about six in the morning
They always bring with them a heavy sea , and one of their most dangerous features is the instantaneous chopping round of the wind , an occurrence almost certain to take place during the greatest force of the gale . A perfect hurricane will be blowing at one moment from the northward or northeast , and in the next not a breath of wind will be felt in that direction , while from the southwest it will come out all at once with a violence almost inconceivable . A bright spot to the southward is the sure forerunner of the change , and vessels are thus enabled to take the proper precautions . It was about six in the morning when the blow came on with a white squall , and , as usual , from the northward . By eight it had increased very much , and brought down upon us one of the most tremendous seas I had then ever beheld . Every thing had been made as snug as possible , but the schooner laboured excessively , and gave evidence of her bad qualities as a seaboat , pitching her forecastle under at every plunge and with the greatest difficulty struggling up from one wave before she was buried in another . Just before sunset the bright spot for which we had been on the look-out made its appearance in the southwest , and in an hour afterward we perceived the little headsail we carried flapping listlessly against the mast .