and I was startled by the clearness with which the undulations of the rapidly increasing swell, and the hulls and rigging of the two ships, could be seen. The frigate had her three topsails, foresail, and jib set, and rolled so heavily that she appeared to be dipping her yardarms alternately in the water. She had struck her royal masts, and I could see through the glass the people busy in getting the studding-sails out of the tops, so for her I had no fear; but the merchantman astern had either been caught by the suddenness with which the sea had risen, or the scantiness of her crew had prevented her taking the precautions rendered necessary by the threatening appearance of the weather, in proper time, for her main and mizen royal masts were still up, her topgallant sails still set, and altogether from the evident confusion on board, now increased from the accident already alluded to, it was clear to me, that if any sudden squall were to overtake her before she had time to shorten sail, she would be caught all of a heap.

As the morning lightened, the Gazelle, the instant that flags could be seen, telegraphed to send a boat on board the damaged vessel, and the word was accordingly passed, for I was not sorry of another opportunity of paying a visit to my amiable friends of last evening.

"I say, Dennis, I think I will go on board myself, instead of sending any of the boys."

"As you please, Brail," quoth the litenant, who was by this time up ad shaving on deck, in a very picturesque costume certainly-"As you--oh, confound you, you have made me cut myself-bless me, what a gash! Give me some felt off the top of my hat, steward."-He might as well have gleaned after an Irish tinker. -"But were I you," continued he, "I would trust some one else-confound this bleeding. Look at the weather, man-look at the weather, and the air."

The air indeed was hot and sultry beyond all my former experience at the same hour of the four-and-twenty, and I began to have great doubts as to the propriety of sending a boat at all. I was about telegraphing to

this effect, when to the southward of us, a heavy shower appeared to be falling perpendicularly from the surcharged clouds, in a grey column"I am mistaken, there will be no wind, for you see how even-down the rain falls yonder," said I to Donovan again "Well, well, man, go—if you will go -bless me how I have cut my chin! as putting his head down the companion he roared out, "Steward, why don't you bring the felt ?"

"I can't scrape a pile off it," answered the Scotchman, appearing half way up the ladder, with the castor in one hand, and a knife in the other. "Bring the felt, you spalpeen, and no jaw."

Lennox, poor fellow, brought the hat, an old silk one, worn white at the edges, with the pasteboard framework appearing in numberless places-a most shocking bad hat certainly. He held it up to the lieutenant. The Irishman looked at it"Hat-that's not mine, steward, that's Mr Brail's.-Mercy on me, Benjamin, a'n't you ashamed to wear a thing like this?"-it was the vagabond's own all the while-" but don't mind, don't mind-so good-by, Brail

good-by," as I stepped into the boat, that was surging about on the fast-rising sea alongside.

We

Stop, you may as well leave me the kay of the locker, for your visit will be longer in that same ship, or I greatly mistake, than you bargain for." He here coolly resumed his shaving, and I shoved off. had not pulled above half a dozen strokes, when poor Lennox ran to the side we were on-" Beg pardon, sir, but a squall is coming, sir-there, sir, in the south-east, where we saw the rain just now."

I had not time to look round, when Donovan having put up his razor again sung out" By the powers, Ben, my lad, but the Scotchman is right; it requires no second sight to prophesy a squall anon.-There, there it is coming; about ship and come back, man, or it is as clear as mud that we shall be minus your own beautiful self and the boat's crew, and what's worse, our only boat that will swim."

I never despise a hint where I know it is well meant, and in an instant I was on board again, and we

had just got the boat run up, when the Commodore telegraphed, "Keep all fast with the boat."

Once more it cleared, and there was no rain in the quarter where we had recently seen it falling with such violence, but the threatening clouds had lowered right over the spot, and began to boil and whirl in sooty convolutions, like the blackest and thickest of the smoke, as it leaves the funnel of a steam-boat immediately after the fire is mended.

Under this gloomy canopy, as far in the southeast as we could see, the black waves began now to be crested with white foam, and a low undefinable hoarse murmur, more like the hollow subterranean sound that precedes the shock of an earthquake, than the roar of the ocean, gradually stole down on us with increasing distinctness.

"Is that thunder?" passed among the men.

"Thunder!" quoth old Dogvane, "I wish it were, my lads."

"It is Davy putting on the coppers for the parsons, and nothing else," said Drainings.

"What is that?"

The frigate had fired a gun to attract our attention, for the darkness had settled down so thick around us, that we could not have seen flags. She had furled every thing but the close-reefed main-topsail, and reefed foresail. "A nod is as good as a wink," said I, as I called all hands to shorten sail; and when we had every thing snug, I looked out in the direction from whence we expect ed the wind to come. The white crests had increased, and again in the distance the grey skreen descended from the clouds perpendicularly, like a watery avalanche, and hid everything beyond it from our view. Presently this column at the lower extremity bent, and drove away to the northward and westward, as if a shallow vein of wind had skimmed furiously along the surface of the sea, while all above was as yet dead calm. But the upper part of the shower gradually assumed the same slanting direction, indicating that the agitation of the air was extending upwards, when suddenly the rain once more fell right down from the heavens, and concealed the agitated billows beyond like a black curtain,

Come, I don't think it will end in wind of any consequence to speak of, after all," said I.

"Don't you be too sure, my lovely little man," quoth the imperturbable Dennis. Pray have the kindness to furl every inch of canvass, orfetch me a prayerbook-look there.'

I followed the direction in which he pointed, the column of rain was still falling straight down, and as well defined as if it had been a waterspout in reality, when all at once the lower part of it was once more bent to an angle of thirty degrees with the horizon, but continuing very dense and opaque. In a few moments the whole pillar of water took the same oblique direction, until it slanted straight as a sunbeam shooting forth from heaven. It continued as thick and impenetrable to the sight as ever for the space of half a minute, when, as if scattered by a tornado, it suddenly vanished in smoke, and the weather cleared; and right to windward, a white line crept down towards us, like dust flying along the road in a stormy day, after a long drought. The roar of the approaching squall increased, as did the swell, which now rolled on in mountainous undulations; and although it was calm as death where we lay tumbling about, the little vessel groaned and lurched like an evil spirit on his bed of liquid fire, while the tops of the seas began to break and growl as if the very waves had become conscious of the approaching tormenta.

It was now eight o'clock in the morning, but in place of getting lighter, the clouds had settled down so darkly that the frigate had to make the night signals with lanterns, to heave-to with our head to the southward, until we saw what might turn up. Sharp was the word-we prepared to do so-but before a single rope could be let go, the squall struck us, and for a minute, notwithstanding all our precautions, the Midge was fairly laid down on her beam ends, and I thought she would have turned keel up regularly; however, the moment we were enabled to lay her to with her head to the southward and westward, she breasted it like a sea-gull,

and, confident in her weatherly qualities, I had time amidst the row to cast a glance at the Commodore, and the merchantman. The former was lying to under storm-staysails, rolling and plunging most delightfully, now rising on a heavy sea and making a bow to us, and then descending entirely out of sight-but the poor ship! All seemed confusion on board of her. Whether it was that they had been deceived by the long time the wind hung in the distance, and had persuaded themselves that there would be no squall worth dreading after all, or the accident of losing the fore-topgallant mast had confused them, I cannot tell, but they had not been able to get in their canvass in time, so that every thing had to be let go by the run when the squall came down, and the consequence was, that the fore and maintopsails had been fairly blown out of the bolt ropes, and were now streaming straight out in ribbons, while the foresail, which had stood, laid her over on her beam ends. The crew were, while I looked, endeavouring to set the jib, in order to get her away before the wind, but a sea at the very moment struck her, washing the boats off the booms, and every thing else that would part company, and for a moment I thought she would never have risen again. But there was another lull, and after having got some way on the vessel, she was enabled to heave-to also. It soon began to breeze up again, but steadily; and I thought, that the puff being over, we should have no more bother, although the heavens continued as black and threatening as ever. The Commodore appeared to be of the same opinion, and now made the signal to bear up, a manœuvre that was promptly followed both by the Midge and the ship, and old Donovan and I went below to breakfast.

"That chap was nearly caught, Benjie," said the lieutenant. "Very. Shall I help you to coffee?"

loss of her boats and foretopgallantmast-she laboured so dreadfully before they could get her before the wind-what a state the poor women on board must have been in!"

Terrible," said Donovan. "Bad enough for the men, but how I do pity poor women in such a predicament! You must have lost your heart, Brail, aboard there, you are grown so awfully sentimental since you returned. Come, now, describe the beauties of the fair creaturesgive me as good a notion of them as you can-that's a good boy."

"Why, Donovan, they were both, I mean the ladies, as unlike Miss Cathleen, the affianced wife of a certain lieutenant of the navy, the son of widow Donovan, who lives at 1060, Sackville Street, as you can well imagine."-Dennis laughed."Why, you have me there, Benjie, sure enough, so”

Here Lennox interrupted him, as he hastily entered the small cabin. "The ship has made a signal of distress, sir."

"The devil she has." We both jumped up the ladder as quick as we could. The frigate was steering large, about a mile on our lee-bow. All was right and snug with her, but the ship, that lay about half a mile abeam of us to windward, had her ensign flying at the mizen-peak, with the union down, and the signal for a boat flying at the head of the foretopmast.

To send her assistance before the sea went down was utterly impossible; no boat could have lived for a minute; so all that I could do was to haul by the wind, and close under her lee quarter. It was still blowing so fresh, that when the master hailed I could not hear him; but as she lay over, we could see that both pumps were manned, and the gush of clear water from the scuppers was a sad indication of what had befallen. I could distinguish the two young missionaries, in their trowsers and shirts, labouring most vigorously amongst the crew; while the patriarchal old man was holding on by the mizenrigging, close to the master of the vessel, evidently keeping his footing on the deck of the tumbling vessel with great difficulty. Seeing me on deck, he took off his hat, which was

instantly blown overboard, and his long grey hairs streamed straight out in the wind. This to me was a moving incident, simple as it may appear to others, and it seemed to affect Donovan also.

"What a very fine-looking old man he is indeed!" said Dennis.

The lady passengers were both below, at least I could see nothing of them. When we closed, the captain hauled down the ensign, and as the flow of water from the pumps seemed to decrease, I began to hope that they were gaining on the leak. I now steered as close to as I could without danger, and hailed that the moment it was possible I would send assistance to them. The captain heard me, and made his acknowledgment with his trumpet.

We kept as near her as was safe the whole forenoon, and although we saw that the crew were every now and then taking a spell at the pumps, yet they seemed quite able to keep the leak under, and every thing once more appeared to be going on orderly on board.

Come," said I, to old Shavings the carpenter, who was looking out at her alongside of me, "if the weather would only moderate a bit, a small touch of your quality, Master Shavings, and a forenoon's spell of your crew, would set him all to rights again-eh ?”

The warrant officer turned his quid, and thereby poisoned a dolphin or two, I make no doubt, by the jet of tobacco juice that he squirted overboard. He then took a long squint before he spoke.

I

"I ben't sartain of that, sir. The water flowing there from the scuppers is cruel clear, sir. I fear she has started something serious; don't think she would make so much by mere straining." I began to fear he was right. And I sees some signs of a bustle on board again, sir; there, if the bloody fool of a cook has not set fire to the boarding of the smail galley-the caboose they calls it in marchantmen."

However, this accident seemed very trivial, for the man immediately to all appearance extinguished it again; but the alarming part of it was, that it seemed to have taken place while he was taking his spell at the pumps, a sure indication that

VOL. XXXVI. NO. ÇCXXIV,

the crew were more exhausted than I had allowed for.

The master now came suddenly on deck, and we noticed a man come up the fore-hatchway, and run aft to him, shewing by the energy of his action that the matter he was communicating was alarming, whatever its nature might be. The pumps were instantly manned again, and after a long spell, I noticed the carpenter sound the well, and immediately he shook his head. At this several of the men threw off their shirts, as if preparing for a tough bout, and set to, working harder than ever, the water once more gushing out over the ship's side in strong clear jets.

The young missionaries, who had for a minute disappeared, were again on deck, and they and the master himself now took their turns like so many of the crew; but still there was no rushing nor alarm apparently amongst them. By and by, I noticed the master go aft, and take up on his knee one of the black boards used to shut up the front of the hencoops in bad weather, on which he appeared to write something, in order to communicate with us, as, from the increase of the gale and the sea, there was no use in attempting to be heard through the trumpet. Evidently with an intention of not alarming the crew, he now slipt this over the side. On it was written in chalk,

"THE LEAK IS GAINING ON US."

The gale now came thundering down with such violence, that I found it necessary to clew up every thing but the close-reefed foresail, and the tremendous seas that roared astern of us made it doubtful how long we should be able to scud. The distress of the ship was evidently increasing; and I noticed that the poor helpless women were on deck clinging to the old man, whose age rendered it out of the question his attempting to be of any use at the pump.

I shall never forget the group. He was holding on by the mizenbackstay, in a half kneeling position; the youngest woman was beside him in her night-dress, with her long hair hanging lank down and drenched with rain over her deadly pale features, while her fair and taper

naked arms were clasped convulsively round his neck, as she hid her face in his bosom. The elder lady was sitting covered with a boat-cloak on the small seat, that ran along the larboard side of the companion, with one of her arms over the top of it to keep her in her seat, which she seemed to accomplish with great difficulty, as the labouring ship sweltered about on the boiling sea. A sheep, apparently a pet lamb, stood, or rather staggered about, on the deck beside her, every now and then turning up its innocent face and bleating, and trying to poke its head under her cloak.

A sea at this moment broke over the starboard quarter of the ship, and drenched all of them, washing aside the skirt of the cloak that covered the oldest of the females, and disclosing, alas, alas ! my poor dear little boy, crying in his mother's arms, and stretching and struggling with his little limbs, as if he had slept through it all, until the very moment when the unruly surge washed him in his nest.

"Mind your helm," sung out Mr Marline, sharp and suddenly.

I turned to look aft from whence the voice came. Heavens, what a sight! A huge green wave was curling its monstrous crest, like revolving wheels of foam, close aboard of us astern, and pursuing us, hissing and roaring, like a sea monster rushing on its prey.

I had only time to sing out, " All hands, secure yourselves," when it rolled in over the tafferel, and swept the deck fore and aft, washing boats, hen-coops, spare spars, and every thing that was not part and portion of the solid deck and upperworks, overboard, and submerging us several feet under water.

I thought the little Midge's buzz. ing and stinging were for ever over, and that she never would have risen again; but the buoyant little craft gallantly struggled from under the sea, and rose gaily to the surface like a wild-duck shaking her feathers after a long dive; and having hove to, we soon made capital weather of it-her strong bows dancing over the advancing surges, as if in contempt, until they hissed away under foot, like serpents foiled in their attack. It was a fearful sight to look

down from the summit of a gigantic sea, on the frigate and shattered merchantman, as they were tossed to and fro beneath us like objects seen from a hillside, and then to feel yourself sinking, and see them rising as you in your turn sank into the trough, until they appeared to hang above you in act to slide down and swamp you, and again to lose sight of them altogether, as a wave rose howling between us.

Had the felucca been a deepwaisted vessel, she must have inevitably been swamped; but having no ledge or rail whatsoever, and the hatches having been got on and well secured early in the forenoon, we took little or no water below. We lost one hand overboard, more lamented for the time, I believe, than if he had been the best man in the ship. It was poor Dicky Phantom, the monkey, who, when the word was passed for the men to hold on and make themselves fast, seeing them lay hold of ropes, in imitation caught one too; but, alas for Dicky! it was the slack end, so that the sea washed him overboard like smoke, and being unable to stand the drag through the water, the poor brute had to let go, and perished miserably.

As his little black gibbering face, with the eyes starting from his head, and his mouth open and grinning, while he was coughing and spluttering out the sea water, looked its last at us from the curling ridge of a wave, a general "Ah! there goes poor Dicky Phantom," burst from all hands.

The ship had also hove to; but in the few minutes that had passed since I had last seen her, her condition was clearly much altered for the worse.

The crew had knocked off from the pumps, and several, I could see, were employed casting loose the hen-coops, spare spars, and every thing that would float, while the greater part appeared absolutely insane, and rushed about the deck stretching out their hands towards us with imploring faces, as if we could have helped them, while others, alas, alas! were drunk-brutally, bestially drunk, and grinned and gibbered, and threatened us with their fists.

It was indeed a humiliating and a heart-breaking sight to see fellow