to follow at a rate of sailing in a just proportion to
his own, did there come more wind.

The wish of the young privateersman, however, was soon gratified. The
wind freshened materially, and by the time the two vessels opened the
Canal of Corsica, as the passage between that island and Elba is called,
the frigate was obliged to take in her royals and two or three of those
light and lofty staysails which it was then the custom for ships to
carry. At first Raoul had thought he might fetch into Bastia, which lies
due west of the southern end of Elba; but, though the wind drew a little
down through the canal, it soon blew too fresh to allow any formation of
the land materially to alter its current. The zephyr, as the afternoon's
summer breeze of southern Italy, in particular, was termed by the
ancients, is seldom a due west wind, there generally being a little
northing in it, as seamen say; and as one gets further up the coast this
same wind ordinarily comes round the head of Corsica, blowing from
nearly west-northwest. This would have enabled the lugger to lay her
course for a deep bay on which lies the town of Biguglia, could she have
been jammed up on a wind, as might usually have been done; but a few
minutes of experiment convinced Raoul that he must be more tender on his
wounded spars and keep off for the mouth of the Golo. This was a river
of some size into which it was possible for a vessel of a light draught
to enter; and, as there stood a small battery near the anchorage, he
determined to seek shelter in that haven in order to repair his damages.
His calculations were made accordingly, and, taking the snow-clad peaks
in the neighborhood of Corte as his landmarks, he ordered the lugger to
be steered in the proper direction.

On board the Proserpine, there was scarcely less interest felt in the
result than on board le Feu-Follet. If the people of the frigate had
nothing to apprehend, they had something to revenge; in addition to the
anticipated credit of having captured the boldest privateer that sailed
out of France. For a short time, as the ship came up with the west end
of Elba, it was a serious question whether she would be able to weather
it, the lugger having gone past, within a cable's length of the cliffs,
on the very verge of the breakers and much closer in than the frigate
would dare to follow. But the last had taken the breeze further off the
land than the first, and might possibly fetch past the promonto