We were evidently approaching her fast, though both vessels
were going the same way.
The Dawn steered beautifully, one of the greatest virtues in a ship,
under the circumstances in which we were then placed. A single man was
all that we had at the wheel, and he controlled it with ease. I could
see it was very different with the ship ahead, and fancied they had
made a mistake on board her, by taking in all their canvass. Talcott
and the gang aloft, had not got out of the top, however, before we had
a hint that it would be well to imitate the stranger's prudence.
Though our vessel steered so much better than another, no ship can
keep on a direct line, while running before the wind, in a heavy
sea. The waves occasionally fly past a vessel, like the scud glancing
through the air; then, they seem to pause, altogether, as if to permit
the ship to overtake them. When a vessel is lifted aft by one of these
torrents of rushing waters, the helm loses a portion of its power; and
the part of the vast machine that first receives the impulse, seems
intent on exchanging places with the bows, vessels often driving
sideways before the surges, for spaces of time that are exceedingly
embarrassing to the mariner. This happens to the best-steering ships,
and is always one source of danger in very heavy weather, to those
that are running off.
Pages:
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655