We went to work immediately, and
put all the canvas upon the brig which we could get upon her,
rigging out oars for studding-sail yards; and continued wetting down
the sails by buckets of water whipped up to the mast-head, until about
nine o'clock, when there came on a drizzling rain. The vessel
continued in pursuit, changing her course as we changed ours to keep
before the wind. The captain, who watched her with his glass, said
that she was armed, and full of men, and showed no colors. We
continued running dead before the wind, knowing that we sailed
better so, and that clippers are fastest on the wind. We had also
another advantage. The wind was light, and we spread more canvas
than she did, having royals and sky-sails fore and aft, and ten
studding-sails; while she, being an hermaphrodite brig, had only a
gaff top-sail, aft. Early in the morning she was overhauling us a
little, but after the rain came on and the wind grew lighter, we began
to leave her astern. All hands remained on deck throughout the day,
and we got our arms in order; but we were too few to have done
anything with her, if she had proved to be what we feared.
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