mined the roadstead. Most shook their heads, as remarks
passed from one to the other. The captain, as I took him to be, spoke us.
"What are you doing here?" came to me through a trumpet, plainly enough;
but answering was out of the question. Before I could even get a trumpet
to my mouth, the frigate had gone foaming by, and was already beyond the
reach of the voice. Heads appeared over her taffrail for some time, and we
fancied these man-of-war's men regarded us as the instructed are apt to
regard the ignorant, whom they fancy to be in danger. Marble sneered a
little at the curiosity betrayed by these two crafts; but, as for myself,
it caused great uneasiness. I fancied they acted like those who were
acquainted with the coast, manifesting surprise at seeing a stranger
anchored in the berth we occupied.

I slept little that night. Marble kept me company most of the time, but
Neb and Diogenes were as tranquil as if sleeping on good French
mattresses--made of hair, not down--within the walls of a citadel. Little
disturbed these negroes, who followed our fortunes with the implicit
reliance that habit and education had bred in them, as it might be, in and
in. In this particular, they were literally dyed in the wool, to use one
of the shop expressions so common among us.

There was a little relaxation in the force of the gale in the middle of
the night; but, with the return of day, came the winds howling down upon
us, in a way that announced a more than common storm. All hands of us were
now up, and paying every attention to the vessel. My greatest concern had
been lest some of the sails should get adrift, for they had been furled by
few and fatigued men. This did not happen, however, our gaskets and
lashings doing all of their duty. We got our breakfasts, therefore, in the
ordinary way, and Marble and myself went and stood on the forecastle, to
watch the signs of the times, like faithful guardians, who were anxious to
get as near as possible to the danger.

It was wonderful how the ship pitched! Frequently her Aurora was
completely submerged, and tons of water would come in upon the forecastle,
washing entirely aft at the next send, so that our only means of keeping
above water was to stand on the windlass-bitts, or to get upon the heart
of the main-stay. Dry we were not, nor did we think of attempting to be
so, but such expedients were necessary to enable us to remain stationary;
often to enable us to breathe. I no longer