was lying three miles off, pitching at her anchor, and the farther we pulled, the heavier grew the swell.  Our boat stood nearly up and down several times; the pinnace parted her tow-line, and we expected every moment to see the launch swamped.  At length we got alongside, our boats half full of water; and now came the greatest trouble of all,—­ unloading the boats in a heavy sea, which pitched them about so that it was almost impossible to stand in them, raising them sometimes even with the rail, and again dropping them below the bends.  With great difficulty we got all the hides aboard and stowed under hatches, the yard and stay tackles hooked on, and the launch and pinnace hoisted, chocked, and griped.  The quarter-boats were then hoisted up, and we began heaving in on the chain.  Getting the anchor was no easy work in such a sea, but as we were not coming back to this port, the captain determined not to slip.  The ship’s head pitched into the sea, and the water rushed through the hawse-holes, and the chain surged so as almost to unship the barrel of the windlass. ``Hove short, sir!’’ said the mate. ``Aye, aye!  Weather-bit your chain and loose the topsails!  Make sail on her, men,—­ with a will!’’ A few moments served to loose the topsails, which were furled with reefs, to sheet them home, and hoist them up. ``Bear a hand!’’ was the order of the day; and every one saw the necessity of it, for the gale was already upon us.  The ship broke out her own anchor, which we catted and fished, after a fashion, and were soon close-hauled, under reefed sails, standing off from the lee shore and rocks against a heavy head sea.  The fore course was given to her, which helped her a little; but as she hardly held her own against the sea, which was setting her to leeward—­ ``Board the main tack!’’ shouted the captain, when the tack was carried forward and taken to the windlass, and all hands called to the handspikes.  The great sail bellied out horizontally, as though it would lift up the main stay; the blocks rattled and flew about; but the force of machinery was too much for her. ``Heave ho!  Heave and pawl!  Yo, heave, hearty, ho!’’ and, in time with the song, by the force of twenty strong arms, the windlass came slowly round, pawl after pawl, and the weather clew of the sail was brought down to the water-ways.  The starboard watch hauled aft the sheet, and the ship tore through the water like a mad horse, quivering and shaking at every joint, and dashing from her head