s kept pointing to the westward I conjectured that she was
either sweeping or being towed by her boats.

The sun set in a perfectly clear and cloudless sky, just as we had
brought the ship hull-up; but by that time she was a mass of flame fore
and aft, and I began to fear that we should be too late to save her crew
or to do any good whatever on board her. We kept steadily on, however,
and reached her half an hour later.

The three masts went over the side when we were within a cable's length
of the burning ship, and on arriving within fifty feet of her we found
it impossible to approach any nearer, owing to the intense heat. It was
manifestly impossible that any living thing could be in the midst of
that fiercely flaming furnace, so we were compelled to content ourselves
with merely ascertaining the name of the unfortunate craft, which with
considerable difficulty we at length made out to be the _Highland
Chieftain_ of Glasgow--after which we left her.

On pulling out clear of the smoke and glare of the flames once more we
found ourselves to be about six miles distant from the brig, a distance
of about eleven miles intervening between us and the _Daphne_. Night
had by this time closed completely down upon us; the deep clear violet
sky above us was thickly powdered with stars, which were waveringly
reflected in the deep indigo of the water beneath, and away to the
eastward the broad disc of the full moon was just rising clear of the
horizon and casting a long rippling wake of golden light from the
ocean's rim clear down to us.

Our first glance was of course in the direction of the _Daphne_. Her
towering spread of canvas alternately appeared and vanished as the
enormous idly flapping sails caught and lost again, with the heave of
the vessel, the glint of the golden moon-beams; but, save this, all was
dark and still on board her; no lanterns flashed in her rigging as a
recall signal, so I exultingly gave the order for the boats to be headed
straight for the brig, determined to win her if dash and courage could
do it.

"Pull steadily, lads," I cautioned, as the two crews bent their backs,
and with a ringing cheer started the boats in racing style; "no racing
now, we cannot afford the strength for it, all you have will be wanted
when we get alongside the chase; she is doubtless well manned with a
determined crew who will not give in without a tough struggle, so
husband your strength as much as possible. Mr Peters,