h impression before coming up.
There were only two men below in the forecastle--foreigners they were--
and they were conversing in their own language, which I did not
understand; but there was something in the expression of their faces
that struck me forcibly. Both looked gloomy, though excited, and their
gesticulations, as they talked with each other, led me to believe that
they were discussing some serious event that had either happened, or was
about to happen, to the _Pandora_.

"Perhaps," thought I, catching hope with the thought, "perhaps there is
a sail in sight--a man-of-war with a British flag? perhaps the slaver is
being chased?"

I would have endeavoured to communicate with the men, and ask them what
had happened, but they chanced to be a brace of morose fellows who had
always shown ill-will towards me, and I refrained from putting any
questions to them. I should find out by going on deck; and, my spirits
somewhat lightened by the conjecture I had formed, I sprang more
cheerfully up the steps.

As soon as I reached the deck my impressions were confirmed, though not
my conjectures; for almost the first thing that I did was to sweep the
sea with my glance, turning all round as I looked. No sail was in
sight. It was almost a perfect calm upon the water, and the sky was
blue and cloudless. I could have seen the sail, had there been one, at
the distance of many miles; but neither sail nor spar appeared between
the barque and the horizon's verge. It was not that, then, that was
creating the excitement aboard; for I now saw that there was an
excitement, and of no ordinary kind.

Both mate and captain were upon the quarter-deck, storming and swearing,
while sailors were hurrying to and fro, some plunging down the open
hatchways, and some returning up them, with gloom and ghastly paleness
upon their faces that indicated feelings of alarm and terror!

I noticed several water-butts upon the deck that had been brought
freshly from the hold. Men were grouped around them--some knocking out
the bungs, and others with tin dippers suspended upon strings, plunging
them into the holes and apparently gauging the contents or trying the
water.

One and all, however, appeared to take an interest in the operations,
far above what they would have manifested in any ordinary labour of the
vessel, and I could tell from their looks and gestures that something
very serious was on the tapis. What it was I could not guess. I