Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 2.djvu/595

 588 FEDERAL REPORTER. �been seen over the starboard bow of the Sansego, is evident, because they say that they continued to see the green light on their port bow as they swung to port. The moment the green light crossed their own bow, their own green light must have disappeared to those looking at it from the Sansego; and this happened before the light of the Sansego changed from green to red, and consequently while their green light was still on the starboard bow of the Sansego. �The navigation, then, of the Star of Scotia, in pursuance of her admitted duty to keep out of the way of the Sansego, was this : Seeing her red light from a point and a-half to two points on the starbord bow, she ported her helm, intending to pass to leeward of her, leaving her to keep her course to wind- ward. �The wheel being put to port, but before the vessel had had time to fall off, or, at most, but very little, the red light changed to green, still bearing about the same distance on the starboard bow. This indicated with great certainty that she was already crossing the bow of the other vessel from port to starboard, and also informed the officer in command of the Star of Scotia that the other vessel was heading about N. W. by N., and was probably a vessel saiiing by the wind on the starboard tack. �On getting this new information, by seeing the green light, two courses were open to the officer of the Star of Scotia. One was to reverse his order, bring his vessel again up to the wind, and keep on the windward side of the other vessel, passing her starboard to starboard. To do this required only a change of wheel, as he had made no change in his sails. They remained as before, with the yards braced sharp up as they were while she was by the wind. �The other course was to keep the wheel a-port and sweep round under a port wheel till he should cross the bow of the other vessel a second time and pass to leeward of her, or port side to port side. The officer of the deck adopted this second course. The mate testilies that when he first saw the red Jight he took it to be a vessel close hauled on the star- board tack, and obviously porting was then a proper move- ����