bay of San Francisco, which is a land-locked sea of more than
forty miles in length, and, finally, anchored off the town of the same
name. And a wonderful town it was! The news of the discovery of gold
had drawn so many thousands of ships and men to the port, that the
hamlet of former days had become a city of tents and iron and wooden
edifices of every kind. Gold can indeed work wonders--and never was its
power more wonderfully displayed than in the rapid growth of San
Francisco.

But our hero took small note of such matters. He was bent on a mission
which engrossed his whole soul and all his faculties, and the fear that
the Westwoods had found a homeward-bound ship, and perhaps had already
set sail, induced him to go about everything he did in feverish haste.
During the few weeks that had passed since he last saw it, the town had
so changed its features that Will could scarce find his way, but at last
he managed to discover the office of the agent who had advised him to go
and see his property. Mr Zulino, as he was named, received his visitor
with his wonted crustiness mingled with surprise, which was somewhat
increased when he found that Will could not give a very comprehensible
reason for his sudden return to the city. He could give no information
as to the Westwoods, knew nothing about them, but advised that Will
should make inquiry at the principal hotels in the town and at the
shipping office, adding that he believed one of the ships which had long
been lying in the port, unable to sail for want of hands, had at last
succeeded in getting up a crew, and was to sail in a day or two for
England, but he did not know her name or anything about her.

"It is plain we can make nothing out of Mr Zulino," said Will, with a
look of chagrin, on quitting the office. "Come, let us go hunt up the
hotels."

"Agreed," cried Captain Dall. Mr Cupples groaned his readiness to
follow, so they set off.

All that day the three wandered about the city into every hotel and
shipping office, and every public place they could find, until they were
thoroughly exhausted, but without success.

"Now, doctor," said the captain, wiping his heated brow, "if we are to
gain our ends, it is plain that we must feed. I feel like a ship's hold
without a cargo. See, here is a comfortable-looking inn; let us go and
stow away something solid, have a pipe, and then turn in, so as to go at
it fresh to-morrow morning early."

"Very well," sai