g down the coast of Africa, instead of keeping towards
the American shores. Again they had passed the Cape without meeting
with the Phantom Ship; and Philip was not only in excellent health,
but in good spirits. As they lay becalmed, with the island in sight,
they observed a boat pulling towards them, and in the course of three
hours she arrived on board. The crew were much exhausted from having
been two days in the boat, during which time they had never ceased
pulling to gain the island. They stated themselves to be the crew of a
small Dutch Indiaman, which had foundered at sea two days before; she
had started one of her planks, and filled so rapidly that the men had
hardly time to save themselves. They consisted of the captain, mates,
and twenty men belonging to the ship, and an old Portuguese Catholic
priest, who had been sent home by the Dutch governor, for having
opposed the Dutch interests in the Island of Japan. He had lived with
the natives, and been secreted by them for some time, as the Japanese
government was equally desirous of capturing him, with the intention
of taking away his life. Eventually he found himself obliged to throw
himself into the arms of the Dutch, as being the less cruel of his
enemies.

The Dutch government decided that he should be sent away from the
country; and he had, in consequence, been put on board of the Indiaman
for a passage home. By the report of the captain and crew, one person
only had been lost; but he was a person of consequence, having for
many years held the situation of president in the Dutch factory at
Japan. He was returning to Holland with the riches which he had
amassed. By the evidence of the captain and crew, he had insisted,
after he was put into the boat, upon going back to the ship to secure
a casket of immense value, containing diamonds and other precious
stones, which he had forgotten; they added, that while they were
waiting for him the ship suddenly plunged her bowsprit under, and
went down head foremost, and that it was with difficulty they had
themselves escaped. They had waited for some time to ascertain if he
would rise again to the surface, but he appeared no more.

"I knew that something would happen," observed the captain of the
sunken vessel, after he had been sitting a short time in the cabin
with Philip and the captain of the _Batavia_; "we saw the Fiend or
Devil's Ship, as they call her, but three days before."

"What! the _Flying Dutchman_, as