After luncheon went on shore with Itmann and examined a small galliot pleasure-boat, of about eighteen or twenty feet in length, and to which I had taken a fancy. For her length, as comfortable as a vessel could be, the middle part decked over. Mast and sails fitted, and for stability as safe as a church. Should like to have her in the Itchen, off Bishopstoke. Weather bad. [Sidenote: Aug. 20.] Weighed at 11 A.M. Wind just sufficient to allow us, with ebb tide, to fetch down, which we did cleverly in one hour. Same distance when going up taking us four hours, in tow of a dirty steamer. Arrived at Nieuwe Sluys entrance to the Vourme Canal at noon. Process of getting through the lock gates slow. We heard of a large ship coming through yesterday, requiring forty-two horses to tow her up. By 2 P.M. we were through the gates, and, with the assistance of the foresail, wind abeam, kept the three horses at the tow rope in a jog-trot. _Eugenie_ having had half an hour’s start, made sail and slipped away without the encumbrance of horses, and was, partly owing to the haze, out of sight ahead. The canal is crossed by sundry bridges which draw up, and the passing between the posts requires a nicety in steering. In meeting vessels it is customary, or rather it is the printed law, to keep to the right or starboard side. At about 3.40 a deeply-laden English collier was observed most pertinaciously keeping the mid-channel, as if she did not intend to give way an inch to, what she most likely considered us, the weaker vessel; in vain we hauled in so close to the shore that one might have reached it with a moderate length of foot: however, we had all but squeezed through, when the _Leveret_, of Whitby, at last, and when too late, put her helm a-port, thereby throwing her quarter very rudely against _Enchantress’s_ bow, by which she lost a whisker and had her cathead and upper works considerably damaged; to say nothing of the foresail, which was rent in twain. The nimble _Leveret_ did not escape without a scratch, inasmuch as _Enchantress’s_ anchor having hooked the _Leveret’s_ main rigging, tore away three of the shrouds, and having cleared her upper works fore and aft, the anchor finding nothing left to hold on by, tumbled into the water and was soon weighed, catted, and fished. While we proceeded on our way, the collier was observed to rush frantically into the rushes on the wrong bank of the river. At 4 P.M. we brought up at Helviotsluys end of the canal. All appearances of a gale of wind, although in the right direction, we are better inside the canal. [Sidenote: Helviotsluys, Aug. 21.]