d and short allowance; the key of the
pump was strictly guarded, but we had excitement enough and to spare,
for, six days before our 'landfall,' the bo'sun discovered fire in the
fore-hold that had evidently been smouldering for some time, was
deep-seated, and had secured a firm hold.

It was difficult to get at the fire on account of the small hatchway,
and notwithstanding the laboured efforts of all hands, we were at last
obliged to batten the hatches down and to trust to a lucky 'slant' to
put us within hail of assistance. The water which we had so
fruitlessly poured below had all to be pumped out again to get the ship
in sailing trim; and heart-breaking work it was, with the wheezy old
pump sucking every time the ship careened to leeward. Anxiety showed
on all faces, and it was with great relief that, one day at noon, we
watched the Mate nailing a silver dollar to the mizzenmast. The dollar
was his who should first sight the distant shore.

We held a leading wind from the norrard, and when, on the afternoon of
a bright day, we heard the glad shout from the fore-tops'l
yard--"Land-oh"--we put a hustle on our movements, and, light at heart,
found excuse to lay aloft to have a far-away look at God's good earth
again. It was the Farallone Islands we had made--thirty miles west
from the Golden Gate--a good landfall. Dutch John was the lucky man to
see it first, and we gave him a cheer as he laid aft to take the dollar
off the mast.

In the second dog-watch we hung about the decks discussing prospective
doings when we set foot ashore, and those who had been in 'Frisco
before formed centres of inquiry and importance. From the bearing of
the land, we expected orders to check in the yards, but, greatly to our
surprise, the Mate ordered us to the lee fore-brace, and seemed to be
unable to get the yards far enough forrard to please him. When Wee
Laughlin came from the wheel at eight bells, we learned that the ship
was now heading to the nor'east, and away from our port; and the old
hands, with many shakings of the head, maintained that some tricky game
was afoot. The Old Man and the Mate were colloguing earnestly at the
break of the poop; and Jones, who went aft on a pretence of trimming
the binnacle, reported that the Old Man was expressing heated opinions
on the iniquity of salvage. At midnight we squared away, but as we
approached the land the wind fell light and hauled ahead. Wonder of
wonders! This seemed to