I always understood that Frenchmen made mighty poor sailors.

Lucky thing for us she wasn't a British launch, for they'd have kept on around the world but what they'd had us." In justice to the Frenchmen it should be said that their reason for turning back, which our lads did not learn until long afterwards, was the imminent exhaustion of their coal supply, which, not calculated for a long cruise, would barely serve to carry them back to the Bay of Islands.
By the time the launch was lost to sight in the growing dusk the "Ruth" had also disappeared.

She was headed southward when last seen, and now White said it was time that they, too, were turning towards their ultimate destination.

So, topsails and mainstaysail were taken in, and the helm was put down until fore and mainsails jibed over.

Then sheets were trimmed until the little schooner, with lee rail awash, was running something east of north, on an easy bowline, carrying a bone in her teeth and leaving a bubbling wake trailing far astern.