re to make the mouth of
the Congo river, where they've one of their settlements, or whatever
they call them. Now, that happens to be just the point you'd be running
for, and they'd be pretty sure to overhaul you before you reached it.
You'd better now try to reach the Cape, sir. It is a long way off--a
good fortnight's sail, I dare say, even with this wind. But there's
food and water enough to last more than that time; and besides, you may
fall in with an Indiaman."

"We'll take your advice, you may be sure, Jennings."

"I'm glad to hear that, sir. It makes my mind more easy. Make for the
coast, Dr Lavie, but don't try for it north of Cape Frio--that's my
advice, sir; and I know these latitudes pretty well by this time."

"We'll take care, Jennings," said Warley. "And now, isn't there
anything we can do for you?"

"You can say a prayer or two with me, Mr Ernest," replied the old man
feebly. "You can't do anything else, that I knows of."

Warley complied, and all kneeling down, he repeated the Lord's Prayer,
and one or two simple petitions for pardon and support, in which old
Jennings feebly joined. Before the sun had risen high in the heavens
his spirit had passed away. His body was then reverently committed to
the deep, and the survivors, in silence and sorrow, sailed away from the
spot.

CHAPTER FOUR.

A FOG--WRECKED--A CONSULTATION--SURVEY OF THE SHORE--A STRANGE
SPECTACLE--THE FIRST NIGHT ON SHORE.

It was early morning. Lavie and Warley were sitting at the helm
conversing anxiously, but in subdued tones, unwilling to break the
slumbers of their two companions, who were lying asleep at their feet,
with Lion curled up beside them. It was now sixteen days since they had
left the ship; and so far as they could ascertain, Table Bay was still
seven or eight hundred miles distant. They had been unfortunate in
their weather. For the first few days indeed the wind had been
favourable, and they had made rapid progress. But on the fifth morning
there had come a change. The wind lulled, and for eight and forty hours
there fell a dead calm. This was followed by a succession of light
baffling breezes, during the prevalence of which they could hardly make
any way. On the twelfth day the wind was again fair; but their
provisions, and especially their supply of water, had now run so low,
that there was little hope of its holding out, even if no further
_contretemps_ should occur. Under these circumst