at night had so suddenly
overtaken us, it might be quite near, without our being able to
distinguish it.

We were even uncertain, and divided in opinion, as to the direction in
which it lay--so completely were we bewildered. The night was one of
deep and utter gloom. There was no moon; and not a single star shed its
feeble light over the wilderness of agitated waters, upon which our
little boat was tossing. Heavy, low-hanging clouds, covered the sky;
but soon, even these could no longer be distinguished; a cold, damp
mist, dense, and almost palpable to the touch, crept over the ocean, and
enveloped us so closely, that it was impossible to see clearly from one
end of the yawl to the other.

The wind, however, instead of freshening, as we had feared, died
gradually away. For this, we had reason to be thankful; for though our
situation that night seemed dismal enough, yet how much more fearful
would it have been, if the rage of the elements, and danger of immediate
destruction, had been added to the other circumstances of terror by
which we were surrounded?

As it was, however, the sea having gone down, we supposed ourselves to
be in no great or pressing peril. Though miserably uncomfortable, and
somewhat agitated and anxious, we yet confidently expected that the
light of morning would show us the land again.

The terrible and exciting scenes through which we had so recently
passed, had completely exhausted us, and we were too much overwhelmed by
the suddenness of our calamity, and the novel situation in which we now
found ourselves, to be greatly disposed to talk. Johnny sobbed himself
asleep in Arthur's arms; and even Max's usual spirits seemed now to have
quite forsaken him. After the mast had been unstepped, and such
preparations as our circumstances permitted were made, for passing the
night comfortably, Morton related all that he knew of what had taken
place on shore, previous to the alarm which he had given.

I repeat the narrative as nearly as possible in his own words, not
perhaps altogether as he related it on that night, for the circumstances
were not then favourable to a full and orderly account, but partly as I
afterwards, in various conversations, gathered the particulars from him.

"You recollect," said he, "that we separated at the boats; Mr Frazer
and the rest of you, going along the shore towards the point, leaving
Browne declaiming Byron's Address to the Ocean, from the top of a coral
block