other ten years old. It was in the
crew that I became most interested, and not the schooner. Bloodgood gave
the order when the tide served for us to put to sea. "Come, children,"
said he, "let's try it." Then we all tried it together, the _Packet_
leading the way. The shaky west wind, that filled our sails as we
skimmed along the beach with the breakers close aboard, carried us but a
few leagues when it flew suddenly round to nor'east and began to pipe.

The gale increasing rapidly inclined me to bear up for New River Inlet,
then close under our lee, with a treacherous bar lying in front, which
to cross safely would require great care.

But the gale was threatening, and the harbour inside, we could see, was
smooth; then, too, cried my people: "Any port in a storm." I decided
prompt; put the helm up and squared away. Flying thence, before it, the
tempest-tossed canoe came sweeping in from sea over the rollers in a
delightfully thrilling way. One breaker only coming over us, and even
that did no harm more than to give us all the climax soaking of the
voyage. This was the last sea that broke over the canoe on the memorable
voyage.

The harbour inside the bar of New River was good. Adding much to our
comfort too was fish and game in abundance.

The _Packet_, which had parted from us, made her destined port some
three leagues farther on. The last we saw of the children, they were at
the main sheets hauling aft, and their father was at the helm, and all
were flying through the mist like fearless sailors.

After meeting Carolina seamen, to say nothing of the few still in
existence further north, I challenge the story of Greek supremacy.

The little town of South Port was made up almost entirely of pilots
possessing, I am sure, every quality of the sailor and the gentleman.

Moored snug in the inlet, it was pleasant to listen to the roar of the
breakers on the bar, but not so cheerful was the thought of facing the
high waves seaward. Therefore the plan suggested itself of sufficiently
deepening a ditch that led through the marshes from New River to Bogue
Sound, to let us through; thence we could sail inland the rest of the
voyage without obstruction or hindrance of any kind. To this end we set
about contrivances to heave the canoe over the shoals, and borrowed a
shovel from a friendly schooner captain to deepen the ditch which we
thought would be necessary to do in order to ford her along that way.
However, the prevaili