and by this, indeed, we guided our course, in the absence of all
opportunity of ascertaining our position by observations of the sun.

The Captain consulted the chart--"Sand and shells; why, you should have
deeper water, Mr Treenail. Any of the fishing--boats near you?"

"Not at present, sir; but we cannot be far off some of them."

"Well, let me know when you come near any of them."

A little after this, as became my situation, I rose and made my bow, and
went on deck.

By this time the night had fallen, and it was thicker than ever, so that,
standing beside the man at the wheel, you could not see farther forward
than the booms; yet it was not dark, either,--that is, it was moonlight,
so that the haze, thick as it was, had that silver gauze--like appearance,
as if it had been luminous in itself, that cannot be described to any one
who has not seen it. The gun had been fired just as I came on deck, but
no responding tinkle gave notice of any vessel being in the neighbourhood.
Ten minutes, it may have been a quarter of an hour, when a short roll of
the drum was beaten from the forecastle, where I was standing. At the
moment I thought I heard a holla, but I could not be sure. Presently I
saw a small light, with a misty halo surrounding it, just under the
bowsprit.

"Port your helm," sung out the boatswain,--"port your helm, or we shall be
over a fishing--boat!"

A cry arose from beneath a black object was for an instant distinguishable