CHAPTER VI.
Departure from Rio de Janeiro--The _Spray_ ashore on the sands of Uruguay--A narrow escape from shipwreck--The boy who found a sloop--The _Spray_ floated but somewhat damaged--Courtesies from the British consul at Maldonado--A warm greeting at Montevideo--An excursion to Buenos Aires--Shortening the mast and bowsprit.
On November 28 the _Spray_ sailed from Rio de Janeiro, and first of all ran into a gale of wind, which tore up things generally along the coast, doing considerable damage to shipping.

It was well for her, perhaps, that she was clear of the land.

Coasting along on this part of the voyage, I observed that while some of the small vessels I fell in with were able to outsail the _Spray_ by day, they fell astern of her by night.

To the _Spray_ day and night were the same; to the others clearly there was a difference.

On one of the very fine days experienced after leaving Rio, the steamship _South Wales_ spoke the _Spray_ and unsolicited gave the longitude by chronometer as 48 degrees W., "as near as I can make it," the captain said.