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As we were obliged to carry the hides on our heads from fear of their getting wet , we each had a piece of sheepskin sewed into the inside of our hats , with the wool next to our heads , and thus were able to bear the weight , day after day , which would otherwise have soon worn off our hair , and borne hard upon our skulls . Having filled the ship up , in this way , to within four feet of her beams , the process of steeving commenced , by which an hundred hides are got into a place where one could not be forced by hand , and which presses the hides to the utmost , sometimes starting the beams of the ship , resembling in its effects the jack-screws which are used in stowing cotton . The atmosphere , which had previously been clear and cold , for the last few hours grew damp , and had a disagreeable , wet chilliness in it ; and the man who came from the wheel said he heard the captain tell " the passenger " that the thermometer had fallen several degrees since morning , which he could not account for in any other way than by supposing that there must be ice near us ; though such a thing had never been heard of in this latitude , at this season of the year . When the water ran off , we picked the sheep up , and put them in the long-boat , got the long-boat , got the galley back in its place , and set things a little to rights ; but , had not our ship had uncommonly high bulwarks and rail , everything must have been washed overboard , not excepting Old Bill and the cook . Two close-reefed top-sails were all the sail she had on , and every sail and rope was frozen so stiff in its place , that it seemed as though it would be impossible to start anything . Day after day , Captain Faucon went up to the hill to look out for us , and at last , gave us up , thinking we must have gone down in the gale which we experienced off Point Conception , and which had blown with great fury over the whole coast , driving ashore several vessels in the snuggest ports . We were moored , stem and stern , within a cable 's length of the shore , safe from south-easters , and with very little boating to do ; and as it rained nearly all the time , awnings were put over the hatchways , and all hands sent down between decks , where we were at work , day after day , picking oakum , until we got enough to caulk the ship all over , and to last the whole voyage . In obedience to the mate 's orders , I went back to my berth ; but a more miserable night I never wish to spend . The days became shorter and shorter ; the sun running lower in its course each day , and giving less and less heat ; and the nights so cold as to prevent our sleeping on deck ; the Magellan Clouds in sight , of a clear night ; the skies looking cold and angry ; and , at times , a long , heavy , ugly sea , setting in from the southward , told us what we were coming to .