sight directly ahead, about nine miles distant,
and that, though she certainly was not running away from us, there
seemed to be little hope of our overtaking her for some time to come.

Matters remained in this unsatisfactory state for the next five days,
the _Daphne_ keeping the chase in sight during the whole of that time,
but failing to come up with her. The distance between the two vessels
varied according to the weather, the chase appearing to have the best of
it in a strong breeze, whilst the _Daphne_ was slightly the faster of
the two in light airs. Unfortunately for us, the wind continued very
nearly dead fair, or about three points on our starboard quarter,
whereas the sloop seemed to do best with the wind abeam. We would not
have objected even to a moderate breeze dead in our teeth, our craft
being remarkably fast on a taut bowline; and as day after day went by
without any apparent prospect of an end of the chase the barometer was
anxiously watched, in the hope that before long we should be favoured
with a change of weather.

On the morning of the fifth day I was so much better that, acceding to
my urgent request, Burnett consented, with many doubtful shakes of the
head, to my leaving my hammock and taking the air on deck for an hour or
two. I accordingly dressed as rapidly as possible, and got on deck just
in time to catch sight of the chase, about six miles distant, before a
sea mist settled down on the scene, which soon effectually concealed her
from our view. This was particularly exasperating, since, the wind
having dropped to about a five-knot breeze, we had been slowly but
perceptibly gaining on her for the last three or four hours; and now,
when at length there appeared a prospect of overtaking her, a chance to
elude us in the fog had presented itself. Of course it was utterly
impossible to guess what ruse so wary a foe would resort to, but that he
would have recourse to one of some kind was a moral certainty. Captain
Vernon at once took counsel with his first and second lieutenants as to
what course it would be most advisable to adopt under the circumstances,
and it was at last decided to put the ship upon a wind, and make short
tacks to the eastward until the fog should clear, it being thought
highly probable that the chase would likewise double back upon her
former course in the hope of our running past her in the fog.

The studding-sails were accordingly taken in, and the ship brought to
t