land among blacks than Moors, from what I have heard of
the latter," said Boxall. "However, we may, I hope, be picked up by
some European vessel."

It was the first time Boxall had made any remark calculated to increase
our anxiety, and his words had apparently slipped out unintentionally.
I remembered having read an account of the barbarous way in which the
wild Arabs of the African Desert had treated some European sailors
wrecked on the coast; and I could not help reflecting that the most
abject slavery might be our lot, should we fall into their hands. A
discussion as to the character of the natives we were likely to meet
with, should we reach the shore, occupied us for some time. Again
Halliday complained of fearful thirst, when Ben succeeded at length in
persuading him to munch a piece of his biscuit; but he declared that
without a drop of moisture he could not get a morsel down. Just then
Ben sang out that he saw some round things floating in the water a short
way ahead.

"It may be sea-weed--though I have a notion it is something else," he
added, as we paddled eagerly forward.

"They are oranges!" he soon shouted out; "and whether they have come
from our vessel or some other, there they are."

We strained every nerve to urge on the raft, as if they would sink
before we could reach the spot. How eagerly we picked them up! There
were two dozen altogether. Directly Ben got hold of one he handed it to
Halliday, who began sucking away at it with the greatest eagerness.
They were all perfectly ripe; and even had they been green, they would
have been most welcome.

"Providence has sent this fruit for our relief," said Boxall. "Let us
be thankful to the Giver."

There were six apiece. We stowed them away in our pockets, for we had
nowhere else to put them. They might be, we thought--as indeed they
were--the means of preserving our lives. By Boxall's advice we ate only
one each, reserving the others till hunger and thirst might press us
more than at present. I suspect that otherwise Halliday would have
consumed all of his share--as perhaps might the rest of us.

All day we were on the look-out for a sail; but the calm continuing, no
vessel could approach us. We had reason, however, to be thankful that a
strong wind and heavy sea did not get up, as our frail raft, on which we
could with difficulty balance ourselves, would speedily have been
overwhelmed. On we paddled; but, as before, we made but littl