DIARY OF CAPTAIN LAMSON 185 



left me telling me that I was going to have 

 a gale of wind. I did not then believe it, 

 but sure enough at midnight I had a hard 

 gale of wind. By four A. M. I was under 

 close-reef top-sail and fore-sail, and miz- 

 zen stay-sail, and in thirteen fathoms water 

 outside the Vogel sands. At daylight from 

 my top I saw the Island, and as I naturally 

 considered the Brig I spoke was the inner 

 look-out vessel and I had the Elbe open 

 under my lee, I felt sure of evading the 

 blockade, consequently I ran for the red 

 Buoy ; but to my astonishment, as I doubled 

 the Buoy, the man at the mast head dis- 

 covered four sails up the river at anchor. 

 I ran up the top with my glass and dis- 

 covered that they were men of war. I 

 hauled my ship to, beat her in on eight 

 tacks in their sight till my danger was great 

 in wearing my ship and I started the most 

 of my water and arranged my log to show 

 my distress the night before, and bore up 

 for the squadron. On passing the first ship 

 I was ordered to anchor, but as we were 



