We Continued Running Large Before The North-East Trade Winds For
Several Days, Until Monday -
September 22d; when, upon coming on deck at seven bells in the
morning, we found the other watch aloft throwing water upon the
sails; and looking astern, we saw a small clipper-built brig with
a black hull heading directly after us.
We went to work immediately,
and put all the canvas upon the brig which we could get upon her,
rigging out oars for studding-sail yards; and continued wetting
down the sails by buckets of water whipped up to the mast-head,
until about nine o'clock, when there came on a drizzling rain.
The vessel continued in pursuit, changing her course as we changed
ours, to keep before the wind. The captain, who watched her with
his glass, said that she was armed, and full of men, and showed no
colors. We continued running dead before the wind, knowing that
we sailed better so, and that clippers are fastest on the wind.
We had also another advantage. The wind was light, and we spread
more canvas than she did, having royals and sky-sails fore and aft,
and ten studding-sails; while she, being an hermaphrodite brig, had
only a gaff topsail, aft. Early in the morning she was overhauling
us a little, but after the rain came on and the wind grew lighter,
we began to leave her astern. All hands remained on deck throughout
the day, and we got our arms in order; but we were too few to have
done anything with her, if she had proved to be what we feared.
Fortunately there was no moon, and the night which followed was
exceedingly dark, so that by putting out all the lights and altering
our course four points, we hoped to get out of her reach.
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