to remain there a moment
without adopting precautions of some kind to escape suffocation; we
accordingly returned to the deck, and, removing our black silk
handkerchiefs from our throats saturated them with water, and then bound
them tightly about the lower part of our faces, leaving our eyes only
uncovered. Thus protected, we once more descended, and were then
enabled to remain long enough to assure ourselves that the forecastle
was not the seat of the fire. As we returned to the deck up the steep
ladder, I detected smoke issuing into the forecastle in dense jets
through the joints in the bulkhead, and this, together with the odour,
which at that moment became very strong, led me to suspect that the fire
was located in the store-room.

Saturating our handkerchiefs afresh and readjusting them upon our faces,
we rushed aft and descended the main hatchway. Here--that is to say,
immediately in the wake of the hatchway--there was very little smoke,
but with _every_ step forward it became more and more dense, and as we
approached the store-room the heat and smoke became so stifling that we
could only proceed with the utmost difficulty.

At length, however, we managed to reach the store-room door, and then
the heat, the heavy smoke, the dull roar and crackling of the flames,
gave us unmistakable assurance that we had found the seat of the
mischief. I placed my hand upon the thick planking of the bulkhead and
found it to be scorching hot.

We were unable to remain a moment where we were, so intense was the
smoke and heat. We accordingly returned to the deck and summoned
Hawsepipe and the doctor to our assistance. We informed them in a few
words of this new catastrophe, or rather of the unexpected result of the
original one--for I had no doubt whatever that it was the lightning
which had set the ship on fire,--and received from them in return the
news that the four men had been restored to consciousness, but had not
yet recovered the use of their limbs; we then at once set about cutting
a hole through the deck into the store-room, hoping that by means of the
fire-engine and hose we might yet be able to conquer the flames.

A hole was first cut in the deck large enough to admit the end of the
hose; the hose was then inserted, and packed carefully round with wet
canvas where it passed through the deck, so as to prevent, as far as
possible, the access of fresh air to the fire, and we four then manned
the engine and proce