changes of
blockade-running, always took his place at the wheel on trying
occasions. He had nerves of steel, and would have steered the vessel
without flinching against a line of battle ship, if so ordered. Upon one
occasion, after we had crossed the Western Bar, and were steaming at
full speed along the coast, we suddenly discovered a long low blockader
on our starboard bow, and at the same instant, distinctly heard the
order from the stranger's deck, to "pass along the shell!" I called out
to my old helmsman, "Port and run her down!" and if the strange vessel
had not moved out of our way with alacrity, she would have been
assuredly cut in two. We grazed her stern by a hair's breadth as we shot
by her at the rate of thirteen knots. Before they had recovered from the
confusion on board of her, we had passed into the darkness beyond, and
the shell which they sent after us flew wide of its mark.

McLean was now placed at the wheel. It was a close race for hours,
neither apparently gaining or losing a foot; but Providence again
befriended us. As the day advanced, the breeze, which was very light
from the northward at daylight, continued to freshen from that quarter.
We soon set all of our canvas, and so did the chaser, but as the latter
was square rigged, and we carried fore and aft sails, our sheets were
hauled flat aft, and the Chameleon kept close to the wind by the steady
old helmsman. I do not doubt that we would have been overhauled but for
this favorable contingency. Head to wind our pursuer would certainly
have overtaken us, and off the wind her chances would have been almost
equally good. But she began to drop gradually to leeward as the wind
continued steady, and by two o'clock in the afternoon, she was five or
six miles distant on our lee quarter. Although we had not increased the
distance between us much, if any, since the commencement of the chase,
we had weathered upon the chaser until her sails had become useless
about twelve o'clock when she furled them. As the snowy cloud of canvas
was rolled up like magic, and the tall tapering spars were seen in its
place, I supposed the cruiser was about to retire from the contest; but
she still followed with the tenacity of a bloodhound. But apparently to
no purpose till about two o'clock, when the chief engineer, Mr.
Schroeder, appeared on the bridge with the report that the journals were
heated, and it was absolutely necessary to stop to ease the bearings!
This was a