f course, I did not hear
them till many years afterwards. Mr Schank was still doing duty on
board the frigate expecting to be superseded, that he might commence
refitting the brig. It had just become dark. She was lying some
distance inside of us. Happily for themselves several of the crew in
charge had come on board the frigate. Suddenly a tremendous explosion
was heard. Bright flames burst forth from the spot where the brig lay,
and a huge pyramid of fire was seen to rush upward towards the sky,
where it burst into a thousand fragments, which, scattering far and
wide, came hissing back into the mirror-like ocean, reflecting, ere they
reached it, a thousand bright lights on its tranquil bosom.

"What is that about?" exclaimed Captain Cobb, coming on deck.

"The brig has blown up, sir," was the answer.

"And so then are all my hopes!" exclaimed Mr Schank, who had followed
him on deck. "Lower the boats though, and we will try and pick up any
poor fellows who may have escaped."

Mr Schank leaped into the first boat which reached the water, and in
his eagerness to save his fellow-creatures instantly forgot his own
bitter disappointment. Three men only were picked up alive, floating on
fragments of the wreck. It sank almost directly the boats got up to the
spot. What had caused the catastrophe no one could tell, but the brig
certainly must have had a larger amount of gunpowder on board her than
was supposed. Mr Schank therefore, as before, continued to act as our
First-Lieutenant. Once or twice we returned to the Hoogley to refit,
and on one occasion we were sent round to Madras and Bombay on special
service. We were running down the Coromandel coast; the wind fell, and
we lay, rolling our lower yardarms under in a long heavy swell, which
came moving onwards in giant undulations towards the coast. We had to
get rolling tackles set up, for sometimes it seemed as if the frigate
would shake the very masts out of her. The Captain was on deck
whistling away as was his wont. I do not know whether he expected his
whistling to produce a breeze, but certainly I observed that he never
failed to whistle when there was a calm.

He was thus employed when Mr Schank, who had previously been on deck
for some hours, and had gone below to rest, once more made his
appearance. He cast a look round, and pointed out a dark spot in the
horizon. The order was immediately given to furl sails and strike
topgallant masts. The