As the day progressed, appearances seemed to favour the correctness of
the carpenter's theory, for the weather remained fine, with less wind
rather than more; while, after a time, the swell appeared to be dropping
somewhat. It happened, that after the men had taken their dinner that
day, it being the carpenter's watch on deck from noon until four o'clock
p.m., he--acting now in the capacity of boatswain--took it into his head
to go aloft, with the object of examining the brig's upper spars and
rigging, to see how they had fared in the late blow. Taking the
foremast first, he ascended to the royal-yard, and from thence worked
his way conscientiously down to the slings and truss of the lower yard.
While on his way aloft, however, he was observed to pause suddenly in
the fore-topmast crosstrees and gaze intently ahead, or rather in the
direction of some two points on the lee bow. He remained thus for
nearly five minutes, and then proceeded in the execution of his
self-appointed duty, taking first the foremast and then the mainmast,
and subjecting everything to a most scrupulous and thorough overhaul;
with the result that everything was found satisfactory aloft, except
that certain chafing gear looked as though it would be all the better
for renewal.

Meanwhile the watch on deck, who were engaged upon sundry odd jobs which
they were able to execute on the forecastle, had noted the action of the
carpenter, and had come to the conclusion that his keen eyes had
detected some distant object of more or less interest ahead; and they
accordingly snatched a moment from their tasks, at fairly frequent
intervals, to cast an inquiring glance over the bows. And their
watchfulness was at length rewarded, just as seven bells was striking by
the sight of something that showed for a moment as it and the brig were
simultaneously hove up on the top of a swell. It bore about a point on
the lee bow; was some two miles distant; and, so far as could be judged
from the momentary glimpse they had obtained of it, appeared to be a
floating mass of wreckage. Its appearance was to them ample
justification for a general knocking-off of work to watch for its next
appearance, one of the more energetic of them even exerting himself to
the extent of ascending the fore-rigging high enough to get a view over
the fore-yard. From this elevation an uninterrupted view of the object
was to be obtained; and after long and careful scrutiny the man made it