our to get
a little sleep; I therefore routed out a small pocket sextant that had
been presented to me by a friend, and, making my way up into the fore-
topmast cross-trees--from which the strangers could be seen--I very
carefully measured with the instrument the angle subtended by the mast-
head of the brig and the horizon, so that I might be able to ascertain
from time to time whether or not that craft was increasing the distance
between her and ourselves. I decided to measure this angle every half-
hour; and, having made my first and second observations without
discovering any appreciable difference between them, I employed the
interval in looking about me, and watching the movements of two large
sharks which were dodging off and on close alongside the ship, and which
were clearly visible from my post of observation. At length, as "three
bells"--half-past nine-o'clock--struck, I cast a glance all round the
ship before again measuring my angle, when, away down in the south-
eastern quarter, I caught a glimpse of very pale blue stretching along
the horizon that elsewhere was indistinguishable owing to the glassy
calm of the ocean's surface.

"Deck ahoy!" shouted I; "there is a small air of wind creeping up out of
the south-eastern quarter."

"Thank you, Mr Grenvile," replied the captain, who was engaged in
conversation with Mr Fawcett, the officer of the watch. "Is it coming
along pretty fast?" he continued.

I took another good long look.

"No, sir," I answered; "it is little more than a cat's-paw at present,
but it has the appearance of being fairly steady."

"How long do you think it will be before it reaches us?" asked the
second luff.

"Probably half an hour, at the least, sir," I answered.

I noticed Mr Fawcett say something to the skipper; and then they both
looked up at the sails. The captain nodded, as though giving his assent
to some proposal. The next moment the second lieutenant gave the order
to range the wash-deck tubs along the deck, and to fill them. This was
soon done; and while some of the hands were busy drawing water from over
the side, and pouring it into the tubs, others came aloft and rigged
whips at the yard-arms, by means of which water from the tubs was
hoisted aloft in buckets and emptied over the sails until every inch of
canvas that we could spread was thoroughly saturated with water. Thus
the small interstices between the threads of the fabric were filled, and
the sails ena