, and had on
board, as usual, several passengers. Indeed we rarely made a trip
either way without as many as could be accommodated, and many ladies
among them. My observation of the conduct of the fair sex, under trying
and novel circumstances, has convinced me that they face inevitable
dangers more bravely and with more composure than men. I have frequently
seen a frail, delicate woman standing erect and unflinching upon the
deck, as the shells were whistling and bursting over us, while her
lawful protector would be cowering "under the lee" of a cotton bale. I
pay this humble tribute of admiration to the sex, but a cynical old
bachelor, to whom I once made the observation, replied that in his
opinion their insatiable curiosity prevailed even over their natural
fears!

On our outward voyage we had among our passengers ex-Senator Gwin and
his daughter, and Dr. and Mrs. P. We passed safely through the
blockading fleet off the New Inlet Bar, receiving no damage from the few
shots fired at us, and gained an offing from the coast of thirty miles
by daylight. By this time our supply of English coal had been exhausted,
and we were obliged to commence upon North Carolina coal of very
inferior quality, and which smoked terribly. We commenced on this fuel
a little after daylight. Very soon afterwards the vigilant look-out at
the mast-head called out "Sail ho!" and in reply to the "where away"
from the deck, sang out "Right astern, sir, and in chase." The morning
was very clear. Going to the mast-head I could just discern the royal of
the chaser; and before I left there, say in half an hour, her
top-gallant sail showed above the horizon. By this time the sun had
risen in a cloudless sky. It was evident our pursuer would be alongside
of us by mid-day at the rate we were then going. The first orders given
were to throw overboard the deck-load of cotton and to make more steam.
The latter proved to be more easily given than executed; the chief
engineer reporting that it was impossible to make steam with the
wretched stuff filled with slate and dirt. A moderate breeze from the
north and east had been blowing ever since daylight and every stitch of
canvas on board the square-rigged steamer in our wake was drawing. We
were steering east by south, and it was clear that the chaser's
advantages could only be neutralized either by bringing the "Lee"
gradually head to wind or edging away to bring the wind aft. The former
course would be runn