The ship was nearly before the wind, by the time I heard the
captain's voice; and then Mr. Kite came bustling in among us forward,
ordering most of the men to lay aft to the braces, remaining himself
on the forecastle, and keeping me with him to let go the sheets. On
the forecastle, the strange sail was no longer visible, being now
abaft the beam; but I could hear Mr. Marble swearing there were two of
them, and that they must be the very chaps we had seen to leeward, and
standing in for the land, at sunset. I also heard the captain calling
out to the steward to bring him a powder-horn. Immediately after,
orders were given to let fly all our sheets forward, and then I
perceived that they were waring ship. Nothing saved us but the prompt
order of Mr. Marble to keep the ship away, by which means, instead of
moving towards the proas, we instantly began to move from
them. Although they went three feet to our two, this gave us a moment
of breathing time.
As our sheets were all flying forward, and remained so for a few
minutes, it gave me leisure to look about. I soon saw both proas, and
glad enough was I to perceive that they had not approached materially
nearer. Mr. Kite observed this also, and remarked that our movements
had been so prompt as "to take the rascals aback.
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