The Catalina,
Being A Small Vessel, Of Less Than Half Our Size, Put Out Sweeps
And Got A Boat Ahead,
And pulled out to sea, during the night,
so that she had the sea-breeze earlier and stronger than we
Did,
and we had the mortification of seeing her standing up the coast,
with a fine breeze, the sea all ruffled about her, while we
were becalmed, in-shore. When the sea-breeze died away, she was
nearly out of sight; and, toward the latter part of the afternoon,
the regular north-west wind set in fresh, we braced sharp upon it,
took a pull at every sheet, tack, and halyard, and stood after her,
in fine style, our ship being very good upon a taughtened bowline.
We had nearly five hours of fine sailing, beating up to windward,
by long stretches in and off shore, and evidently gaining upon the
Catalina at every tack. When this breeze left us, we were so near
as to count the painted ports on her side. Fortunately, the wind
died away when we were on our inward tack, and she on her outward,
so we were in-shore, and caught the land-breeze first, which came
off upon our quarter, about the middle of the first watch. All hands
were turned-up, and we set all sail, to the skysails and the
royal studding-sails; and with these, we glided quietly through
the water, leaving the Catalina, which could not spread so much
canvas as we, gradually astern, and, by daylight, were off
St. Buenaventura, and our antagonist nearly out of sight.
The sea-breeze, however, favored her again, while we were becalmed
under the headland, and laboring slowly along, she was abreast of
us by noon.
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