ld
not attempt to come back till the morning, but that he would keep a
bright look-out for us. This disarmed any suspicions which were rising
in the doctor's mind, and he turned in, expecting to see us soon after
daybreak. What, then, was his astonishment, on going on deck, to find
the ship under all sail, standing away from the island, and to be told
that we had not come back. The captain might have been a party to the
act, but he was already perfectly tipsy, and could make no coherent
remark; and when the first mate came on deck, he said that the ship had
been driven off the island by a sudden squall, and that he had no doubt
our boat had been swamped in attempting to come off. The doctor had in
vain entreated him to beat back, and to send another boat on shore to
ascertain our fate. He made all sorts of excuses, till at length when
the island could no longer be seen the _Orion_ was once more becalmed.
The doctor said that he endeavoured to get a boat, and, in spite of the
heat and the distance, offered to pull back to look for us; but the
first mate refused, and at length grew perfectly furious on his
persisting in making the offer. At dinner the first mate drank more
wine and spirits even than usual, and towards the evening was in no
better a condition than the captain.

At this juncture dense masses of smoke were seen to burst suddenly out
of the captain's cabin. The crew, part of whom were below, and part
lying about the decks nearly asleep, were hurriedly summoned to
extinguish the flames, but they obeyed lazily. The third mate got
completely bewildered, and gave nothing but contradictory orders, so
that the fire had taken complete possession of the whole after-part of
the ship before any strenuous efforts were made to extinguish it. Some
few of the men exerted themselves to the utmost, under the doctor's
orders, but the greater number did nothing effectual, for want of being
properly directed. At length he saw that there was no possible chance
of saving the ship, and called all those he could get to obey him to
lower a boat, that they might endeavour to preserve their lives. What
was his dismay to find just then a heavy squall strike the ship; but her
after-rigging being already burned, while her head sails were all set,
she paid off before the wind. Away she flew. In what direction they
were going no one could tell. To lower a boat with any chance of saving
her from being swamped seemed now imposs