e driving us. As we approached, I recognised the vessel as the same
which had passed by us in the night, and which had thrown the Captain
into such consternation. I felt a strange horror of this ship; the
intimation of the Captain, which had been so fearfully corroborated,
the desolate appearance of the ship, on which, although as we drew
near we uttered loud cries, no one was visible, alarmed me.
Nevertheless this was our only expedient; accordingly, we praised the
Prophet, who had so miraculously preserved us.

From the fore-part of the ship hung down a long cable; for the purpose
of laying hold of this, we paddled with our hands and feet. At last
we were successful. Loudly I raised my voice, but all remained quiet
as ever, on board the vessel. Then we climbed up by the rope, I, as
the youngest, taking the lead. But horror! what a spectacle was there
presented to my eye, as I stepped upon the deck! The floor was red
with blood; upon it lay twenty or thirty corpses in Turkish costume;
by the middle-mast stood a man richly attired, with sabre in hand--but
his face was wan and distorted; through his forehead passed a large
spike which fastened him to the mast--he was dead! Terror chained my
feet; I dared hardly to breathe. At last my companion stood by my
side; he, too, was overpowered at sight of the deck which exhibited no
living thing, but only so many frightful corpses. After having, in the
anguish of our souls, supplicated the Prophet, we ventured to move
forward. At every step we looked around to see if something new,
something still more horrible, would not present itself. But all
remained as it was--far and wide, no living thing but ourselves, and
the ocean-world. Not once did we dare to speak aloud, through fear
that the dead Captain there nailed to the mast would bend his rigid
eyes upon us, or lest one of the corpses should turn his head. At last
we arrived at a staircase, which led into the hold. There
involuntarily we came to a halt, and looked at each other, for neither
of us exactly ventured to express his thoughts.

"Master," said my faithful servant, "something awful has happened
here. Nevertheless, even if the ship down there below is full of
murderers, still would I rather submit myself to their mercy or
cruelty, than spend a longer time among these dead bodies." I agreed
with him, and so we took heart, and descended, full of apprehension.
But the stillness of death prevailed here also, and there was