above particulars might, and I ' believe ’are but little Observed
or attended to ; - but! owing, to the small size bf the Lady kelson,
it became of the utmost importance to me'to attfend particüMly
to all thOife'Evolutions :* in 4'afger vessels the sea is riotr so much
felt. As I observed above, we had this day no mote than a
fresh wind with a heavy following sea ; insomuch, that the difference
of latitude, by observation at noon, .was “fifteen mil®
inore than our distance run. I t ‘perhaps might bë owing to cur-
rerits; however I am inclined to impute it to the' power the sea
haé bver the light draught of water of small vessels' like mine
when going before it. Soon after noon-it came on toblöwvèry
heavy, so that before night wë wèfö obliged to handévery thing
élfcept the êlösëitÖefied main-top-sail, and rëEfetf fö?é-saiï.'KT¥é
vessel* scudded through the’ sea remarkably well, though it_ .had
got up to an uncommon height, and so perpendicular, -that
when getting, over it appéaredhs running ’ down a steèp p refci-
picè ; yet she did not ship any water of consequence. ' From
the magnified stories I had heard at the Cape, I was in some
d ^ r t l^ to 5 b ^ f e ^ f r ^ < r a ld 'ö o t have-less all the way,Iilpre -
fore mdde some easting and endeavoured to keepnn* this parallel
o f latitude,'until I saw how lift: Weather-would turn out. At
twelve P. M. it freshened so much that we-Werè Obliged to bunt
' tW föré-sail, and let the vessel run with the dos&rlefed/ nfeiïb
top-sail lowered down on thb cap all night, which ^he-did‘pér^
feetly easy and dry. I am aware that'many seamen may think
scudding under a maimfop-sail in a brig is a bad plan inclfemrf
broaching to, arid prefer going under the fore-top-sail; but here
is another advantage, which vessels with sliding keels have over
Ethers. Vessels in general broach to in a sea from not answering
their helms sufficiently quick, perhaps from the force óf the
sea depriving,by its lift for a time, the rudder of its power. It is
often occasioned in deep-loaded vessels, by their being too
much
much loaded by the head;■ so: that in all weathers they require
a great deal of. weather-helm-, or* as iViS termed»- steer wild. In
tfieSe cases-, no.doubt, a fbre-top-sail i^seryiceable.to pay off
the vessel again by! But’it has also'tiles1 disadvantage',> that-ih
will often bury her m©|e iiilth.e^na)and>no‘t admit ofber being
soAlyely as, sh'm might1 prove-from a sail more-in tke~ center.
'-Some-are of opinion, th a ta for'e-top-sail makes •avvesseblively by
the, forte of the wind, serving* as it wEre to lift the: vessel u p ;
b u t in. smalbshprt ones,fih a heavy towering,seat, itwipt be1 found
to impel them-much, faster downwa®ds^.than in .aisistingothenr
-to1'rise to it, frequently burying-the bowsprit iri thewater, if p it
carrying it «entirely away. By sheli means, etepy thing\rhay be-
washed off thed.ecfcspand the Ees^EQ mucht strained. ..The-sliding
keels1'in this last Aspect are particularly serviceabfejt because.
the trim-of the vessel, tha1^^.bhe« draright,o£ water, at
either extremity may be-altered at .pleasure^ tyy*which means
if properly-attended to, shte may -be steered in .the hea|slbsf |W.ea-
Ehef with .the greatestease, and iril^^rierp/ll^eathen' withaut
touching the Bqkmat all.. In. a lb e ^ s f ^ v e s s ^ of thisdescriptio
n can be-brought up, op fall .off -fester, than b ^ s a ils can be
trimmed|tothe wind. There: is another great advantage,which
is, in heaving-to> quickly in an heav^f sea :htki^ is .particularly
useful in small craft, as I have often experienced, by. having the
sriihready to set that I intended,to lay-tobntfeivand watching the
passing of one sea, with proper attentionto the. beels,-.and taking
tifelhead-sail quickly off as.the helm m p u t down; b y which
means the/vessteLwill be round headt-o th e nextbollowing sea,
and would stay if not prevented by. again righting the helm.
This cannot be done in other vessels, they must bebrought-to
gradually, and often ship many seas before* that can b e accom-
piishedjbs their beam mrisfejecessadly fdr a time be exposed^
. , i _ .; , arid