consider that
the latter had been the cause of the apparent fire in the water. The
attention of the crews of both boats was, however, soon drawn to the
brilliancy of the ocean by a shoal of porpoises, which, rushing along
near the surface of the water, occasionally rolled half over as they
took breath, and again pursued their pathless course.

"We shall have a wind against us before long, I fear," said the
lieutenant, "for those porpoises usually go up towards where the wind
will blow from."

"Can they feel the wind when in the water, and before it blows?" said
Hans.

"I don't know what they feel," replied the lieutenant; "I only know that
when they swim in calm weather in any direction, the wind usually comes
from that direction in a few hours. Give way, men; we'll near the coast
as much as possible before a wind comes, and the current is strongest
about ten miles off land."

"What makes this current run down the coast?" inquired Hans. "Water
won't run up hill, at least on shore. Is it lower at the Cape than up
by Natal?"

"Well I don't know why it is exactly," said the lieutenant; "but it has
something to do with the trade winds. As long as I know where the
current runs, I am satisfied; I don't trouble myself about why it runs.
Here comes a breeze, and right in our teeth. It must not blow too hard,
or we shall have some difficulty in keeping our course."

The sea, which had previously been as calm as a pond, soon became broken
even with the slight breeze that was blowing. The wind and current
being opposed to each other caused the waves to break more than they
otherwise would have done, and seen from the small boat, these waves
soon began to appear dangerously large. As the breeze gradually
increased, it was found too dangerous to force the boat against the
seas, and thus she was obliged to change her direction and go with them.
Orders were given for the men to nail up some tarpaulin round the stem,
and to sit close together, so as to keep out as much as possible any
water that might otherwise come in as the seas broke over or near the
boats. Men were also told off for baling, and thus every precaution was
taken to prevent the boats from being swamped.

If the breeze did not freshen, there seemed every probability of the
boats keeping afloat; but as a constant wind would for a time cause the
seas to increase, the sailors became very anxious, and began to strain
their eyes in all directions for the c