She Luffed At The Same Moment, And We Just Passed One
Another; Our Spanker Boom Grazing Over Her Quarter.
The officer
of the deck had only time to hail, and she answered, as she went
into the fog again, something about Bristol - probably, a whaleman
from Bristol, Rhode Island, bound out.
The fog continued through the
night, with a very light breeze, before which we ran to the eastward,
literally feeling our way along. The lead was heaved every two hours,
and the gradual change from black mud to sand, showed that we were
approaching Nantucket South Shoals. On Monday morning, the increased
depth and deep blue color of the water, and the mixture of shells and
white sand which we brought up, upon sounding, showed that we were
in the channel, and nearing George's; accordingly, the ship's head
was put directly to the northward, and we stood on, with perfect
confidence in the soundings, though we had not taken an observation
for two days, nor seen land; and the difference of an eighth of
a mile out of the way might put us ashore. Throughout the day a
provokingly light wind prevailed, and at eight o'clock, a small
fishing schooner, which we passed, told us we were nearly abreast
of Chatham lights.
Just before midnight, a light land-breeze sprang up, which carried
us well along; and at four o'clock, thinking ourselves to the
northward of Race Point, we hauled upon the wind and stood
into the bay, west-north-west, for Boston light, and commenced
firing guns for a pilot. Our watch went below at four o'clock,
but could not sleep, for the watch on deck were banging away at
the guns every few minutes. And, indeed, we cared very little
about it, for we were in Boston Bay; and if fortune favored us,
we could all "sleep in" the next night, with nobody to call the
watch every four hours.
We turned out, of our own will, at daybreak, to get a sight of land.
In the grey of the morning, one or two small fishing smacks peered
out of the mist; and when the broad day broke upon us, there lay the
low sand-hills of Cape Cod, over our larboard quarter, and before us,
the wide waters of Massachusetts Bay, with here and there a sail
gliding over its smooth surface. As we drew in toward the mouth
of the harbor, as toward a focus, the vessels began to multiply
until the bay seemed actually alive with sails gliding about in
every direction; some on the wind, and others before it, as they
were bound to or from the emporium of trade and centre of the bay.
It was a stirring sight for us, who had been months on the ocean
without seeing anything but two solitary sails; and over two years
without seeing more than the three or four traders on an almost
desolate coast. There were the little coasters, bound to and
from the various towns along the south shore, down in the bight
of the bay, and to the eastward; here and there a square-rigged
vessel standing out to seaward; and, far in the distance,
beyond Cape Ann, was the smoke of a steamer, stretching along in
a narrow, black cloud upon the water.
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