ect of its lasting, and we
had had enough of high latitudes, the captain determined to stand
immediately to the northward, running inside the Falkland Islands.
Accordingly, when the wheel was relieved at eight o'clock, the order was
given to keep her due north, and all hands were turned up to square away
the yards and make sail.

In a moment the news ran through the ship that the captain was keeping her
off, with her nose straight for Boston, and Cape Horn over her taffrail.
It was a moment of enthusiasm. Everyone was on the alert, and even the two
sick men turned out to lend a hand at the halyards. The wind was now due
southwest, and blowing a gale to which a vessel close-hauled could have
shown no more than a single close-reefed sail; but as we were going before
it, we could carry on. Accordingly, hands were sent aloft and a reef
shaken out of the topsails, and the reefed foresail set. When we came to
masthead the topsail yards, with all hands at the halyards, we struck up,
"Cheerly, men," with a chorus which might have been heard halfway to
Staten Island.

Under her increased sail, the ship drove on through the water. Yet she
could bear it well; and the captain sang out from the quarter-deck--
"Another reef out of that fore topsail, and give it to her." Two hands
sprang aloft; the frozen reef points and earings were cast adrift, the
halyards manned, and the sail gave out her increased canvas to the gale.
All hands were kept on deck to watch the effect of the change. It was as
much as she could well carry, and with a heavy sea astern, it took two men
at the wheel to steer her.

She flung the foam from her bows; the spray breaking aft as far as the
gangway. She was going at a prodigious rate. Still, everything held.
Preventer braces were reeved and hauled taut; tackles got upon the
backstays; and everything done to keep all snug and strong. The captain
walked the deck at a rapid stride, looked aloft at the sails, and then to
windward; the mate stood in the gangway, rubbing his hands, and talking
aloud to the ship--"Hurrah, old bucket! the Boston girls have got hold of
the towrope!" and the like; and we were on the forecastle looking to see
how the spars stood it, and guessing the rate at which she was
going,--when the captain called out--"Mr. Brown, get up the topmast
studding sail! What she can't carry she may drag!"

The mate looked a moment; but he would let no one be before him in daring.
He sprang forward,--"H