136 Star anfr TKfleatbet Gossip 



the headland, to the south side, were wild with excite- 

 ment. For as the Frenchman's sea-room grew more 

 constricted, so did his efforts to escape become the 

 more desperate. The Fran^ais was like some huge 

 bird of the ocean tacking to and fro to find a breach 

 in the barrier of the pouring blast. Swiftly sailing 

 backward and forward, she created a feeling of alarm 

 all round that part of the coast. After having stood 

 across the mouth of the bay to the southward she 

 fetched up in admirable style for about Redcar, where 

 she caused the greatest consternation. The people of 

 that little Cleveland town scarce dared to hope that, 

 with the wind and tide and strong indraught into the 

 Tees, she could escape being driven on to their dangerous 

 rocks. So the lifeboats and rocket apparatus were got 

 ready to render her assistance. 



But by a master-stroke of seamanship her skipper 

 wore her round, and, to the astonishment of all at 

 Hartlepool who could clearly perceive the manoeuvre, 

 stood once more to the northward. Her progress in 

 that direction, however, was soon stopped. The 

 combined opposition of the wind and tide was obviously 

 too powerful for her, and soon she was again standing 

 to the southward. Not even her skipper's brilliant 

 handling of her could avail, and it was with sinking 

 hearts that the spectators, who were now gathered 

 right round the shores of the bay, saw the Fran$ais fast 

 losing ground. On this occasion, indeed, she went so 

 near to Redcar rocks that the horses were attached to 

 one of the lifeboats. 



Truly must this clipper-built barque have had a 

 charmed existence, for again she wore, clearing the 

 rocks by an almost imperceptible distance. This was 



