and sent him to
anchor about three miles from North Island (the Island bearing about
W.S.W.), and ran up and anchored near him ourselves. By working hard we
were enabled to get everything we wanted out of him by 2 o'clock A.M.;
and having despatched her crew, together with the crew of the Amanda, in
the boats of the prize, at their own request, we got under way at 4
A.M., and steamed out of sight of the coast by daylight. We were
fortunate enough to get some fowls, fruits, and vegetables from a
bum-boat of Malays, who made a business of supplying ships. The boat
reported that, when she left Angra about two days before, the Wyoming
was there. Fired the ship.

* * * * *

CASE OF THE WINGED RACER.

Ship under United States colours and register, and no claim of the
neutrality of the cargo among the papers; ship bound to New York. Ship
and cargo condemned.

* * * * *

_Wednesday, November 11th._--Made the North Watcher soon after daylight,
and finding that if I continued on at the same speed, I should be up
with Gasper Strait early in the night, and should be obliged to anchor
until daylight, I ordered the steam to be let down, and we were about
making arrangements for getting up the propeller, when a sail was
descried on the port bow, close hauled on the starboard tack. She soon
proved to be a rakish-looking ship, evidently United States. Kept away
from her from time to time as she passed towards our bow, and when we
came near enough we showed her the United States colours. She replied
with the same. I then fired a gun and hoisted our own colours (new
flag). Instead of obeying this signal to heave to, she made sail and
ran. We at once started the fires afresh, the steam having gone entirely
down, and made all sail in pursuit. The chase at this time was about
four miles from us, and for a long time we gained scarcely any thing
upon her. We threw a rifleshot astern him, but he disregarded this also.
Finally, after an exciting chase of one hour and a half (shifting guns,
and sending men aft to trim ship, and giving her a full head of steam),
we came near enough to him to throw a 32 pound shot between his masts,
when he shortened sail, came to the wind, and hove to. If the wind had
been _very_ fresh (it was blowing a good breeze) he would probably have
ran away from us. He proved to be the clipper ship Contest, from
Yokohama (Japan) for New York Captured him,