Notice of Sketches of Naval Life. 339 



every eye was fixed in expectation, on the Flag ship. At eight 

 o'clock, the looked for signal, to " unmoor ship," was made ; 

 and was quickly and cheerfully answered. There was a few 

 minute's silence ; and then, through the whole squadron, arose 

 the din of whistles and calls, and oft repeated orders. I wish, 

 earnestly, I could place the whole scene before you; and give 

 you, too, a heart light as we had, to enjoy it. The little Por-^ 

 poise first dropped her white sails; glided down the harbor ; 

 rounded a high point and disappeared. The flag ship came 

 next: they warped her first to the windward side of the harbor; 

 she rested there a moment ; her shrouds first, and then, by 

 simultaneous motion, her long yards were covered with men ; 

 the trumpet thundered ; she dropped her huge sails, that shook 

 themselves a moment, rejoicing " like a giant to run his course," 

 and then spreading out to the breeze, and throwing back the 

 bright morning rays, gave motion to the dark proud mass below. 

 You could almost think she had sensibility ; so graceful, yet 

 majestic was her motion. Some hundreds of spectators lined 

 the edge of the precipice ; and we could see admiration in all 

 their actions. She swept by the point ; but her upper sails, 

 with the broad pendant and its stars, were still seen far above it. 

 The Ontario followed ; and next came our own ship, with 

 music and happy hearts. As we neared the Holland, a Dutch 

 seventy-four, in port, her band struck up, " Hail Columbia :" 

 we answered with their national air: she gave us Yankee Doo- 

 dle, and we again replied. They also sent their boats to tow 

 us, if there should be occasion. — Vol I. pp. 110 — 11. 



Tacking depends on a nice adjustment of forces between 

 wind and water, and is beautifully illustrated in the following 

 passage, describing the tacking of the ship in the midst of 

 the Turkish fleet. 



" You may suppose our ship gliding on in quiet among them. 

 She is close hauled to the wind : it is a light breeze, and all her 

 sails are spread out, tapering aloft almost to a point. Thus she 

 speeds on, when all at once her head begins to come gracefully 

 round; the sails lose their fulness, and tasteful curve; shake in 

 the breeze, and then swell back against the masts : thus they re- 

 main a few moments ; and then, on a sudden, and by simultaneous 

 motion, the two hinder sets, from skysail down, whirl speedily 

 round, and again spread out to the breeze : thus again we rest a 

 moment or two; then the head sails all take a similar motion, 

 and the heavy mass again starts forward in its course : and in all 

 this, scarcely a man is seen. You will recognize, in this, the 

 operation of tacking ship : it was, to-day, a beautiful operation, 



