n his backbone.

"Let the ladies sing to us," sighed Mr Fiery, who was mere milk and
water by that time. "I'm sure that Mrs Tods and Mrs Pods would be--"

A united shriek of protest from those ladies checked him.

"Or Miss Troolove," suggested Mr Blurt, on whose stout person the
labour told severely.

The lady appealed to, after a little hesitation, began a hymn, but the
time was found to be too slow, while the voice, although sweet and true,
was too weak.

"Come, let us have one of the `Christy Minstrels'," cried Mr Bright in
a lively tone. "I'm certain Miss Mist can sing one."

Poor Miss Mist was almost hysterical with fear and prolonged anxiety,
but she was an obliging creature. On being assured that the other
ladies would support her, she struck up the "Land of Dixey," and was
joined in the chorus with so much spirit that those who laboured at the
pumps felt like giants refreshed. Explain it how we may, there can be
no question that lively music has a wonderful power of sustaining the
energies of mankind. With the return of cheerful sensations there
revived in some of them the sense of the ludicrous, and it was all that
they could do to refrain from laughter as they looked at the forlorn
females huddled together, wrapped in rugs and cloaks, drenched to the
skin, almost blown from their seats, ghastly with watching and fear,
solemn-visaged in the last degree, and yet singing "Pop goes the
weasel," and similar ditties, with all the energy of despair.

We paint no fanciful picture. We describe facts, and there is no saying
how far the effect of that music might have helped in the saving of the
ship, had not an event occurred which rendered further efforts
unnecessary.

The captain, who had either lost his reckoning or his head, or both, was
seen to apply himself too frequently to a case-bottle in the cabin, and
much anxiety began to be felt as to his capacity to manage the vessel.
Owing, also, to the length of time that thick weather had prevailed, no
reliable observation had been obtained for several days. While the
anxiety was at its height, there came a sudden and terrible shock, which
caused the good ship to tremble. Then, for the first time, the roar of
breakers was heard above the howling of the storm. As if to increase
the horror of the scene, the fog lifted and revealed towering cliffs
close ahead of them.

The transition from a comparatively hopeful state to one of absolute
despair was over