to answer our purpose. All hands set to with a will, in the
hopes that a breeze might spring up from the southward or westward, and
blow us on to the English coast. The ebb, I found, had drifted us down
Channel, and the flood, now again making strong, sent us the way we
wished to go. As the sun also rose, and the mist which had so long hung
over the sea cleared off somewhat, we at length made out the land to the
northward, which we had no doubt was the coast of Cornwall.

Things now began to wear a much more cheering aspect. We had to knock
off mast building, however, every now and then, to take a spell at the
pumps. Mr Marlow assisted us at either work to the best of his power;
and even little Miss Alice seemed very anxious to lend a hand, and,
though I own she could have been but of slight use, her presence
encouraged us to perseverance. It did me at all events. I have all my
life felt doubly energetic in the presence of a lady, and fancy, at all
events, that there is not a deed which I would not dare for the sake of
winning the smile of an amiable girl.

At last we got something like a mast built, and lashed to the stump of
the foremast. We stayed it up, got a yard across it, and bent a topsail
to it, which we fortunately found below. This was but very little sail:
but it was all we could hope to be able to set, and without a wind even
that was of no use to us.

The pumps, in the meantime, kept us fully occupied; clang--clang--clang
they went, till I thought I never should get the sound out of my ears.
Jack every now and then turned his eye over the smooth, glassy sea to
the northward, as if he observed some sign which I did not. Before long
he gladdened our ears by exclaiming, "Here it comes! We'll stand by,
sir, if you please, to hoist the sail." I went aft to the helm. A nice
fresh, laughing breeze came rippling and curling up briskly the hitherto
sullen waters. It struck us abeam on the larboard side. The sail was
hoisted, the ship answered her helm, and I steered her in the direction
in which I believed that Plymouth was to be found.

As the binnacle had been swept off the deck, and the only compass I
could find in the cabin had been so damaged by water as to be of no use,
I had only the distant blue land to steer by.

Our sail, fortunately, required but little attention, so that my whole
ship's company were at liberty to work at the pumps, which was very
necessary, as, whenever they relaxed