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upon the spit.

Sept. 30th
A shrieking SE. gale with hard showers of rain every few moments the entire day kept everyone weather bound.  The gusts tore down the hills so to make the vessels surge heavily at their moorings and necessitated the letting go of another Anchor to aid the buoy to which we were fast. The surface of the bay was beaten white with foam and every few moments a 'wooly' would swoop down and with a curved stroke upon the water beat up a cloud of spray & cast it high in the air as though enjoying a wild frolic while in quick succession other storm sprites followed until the bay would be covered with flying spray.

In the midst of all this turmoil could be seen the ravens (veritable storm imps) whirling & circling through the flying scud overhead – I have never seen mentioned the power these birds posess of gliding about in the midst of a fierce storm apparently exulting in the wildness of the scene & casting his black shadow over everything as he glides about. In calm weather he enacts the role of Pantaloons in a suit of black and circles and tumbles overhead in a jolly company like a lot of rollicking undertakers drawing innumerable corks or uttering queer chuckling notes and cries

Transcription Notes:
GG: added "SE." in line after Sept. 30th