e for
satisfaction when we thus had evidence that we could not be driving fast
to the eastward, and that when we came to haul up we should still find
ourselves at no great distance from the Cornish coast.

We waited, anxiously watching the ship; but all differences of opinion
were soon settled when she appeared abeam, fully as far off as the
former one. As our hopes had risen to a high pitch, so they now fell
proportionately low. I began to fear that despondency would seize on
all hands. The ship came up on our quarter; then she got abeam of us.
We could see her as clearly as we had seen the former one. Some of our
people shouted and waved their hats and caps. No answering signal was
made. Again they shouted and shrieked out till they were hoarse. Their
cries and their signals were equally vain. Those on board could
probably scarcely have seen the boat even had they been looking for her,
and of course our shouts would not have reached one-tenth part of the
distance. The ship glided quickly on. She passed us altogether, and,
like her predecessor, disappeared in the western horizon. As she was
leaving us, some of the men lost all command of their feelings and broke
forth into imprecations loud and deep, and abused the ship and all on
board her, as if they were to blame for not having seen us. I saw that
in their present state of mind there would be no use finding fault with
them, so I tried to cheer them up.

"Never mind, mates," said I. "We should not have been much better off
if we had got on board those ships. They are outward-bound, and must
have carried us wherever they are going, and perhaps we might have had
to go half-way round the world before we could get home again. Let us
wait till we sight a ship bound up Channel, and then if we miss her we
may have reason to complain."

The remarks I made seemed to have some effect, for I heard no more
complaints for some time. The day wore on and no other vessel passed
us. A change in the weather began to take place as the evening drew on.
The wind lessened considerably during the afternoon, and as night
approached it dropped into a perfect calm. Still there was a good deal
of sea, and we had more difficulty than ever in keeping the boat from
being swamped. We got the oars out, but we found that we had lost so
much strength that we could scarcely use them. However, we managed to
pull the boat's head round, and once more endeavoured to keep a course
to