reason being that several years before a party from the
States had spent considerable time prospecting in that vicinity and
partly opened one or two worthless mica quarries.

[A Bold Skipper] It was a glorious sight to see the fleet get under
way the next morning. Many a close shave and more bumps but no serious
collisions were caused by the twenty or more vessels crowding out
together through the narrow opening, each eager to get the first puff
from the fair breeze outside the lee of the cliffs. The whole fleet
was bound up the coast, but before many of the schooners had drifted
far enough out to catch the breeze it had failed, and only after an
hour or more of annoying experience with puffs from every quarter, did
the strong sea breeze set in. Sheets were trimmed flat aft, and all
settled down to beating up the coast. The Julia soon left the mass of
the fleet and before reaching Battle Harbor, where a long desired mail
was awaiting, had nearly overtaken the lucky ones who had drifted far
enough off shore to make a leading wind of the afternoon breeze.
During the calm a school of whales disported themselves in the midst
of the fleet, chasing one another, blowing and churning the water to
foam about us, apparently as though it was rare fun.

Late in the afternoon we approached the entrance to Battle Harbor, but
with the wind blowing directly out of the narrow, rocky and winding
entrance we wondered how we should get in. Our captain was equal to
the problem, however, and undeterred by the crowded state of the
harbor, within whose narrow limits were two large steamers, one or two
barks and several fishermen, performed a feat of seamanship the equal
of which, we were told, preserved in the traditions of the port, and
only half believed, as having been done once, thirty years before.

Getting about ten knots way on the vessel, and heading her straight
for the steamer nearest the mouth, we just brushed by the rocks of the
entrance, sheered a bit and shot past the steamer before her
astonished officers could utter a word of warning, and were traveling
up the harbor at a steamboat pace, the sails meanwhile rattling down,
and some of us on board wondering if we should not keep right on out
the other entrance to the harbor, while boats scurried out of our way,
two men in one fishing boat looking reproachfully at us as we missed
them by about two feet just after our fellow on lookout had reported
"nothing but a schooner in the