t drifting too near the shore.
These are some of the anxieties of a commander that his officers
scarcely ever know anything about. Our prize was burned off
Cape Raphael. I did not turn in until near midnight; was called
two hours afterwards, upon having run a prescribed distance;
turned in again, and had just fallen comfortably asleep, when the
officer of the deck came down in great haste to inform me that a
large ship was standing down directly for us. We were hove to,
and as the moon had gone down, and the night was dark, I knew
she must be close aboard of us. I immediately ordered the maintopsail
to be filled, and hurrying on a few clothes, sprang on deck.
At a glance I saw that the danger was passed, as the intruder was
abaft the beam, running to leeward. Wore round and followed him.

_Monday, December 1st._--A stiff trade, with squall clouds. A
whirlwind passed near us. We had just time to take in the port
studding sails, which had been set in chase of the unwelcome disturber
of my rest last night. The chase proved to be a Spanish
hermaphrodite brig. * * * * Land in sight on the port
beam, and at noon the cape just ahead.

_Tuesday, December 2nd._ * * * * Running down the land.
Off the Grange at noon. Last night, at ten o'clock, a sail was reported
on the port quarter, nearly astern, running down before the
wind like ourselves. Having lights up, and looming up large, I
called all hands to quarters and cleared the ship for action, pivoting
on the port side, and loading the guns. As the stranger
ranged up nearly abeam of us, distant about eight hundred yards,
we discovered him to be a heavy steamer, under steam, and with
all studding sails set on both sides. Here was a fix! We had no
steam ourselves, and our propeller was triced up!

A few minutes, however, decided our suspense. From the quiet
movement of the steamer on her course, without shortening sail, or
otherwise, so far as we could see, making preparation for battle, it
was quite evident that he was not an enemy. He was a ship of
war--probably a Spaniard, bound from San Domingo to Cuba.
My first intention was to range up alongside and speak him, and
for this purpose I set the foresail and topgallant sails. But we
were soon left far astern, and the stranger was out of sight long
before we could have got up steam and lowered the propeller in
chase.

About 3 P.M. made the island of Tortuga. A sail reported on
the starboard bow, standing across our bows on