We had an
advantage over her in light winds, from our royals and skysails
which we carried both at the fore and main, and also in our
studding-sails; for Captain Wilson carried nothing above
top-gallant-sails, and always unbent his studding-sails when on the
coast. As the wind was light and fair, we held our own, for some time,
when we were both obliged to brace up and come upon a taught
bowline, after rounding the point; and here he had us on fair
ground, and walked away from us, as you would haul in a line. He
afterwards said that we sailed well enough with the wind free, but
that give him a taught bowline, and he would beat us, if we had all
the canvas of the Royal George.
The Ayacucho got to the anchoring ground about half an hour before
us, and was furling her sails when we came up to it. This picking up
your cables is a very nice piece of work. It requires some
seamanship to do it, and come to at your former moorings, without
letting go another anchor. Captain Wilson was remarkable, among the
sailors on the coast, for his skill in doing this; and our captain
never let go a second anchor during all the time that I was with
him.
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