Recollections of Europe | Page 7

which (the Castilian) actually came up with her and gave her a
broad-side. About twenty days after the latter action she took a
merchant-brig, near the Western Islands, and sent her into Philadelphia.
This was the last that had been heard of her. Months and even years
went by, and no farther intelligence was obtained. All this time, too, the
gentlemen of the Essex were missing. Government ordered inquiries to
be made in Sweden for the master of the brig in which they had
embarked; he was absent on a long voyage, and a weary period elapsed
before he could be found. When this did happen, he was required to
give an account of his passengers. By producing his logbook and
proper receipts, he proved that he had fallen in with the Wasp, near the
line, about a fortnight after she had taken the merchant-brig named,
when the young officers in question availed themselves of the occasion

to return to their flag. Since that time, a period of twenty-one years, the
Wasp has not been heard of.]
We were eighteen days out, when, early one morning, we made an
American ship, on our weather quarter. Both vessels had everything set
that would draw, and were going about five knots, close on the wind.
The stranger made a signal to speak us, and, on the Hudson's
main-topsail being laid to the mast, he came down under our stern, and
ranged up alongside to leeward. He proved to be a ship called the
"London Packet," from Charlestown, bound to Havre, and his
chronometer having stopped, he wanted to get the longitude.
When we had given him our meridian, a trial of sailing commenced,
which continued without intermission for three entire days. During this
time, we had the wind from all quarters, and of every degree of force,
from the lightest air to a double-reefed-topsail breeze. We were never a
mile separated, and frequently we were for hours within a cable's length
of each other. One night the two ships nearly got foul, in a very light air.
The result showed, that they sailed as nearly alike, one being deep and
the other light, as might well happen to two vessels. On the third day,
both ships being under reefed topsails, with the wind at east, and in
thick weather, after holding her own with us for two watches, the
London Packet edged a little off the wind, while the Hudson still
hugged it, and we soon lost sight of our consort in the mist.
We were ten days longer struggling with adverse winds. During this
time the ship made all possible traverses, our vigilant master resorting
to every expedient of an experienced seaman to get to the eastward. We
were driven up as high as fifty-four, where we fell into the track of the
St. Lawrence traders. The sea seemed covered with them, and I believe
we made more than a hundred, most of which were brigs. All these we
passed without difficulty. At length a stiff breeze came from the
south-west, and we laid our course for the mouth of the British Channel
under studding-sails.
On the 28th we got bottom in about sixty fathoms water. The 29th was
thick weather, with a very light, but a fair wind; we were now quite
sensibly within the influence of the tides. Towards evening the horizon

brightened a little, and we made the Bill of Portland, resembling a faint
bluish cloud. It was soon obscured, and most of the landsmen were
incredulous about its having been seen at all. In the course of the night,
however, we got a good view of the Eddystone.
Going on deck early on the morning of the 30th, a glorious view
presented itself. The day was fine, clear, and exhilarating, and the wind
was blowing fresh from the westward Ninety-seven sail, which had
come into the Channel, like ourselves, during the thick weather, were in
plain sight. The majority were English, but we recognized the build of
half the maritime nations of Christendom in the brilliant fleet.
Everybody was busy, and the blue waters were glittering with canvass.
A frigate was in the midst of us, walking through the crowd like a giant
stepping among pigmies. Our own good vessel left everything behind
her also, with the exception of two or three other bright-sided ships,
which happened to be as fast as herself.
I found the master busy with the glass; and, as soon as he caught my
eye, he made a sign for me to come forward. "Look at that ship directly
ahead of us!" The vessel alluded to led the fleet, being nearly
hull-down to the eastward. It was the Don Quixote, which had left the
port of New York one month before, about the same distance