ot under her stern and hauled up on the port tack.
We now felt the full strength of the breeze, and I was somewhat alarmed
to find how fresh it was blowing. But we were as stiff as a house, and
could have carried half as much sail again, had there been more to set.
We lowered our centre-board just before hauling up, and now we found
ourselves tearing along, in a manner which perfectly astounded me.

Our long, slender, pointed tubes appeared to offer no resistance
whatever to our passage through the water. The motion was delightfully
easy and gentle, the tubes piercing the body of each wave, as it rolled
towards us, without the slightest shock, and lifting us gently and
easily over the cap of it, just as it seemed upon the point of coming in
upon our deck. There was not an atom of spray; we were as dry going to
windward as when running free.

With the _Emerald_ it was very different. Her huge mainsail was almost
too much for her, now that she was hauled close upon a wind; and as we
looked astern, we could see her taking plunge after plunge, and sending
her sharp bows clear through the seas at every dive, until her jib and
foresail were wet half-way up to their heads, whilst her lee-rail was
completely buried in the boiling surge.

Now that we were close-hauled, the _Emerald_ walked up to us, though by
no means so rapidly as might have been expected. There was no
comparison between the powers of the two craft, yet, though we certainly
dropped to leeward a little more than she did, it was _only_ a little;
and the difference in our speeds was very trifling, considering the
great difference in size between the cutter and ourselves.

About a quarter of an hour after we rounded the light-ship, the
_Emerald_ passed us close to windward. She presented a most beautiful
sight, at least to a nautical eye, as she swept by. She was heeling
over to such an extent that the water was up over her deck, on the lee-
side, nearly to the skylights and companion; and her immense sails were
driving her so irresistibly through the short, jumping seas, that she
had no time to rise to each as she met it. Her bowsprit plunged deeply
into the advancing wave, her sharp bows cleft it asunder, and then, as
they rose through it, amidst a blinding shower of spray, the water
shipped forward, rushed foaming aft and to leeward like a swollen
mountain torrent, until it mingled with the water which flooded her
decks to leeward.

As soon as she w