Still the frigate looked, as it is termed, barely up to the point it was deemed indispensable to weather; and as ships rarely "do" better than they "look," it became a question of serious doubt on board the Proserpine, as she came up with the headland, whether she could clear it.
"I am afraid, Captain Cuffe, we shall never clear it with a good-enough berth, sir," observed the fidgeting Griffin; "it seems to me the ship sets unaccountably to leeward to-day!" "She never behaved better, Griffin.

I am really in hopes there is a slight current off-shore here; if anything, we actually open the highlands of Corsica by this promontory.

You see that the wreck of la Divina Providenza is sweeping round the bay and is coming out to windward again." "_That_ may serve us, indeed! All ready in the chains, sir!--shall we make a cast of the lead ?" Cuffe assented, and the lead was hove.

At this moment the ship was going eight knots, and the man reported no bottom, with fifteen fathoms of line out.

This was well, and two or three subsequent casts confirmed it.
Orders were now given to drag every bowline, swig-off on every brace, and flatten-in all the sheets.