The captain now
gave out his orders rapidly and fiercely, sheeting home the
topsails, and backing and filling the sails, in hope of starting or
clearing the anchors; but it was all in vain, and he sat down on the
rail, taking it very leisurely, and calling out to Captain Nye, that
he was coming to pay him a visit. We drifted fairly into the Loriotte,
her larboard bow into our starboard quarter, carrying away a part of
our starboard quarter railing, and breaking off her larboard
bumpkin, and one or two stanchions above the deck. We saw our handsome
sailor, Jackson, on the forecastle, with the Sandwich Islanders,
working away to get us clear. After paying out chain, we swung
clear, but our anchors were no doubt afoul of hers. We manned the
windlass, and hove, and hove away, but to no purpose. Sometimes we got
a little upon the cable, but a good surge would take it all back
again. We now began to drift down toward the Ayacucho, when her boat
put off and brought her commander, Captain Wilson, on board. He was
a short, active, well-built man, between fifty and sixty years of age;
and being nearly twenty years older than our captain, and a thorough
seaman, he did not hesitate to give his advice, and from giving
advice, he gradually came to taking the command; ordering us when to
heave and when to pawl, and backing and filling the topsails,
setting and taking in jib and trysail, whenever he thought best.
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