913 FEDEEAIi BEPOETEB. �thereabouts north by west from Cape Henry. The night was clear, but a slight haze rested on the water. �2. The Bchooner was a small craft, chiefly employed in the oyster trade. She was on a voyage, in ballast, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Tangier sound, Maryland, for a load of oysters. Her course was about north, up the bay, with the wind W. N. W.' She was on her port tack, with her sails hauled as flat aft as possible, and making not more thantwo or three miles an hour. The collision occurred during the mate's watch, which came on, at 3 o'clock, and consisted of the mate and one seaman. The seaman took the wheel at 4 o'clock, and from that time the mate was the only lookout. There were six other vessels in sight, ail of which had corne in from sea in company with the schooner. �3. The Sarmatian had ail her regulation lights set and brightly burning, and was seen by the mate of the schooner a considerable time before the collision, and when she was Bome miles away, She was on a voyage from Liverpool to Baltimore, having touched at Halifax. When firat seen by the mate she showed her green and white lights off the star- board quarter of the schooner. The mate watched her until she appeared to be passing as if to cross his stern and go into Norfolk. He then went forward and kept a lookout ahead. While he was forward the man at the wheel saw the red light of the steamer and her white light. He also saw the lights in her cabin, and came to the conclusion in his own mind that she would pass up the bay to the leeward of the schooner. He gave her, however, but little thought, and did not tell the mate what he saw. Afterwards the mate started aft to look again for the steamer. Not seeing any light to the starboard, as he expected, he stooped down and looked under the yawl, which hung from the davits at the stern. He then saw the red light and at once ran to the cabin for a toreh. As he went he told the man at the wheel that a steamer was coming up behind, and he was going to show her the torch-light. The captain, who was in the cabin smoking, hearing this remark, reached for the toroh, but before he could get it out of the can the mate seized it, and, ����
