The native American., 1838-09-15
From Cooper's "Homeward Bom}."
SHIPS MEETING IN A GALE.

Captain Truck was on the mizzon-rigging bare
headed, every lock Of hair he hal blowing ont
like pendant. Occasionally he signed to the
man at the wheel which way to put the helm
for instead of sleeping. as may be supposed, he
had been coming the ship for hours in the same
situation. As eve appeared, he was directing the
attention of several Of the gentlemen to some
object astern but very few moments pat all on
deck in possession Of the facts
About cahl-s length, on ore Of tle quarters
of the MontaUk, was ship careering before the
gale like themselves. though carrying more can
yass, ana consequently driving faster through
the waves. The sudden appearance of this YES
sci in the somhrc light Of the morning, when OBJ
ects are seen distinctly, bat without the glare Of
day-the dark hull, relieved by single narrow
line of white paint, dotted with por:s-,ke glossy
hammock cloths, and all those other coverings
Of dark glistening canvass which give cruiser
an air of finish and comfort like that Of travel
ling carriaga--the symmetry Of the spars. and
the graceln}noss of the lines, whether Of ,nc hull
or hamper, told all who knew any thing Of such
subjects, that the stranger was vessel of war.
To this information Captain Track added that it
was their old pursuer the Foam.
'.She is corvette built" said the master of the
Montauk; ''and is obliged to carry more canvass
than we, in order to keep out Of the way of the
seas: for if one OF these big fellows should over
take her, and throw its crest into her waist she
would become like man who has taken too
much Saturday, and with whom second dose
might settle the pursuers hooks forever"
Such in fact was the history of the sudden
appearance of this ship. She had lain to as long
as possible, and on being driven to scud, carried
close reofed maintopsal, show of canvass that
urged her through the water about two knots to
the hour faster than the rate of the packet.
Necessarily following the same course, she over
took the latter Just as the dav began to dawn
The cry had arisen on her sudden discovery, and
the moment had now arrived when she was about
to come up quite abreast of her last chase The
passage Of the Foam under such circumstances
was a grand but thrilling thing. Ter captain,
too, seen i'll the mzzen rigging of the ship,
rocked bv the gigantic pillows over which his
fabric was careering. lie held sonaki kinv-trunDet
in his hand, if still bent on his duty in the
midst OF the awful warning Of the elements. Can't
Truck called tor trumpet in his turn. and fear
full of consequences, he waved it to the other to
keep more aloof. The Injunction was either
misunderstood the man-of-war' s-nan was either
too much bent on his object or the sea was too
uncomfortable for such purpose, the corvette
driving up on the sea quite aheam Of the packet
and in fearful proximity. The EngIishman ap-
piled the trumpet, and words were heard amid
the roaring Of the winds. At that time the white
field of the old Albion with the ST. Georges cross
arose over the bulwarks, and by the time it had
reached the gaf end the bunting was whipping to
ribbons.
"Shew em the cridirOn.' cried Capt Truck
through his trumpet, with its mouth turned on
board.
AS every thing was ready This order was in
stantly obcyed, and the stripes of America were
soon seen nutlering nearly i'll separate pieces.
The two ships now ran some distance in parallel
lines rolling from each other so helvily, that the
bright copper of the corvette was seen nearly to
her keel. The Engliyhman, who seemed por-
ton Of his ship, again tried his rumpet the de-
tached words ot''he by''-"o rs''--''commun-
cate,' were caught by one Of two, but the howl
ing of the gale rendered all connexion in the
meaning impossible. The Engshnlan ceased
his efforts to make himself heard for the two
ships were now rolling to, and il appeared as if
they would inerock their spars There was an
instant when Mr.. Leach had his hand on the
main-brace to let it 90; but the Foam started away
on sea like horse that feels the spur and dis
obeying her hcm shot forward as if about to
cross the Monauk's forefoot.
brcathess instant followed, for all on board
the two ships, thought they must now inevitably
come foul Of each other, and this the more so, be-
cause the Montauk took the impulse of the sea
Just as it was lost to the Foam, and seemed on
the point Of plungng directly into the stern of the
latter. Even the seamen cenched the ropes
around them convusivey, and the boldest held
their breaths for a time. 'The port. hard
port OF Capt. Truck; and the 'S--a-r-b-o-a-r-d.
starboard hard!' of the EngIshman, were both
distinctly audible to all in the two ships; for this
was moment in which seamcn can-speaE louder
than the tempest. The afrighted vessels seemed
to recede together, and then they shot asunder in
diverging lines, the Foam leading. All furtcr at
tempts at communication were instantly useless,
the corvette being half mile ahead in quarter
of an hour, rolling her yard arms nearly to the
water.