THESEA'SWAY 19 



know what this means. 



We forgot all this. A deep sense of awareness, once latent but 

 brought to the surface by the leaving behind of land ways, 

 filled our minds as we made ready to go. In the pale gray of 

 early dawn we raised our sails and on the wings of a gentle land 

 breeze slipped out of Hampton Roads. It was chill that morn- 

 ing and very quiet save for the soft hissing of the waves at the 

 waterline. In the dim haze near Norfolk we could make out the 

 stark outlines of a large four-master, the schooner Purnell T. 

 White. As we watched, her sails rose, one after the other, 

 stretched taut and filled as she came about. 



She was a beautiful thing in the early light, sails all pink with 

 the newly risen sun and white hull glinting against the green 

 water. How could we know that in the short space of eight 

 days this ship would be a sodden helpless wreck or that, three 

 years later, refitted and repaired and once again in service, 

 her captain and crew would all be dead men, lost off the Caro- 

 lina Capes? 



Side by side we put to sea, the towering schooner and the 

 tiny yawl. Our mast hardly reached her railing, or so it seemed, 

 as she swept grandly past and headed for the capes and the ris- 

 ing sun. We watched her go with a feeling of friendly interest, 

 for she was built by the same hand that with such care con- 

 structed our tiny ship. 



Fifteen miles ahead lay the capes, barely discernible in the 

 haze, and beyond the open sea. Thimble Shoal passed astern 

 and then Willoughby. Gently but swiftly, the promised north- 

 west wind died and left us wallowing. The tide, now at full 

 ebb, began to flow again, carrying us back whence we came. 

 It seemed we were destined to remain permanently in the 

 Chesapeake. 



Just when we had reached the point of uttermost exaspera- 

 tion Providence, weary of playing a game of checkmate, re- 



