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Page 100
The wind continued to blow fresh from the south and south-west during
the rest of the day and the succeeding night; and the log-slate showed
ten and eleven knots until midnight, when the wind hauled round to the
westward, and soon came strong from that quarter. At noon on Tuesday,
April 5, the Young America had made two hundred and forty-four miles
during the preceding twenty-four hours, which was the best run she had
had during the voyage.
On the afternoon of this day, a ship, bound to the westward, was seen,
and Captain Greely expressed a desire to be put on board of her, with
his family, as he did not wish to return to the point from which he had
just come. The Young America bore down upon the sail, and spoke her at
sundown. Her captain was willing to take the shipwrecked voyagers on
board his ship, which was bound to New York, and they were transferred
in the barge and gig. Captain Greely and his party were very grateful
for the attentions they had received; and the little boy and girl almost
rebelled at the idea of leaving their new and partial friends.
As the two ships were filling away, after the transfer of the
passengers, the seamen of the New York ship, having learned what the
Young America was, gave three cheers, and dipped her ensign in
compliment to her. All the young tars were immediately ordered into the
rigging by Captain Gordon, and "three times three" were most lustily
given. The American flag at her peak was lowered three times, in reply
to the salute of the stranger. As the Academy Ship stood off on her
course, the two children of Captain Greely were seen, on the poop-deck
of the other vessel, waving their handkerchiefs; and they continued to
do so as long as they could be seen.
The departure of the guests had a saddening effect upon the crew of the
Young America, as they missed the children and the ladies very much;
for, during their presence on board, the ship had assumed quite a
domestic aspect, and all the idlers on deck found pleasing companions in
the little boy and girl.
The limits of this volume do not permit a full detail of the entire
voyage across the ocean. Enough has been given to show the discipline of
the ship, and the daily life of the boys on board of her. For the next
ten days the weather was generally favorable, and she laid her course
all the time. Some days she made two hundred miles, and others less than
one hundred.
On the sixteenth day from her departure, she was in latitude 51�, 4',
28" N.; longitude 31�, 10', 2" W.; course, E. by N. In going from Cape
Race, the southern point of Newfoundland, to Cape Clear, the southern
point of Ireland, the Young America did not lay a straight course, as it
would appear when drawn on a map or chart. La Rochelle, on the western
coast of France, and Cape Race are nearly on the same parallel of
latitude, and the former is exactly east of the latter. But the parallel
on which both points lie would not be the shortest line between them. A
great circle, extending entirely around the earth in the broadest part,
going through both, would not coincide with the parallel, but would run
to the north of it a considerable distance at a point half way between
the two places, the separation diminishing each way till the great
circle crosses the parallel at Cape Race and La Rochelle. The shortest
course between the two points, therefore, would be the arc of the great
circle lying between them. A skilful navigator would find and follow
this track. This is called great circle sailing.
The Young America followed a great circle from Cape Race to Cape Clear.
Off the former point, her course was two points north of east; off the
latter, it was half a point south of east. On her twentieth day out she
sailed due east.
After the excitement of the wreck and the departure of the passengers,
Shuffles and his confederates resumed their operations in the Chain
League, assisted somewhat by a case of discipline which occurred at this
time. When the ship was sixteen days out the Chain consisted of
thirty-one links, in the cabalistic language of the conspirators, and
Shuffles was in favor of striking the blow.
CHAPTER XVII.
PEAS AND BEANS.
The business of the Chain had been managed with extreme caution by the
conspirators, and more than one third of the crew had been initiated
without the knowledge of the principal and professors, or of the
officers and seamen who were not members. Pelham and Shuffles ordered
the affairs of the League, and no "link" was allowed to approach an
outsider for the purpose of inducing him to join without the consent of
one of these worthies.
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