Miles Wallingford (Sequel to Afloat and Ashore) - Livres de poche

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1873 edition. Excerpt: ...curiosity to ascertain what would come next. It would seem that Sennit actually induced the master of the West Indiaman to give chase, for no sooner did the vessel gather way than she bore up after us, packing on every thing that would draw. We were greatly rejoiced at having improved the leisure time in making sail ourselves, for having a lower studding-sail and two topmast studding-sails on the ship, when this race began, I did not feel much approhension of being overtaken. By way of making more sure of an escape, however, we set the royals. "When the West Indiaman bore up in chase, we wero about two leagues ahead of our pursuer. So far from lessening this distance, though she carried royal studding-sails, we gradually increased it to three, until, satisfied he could do nothing, the master of the strange ship took in his light sails and hauled by the wind again, carrying the late prize crew in a direct line from England. I afterward learned that Sennit and his companions were actually landed in the island of Barbadoes, after a pleasant passage of only twenty-six days. I make no doubt it took them much longer to get back again, for it was certain that not one of them had reappeared in England six months from that day. We now had the ship to ourselves, though with a very diminished crew. The day was the time to sleep; and relieving each other at the wheel, those who were.off duty slept most of the time when they were not eating. At six in the evening, however, all hands were up, making our preparations for the night. At that hour the wind was steady and favorable, the horizon clear of vessels of every sort, and the prospects of a pleasant night were sufficiently good. The run in the course of the day was equal to one hundred miles, and I computed...