time was three in the afternoon. In spite of the haziness it
was intermittent, and an hour earlier he had been able to fix his
position by St. Anthony, which then bore N. by W. distant six or seven
miles. He was then sailing by the wind close-hauled lying S.S.E.1/2E.,
in other words, standing away from the land out into mid-channel, the
breeze being steady. By three o'clock the _Fisgard_ had only travelled
about another six or seven miles, so that she was now about 12-1/2 miles
from St. Anthony or just to seaward of the Lizard. It was at this time
that the frigate sighted a smaller craft, fore-and-aft rigged and
heading N.N.W., also on a wind, the breeze being abaft her port, or,
as they called it in those days, the larboard-beam. This subsequently
turned out to be the cutter _Flora_, and the course the cutter was
taking would have brought her towards the Dodman. The haze had now
lifted for a time, since although the _Flora_ was quite eight miles
away she could be descried. Knowing that this cutter had no right to
be within a line drawn between the Lizard and Prawl Point, the
_Fisgard_ starboarded her helm and went in pursuit. But the _Flora's_
crew were also on the look-out, though not a little displeased that
the fog had lifted and revealed her position. When she saw that the
_Fisgard_ was coming after her she began to make off, bore up, and
headed due North. But presently she altered her tactics and hauled
round on the starboard tack, which would of course bring her away
from the land, make her travel faster because her head-sails would
fill, and she hoped also no doubt to get clear of the Prawl-to-Lizard
line. Before this she had been under easy sail, but now she put up all
the canvas she could carry.

But unfortunately the _Flora_ had not espied earlier in the day
another frigate which was also in the vicinity. This was the _Wasso_,
and the haze had hidden her movements. But now, even though the
weather was clearing, the bigger ship had been hidden from view
because she had been just round the corner in Mevagissey Bay. And at
the very time that the _Flora_ was running away from the _Fisgard_ and
travelling finely with every sail drawing nicely and getting clear of
the cliffs, the _Wasso_ was working her way round the Dodman. As soon
as the latter came into view she took in the situation--the cutter
_Flora_ foaming along out to sea and the _Fisgard_ coming up quickly
under a mountain of canvas. So now there were two