Everything Being Now Ready, And The Passengers Aboard, We Ran Up
The Ensign And Broad Pennant, (For There Was No Man-Of-War, And
We Were The Largest Vessel On The Coast,) And The Other Vessels
Ran Up Their Ensigns.
Having hove short, cast off the gaskets,
and made the bunt of each sail fast by the jigger, with
A man on
each yard; at the word, the whole canvas of the ship was loosed,
and with the greatest rapidity possible, everything was sheeted
home and hoisted up, the anchor tripped and catheaded, and the
ship under headway. We were determined to show the "spouter" how
things could be done in a smart ship, with a good crew, though not
more than half their number. The royal yards were all crossed at
once, and royals and skysails set, and, as we had the wind free,
the booms were run out, and every one was aloft, active as cats,
laying out on the yards and booms, reeving the studding-sail gear;
and sail after sail the captain piled upon her, until she was covered
with canvas, her sails looking like a great white cloud resting
upon a black speck. Before we doubled the point, we were going
at a dashing rate, and leaving the shipping far astern. We had
a fine breeze to take us through the Canal, as they call this bay
of forty miles long by ten wide. The breeze died away at night,
and we were becalmed all day on Sunday, about half way between
Santa Barbara and Point Conception.
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