10 a.m.
It was because the British ships were better sailed and better _ steered _ than those of our enemies . Even at our then distance it was painfully apparent that the yards of the chase were trimmed in the most slovenly manner , and in the matter of steering she was sheering and yawing all over the place ; whilst for ourselves , our canvas was trimmed with the utmost nicety ; and we had a man at the wheel who never for a single instant removed his glance from the weather-leach of our main-topgallant -- sail , which was kept the merest trifle a-lift -- just sufficiently so , and no more , to show that the frigate was looking up as high as it was possible for her to go , whilst the remainder of her canvas was clean full and dragging her along at race-horse speed . The result was that , though our ship was possibly the slower of the two , her wake was as straight as though it had been _ ruled _ upon the heaving water ; whilst that of the chase was so crooked that she must have travelled over nearly half as much ground again as ourselves , thus losing through faulty steering more than she gained through superiority in speed . At 10 a.m. , by which time we had neared the chase to within a distance of six miles , the stranger hove about for the first time and stood to the southward and eastward , close-hauled on the larboard tack . At 10:30 we followed suit , and half an hour later the high land behind Jean Rabel , Saint Domingo , was sighted from aloft Captain Pigot now came to the conclusion that the stranger was aiming to take refuge in Port au Paix ; and , should she succeed in effecting her design , it might prove difficult if not impossible to capture her . His anxiety to speedily get alongside her and force her to action accordingly grew almost momentarily more intense , as also did his acerbity of temper , until at length he became so nearly unbearable that , had he just then happened to have been washed overboard , I believe not a single man in the ship -- apart from the officers , that is , of course -- would have raised a hand or joined in any effort to save him . At noon , however , matters grew a little more tolerable ; for it had by that time become apparent that , unless favoured by some unforeseen accident , the chase could not possibly escape us .