ase, while Captain Rogers
continued throwing shot on either side of her, with no more effect,
however, than at first. As, however, the _Bellona_ must ere long come
up with the dhow, he refrained from firing a shot into her, which he
felt very much inclined to do. At length, when the Arabs saw that they
could not possibly reach the shore before they were overtaken, they
lowered their huge sail, and the _Bellona_ was quickly up to them.

A boat being lowered, Tom and Alick soon pulled up alongside the dhow.
As Tom had no interpreter, and knew as much about Arabic as he did about
the ancient Chaldean, he could only judge of the character of the craft
by the appearance of things. Her crew were very picturesque gentlemen,
but, judging by their looks, cut-throats every one of them, and without
any ceremony would have stuck their long daggers into the English
officers had they dared. But the sight of the yardarm of a man-of-war,
not to speak of her guns, has a wonderful effect in keeping such gentry
in order. Along the decks were arranged a party of ladies and
gentlemen, most of them jet black, dressed out in a variety of fanciful
costumes. Some in pink and checked shirts, others with blankets over
their shoulders, and others in loose trousers and vests, but it was easy
to see that they were destitute of under garments.

Nearly a score of naked fellows, with clothes only round their waists,
were standing round the halyards, to which they were holding on as if
they were part of the crew.

Tom inquired of the savage-looking fellow who came forward in the
character of captain, where they came from.

"Zanzibar," was the answer.

"And where bound for?"

The captain pointed to the north-east, and pronounced some name not on
the chart.

"Of how many men does your ship's company consist?" asked Tom, making
signs by hauling away with his hands, then pretending to be rowing, and
then holding up his fingers and pretending to count.

The skipper pointed to the black fellows forward and then to the Arabs,
who were, indeed, alone quite sufficient for navigating the craft.

"Who are these ebony-coloured ladies and gentlemen who sit so demurely
about the deck?" asked Tom, pointing to them.

The Arab replied by signs that they had paid money into his hands for
their passage, and by putting his head down, as if to sleep, that they
had no work to do.

"So they are passengers," observed Tom. "I understand that, and now my
fin