h the water, and soon approached the
object, which proved to be a boat with her keel up. She was then
hove-to, a boat was lowered to tow the swamped boat alongside. When
this was done, a rope was passed under her stern, she was lifted till
the tackle fall could be hooked on to the ring-bolt in it, when she was
easily turned over, and as she was hoisted up the water was baled out.
Every one was eager to learn what boat she was.

It was soon perceived that she had been much shattered and damaged, for
the gunnel on one side had been almost knocked away, and the bows had
been stove in; but the injury had been repaired by one or more coats of
tarred canvas, nailed over her bow and bottom, in a very rough way. The
captain at once pronounced her to be an English-built boat, but she had
no name by which it could be discovered to what vessel she belonged.

"Some poor fellows have been cast away on the rocks, and tried to make
their escape in her," remarked Linton. "They must have encountered
another squall in that ricketty craft, and she must have capsized and
drowned them all."

"It looks too like it," said Saltwell. "But if they had got on any
rocks they would have taken a longer time to put her to rights. What
think you of her being launched from the deck of a sinking vessel?"

"The same idea struck me," observed Mr Norton, the master. "I suspect,
if we had the means of ascertaining, that she will be found to be one of
the boats of the lost _Zodiac_."

"I fear it; and if so, all must have perished," said Saltwell. "It
would be cruel to suggest it to the captain."

"He already has thought of that," observed the master.

"What shall we do with the boat, sir?" inquired the first lieutenant of
the captain. "Shall we cast her adrift?"

"No--get her in on deck, and overhaul her more thoroughly," was the
answer.

This was done; and while the carpenter was examining her, and making
remarks on the curious way she had been patched up, he found, in the
stern sheets, a silk handkerchief, which had been thrust into a hole,
over which, evidently, there had not been time to nail any canvas. It
had thus been fixed in so tightly, that the water had not been able to
wash it out.

The carpenter drew it forth, and opened it.

"Ah, here is a name in a corner, which will go far to prove to whom the
boat belonged," he exclaimed. "If I know how to read, these letters on
it spell--`J. Bowse.' What do you say, Brown?"

"The