The vessel to windward passed ahead of them at the distance of about half a mile.

It would have been easy to have spoken with her; but perceiving, by her manoeuvres, that she was much frightened, Captain Gore was not willing to augment her terrors, and thinking that they should have many better opportunities of communicating with the Japanese, suffered her to go off without interruption.

There appeared to be about six men on board, and, according to the best conjectures that could be formed, the vessel was about forty tons burden.

She had but one mast, on which was hoisted a square sail, extended by a yard aloft, the braces of which worked forward.

Halfway down the sail came three pieces of black cloth, at equal distances from each other.