making the most frantic efforts to free themselves
from the imprisoning hawsers, and likely to become bad friends over the
job, signal was made to cast off. Now in her impatience the "Mosquito"
was not content to wait until we gave her her freedom, but proceeded to
wrest herself free by pulling one arm of our main bitts clean off to the
deck. Annoying, was it not? But this is a quality generally conceded to
mosquitoes I believe. The squadron now re-formed under reefed canvas,
and though we could see scarcely 400 yards ahead, from the obscurity of
the weather, we managed to reel off eight and a half knots, the "Duke"
of course under steam.

Very cold and bleak blew the ice-cold breath of Fusi this morning as we
headed into the bay of Yedo. Contrary to all our expectations, instead
of making our way at once to Yokohama we turned aside, and anchored at
the naval arsenal of Yokusuka, on the opposite side of the bay,
presumably for the purpose of making the ships presentable to the
argus-eyed naval critics in Yokohama.

On the 24th we slipped across in gallant style, and confessedly in
first-rate order and trim. Even the "Yanks" conceded this, with a rider,
of course, to the effect that they "guess'd" the "Alert"--did'nt they
mean the "Palos," I wonder--"would knock saucepans out of the whole
bilin'." On account of the great number of men-of-war already at anchor
we had to take up stations as most convenient. As the flagship's anchor
dropped, a signal from main, mizen, and yard-arms, drew the attention of
the squadron. This great display of fluttering pennants and
parti-colored squares conveys to the initiated the following sentence:
"cruise at an end; satisfactory to both officers and men."

September 28th.--Before the dispersal of the ships to their winter
quarters, and as a pleasant finale to an unpleasant cruise a regatta,
under the sole patronage of the admiral and officers, was to be held on
this and the two succeeding days. The two first days were allotted to
the pulling contests, the third day to the sailing boats. Of the pulling
races it will, perhaps, suffice to say that they were contested in the
usual close and lusty manner.

The morn of the third day came in most auspiciously, so far as the wind
was concerned; but by mid-day heavy rain clouds began to darken the
weather horizon, and by their aspect, threatened to mar the pleasure of
the proceedings. The race, however, had started long before this. More
than