of
course has theatres, hotels, billiard-rooms, and balls; these northern
people are fond of dancing, I have read. We shall have ample amusement
with the fair islanders."

"The dances will be something like those of the North American Indians,
I suspect," answered the lieutenant, who might have thought that his
captain was laughing at him, when he talked of such amusements in a
country he believed so barbarous.

The corvette had got close in with Sumburgh Head, when her sails gave
several loud flaps against the masts, bulged out, then again collapsed,
and she speedily lost all steerage way. The head of the vessel, instead
of pointing, as heretofore, towards the north, now began slowly to turn
round west, and south, and east, and then, as if some secret power had
seized her keel, away she was whirled, now to the westward, and then to
the north in the direction of the towering heights of Fitfiel Head.

As the ship lay rocking to and fro under this lofty headland, which they
at length arrived at, the sea-birds flew forth in myriads from the
ledges and caverns, where, for ages past, in storm and sunshine, in
winter and summer, they have roosted undisturbed, wheeling and circling
with discordant cries round the stranger, as if to inquire why she had
thus come to intrude on their domain. The Spanish seamen, accustomed
chiefly to southern climes, gazed with superstitious wonder at the
frowning cliff and the screeching birds, and fully believed that those
winged denizens of the wild sea-coast were evil spirits sent out by the
witches of the country to trick and torment them, and perchance to lead
them to destruction.

"Shall we anchor, Alvarez?" asked the captain, anxiously looking around
seaward, and then at the frowning height above their heads.

"Anchor!" exclaimed the lieutenant, "as well anchor in the middle of the
Bay of Biscay as in the Roust of Sumburgh with such a current as this,
even if the depth would allow. We might get the boats out and tow, and
perchance, by gaining time, obtain a breeze to carry us free."

"By all means do so," was the answer. The boats were lowered, and their
crews were soon lustily tugging at their oars with the head of the
corvette to the westward, while long sweeps were got out and run through
the ports to impel her yet more rapidly through the water. Suddenly,
however, she seemed to be once more seized upon and carried completely
out of their control. Her head was to the westw