in the ocean, and were congratulating themselves that they had met with
it in daylight and fine weather.

"But what do you think it is, Captain Willis?" asked Ellen Barrow.

"Why, young lady, I think it is a boat; but I am not surprised that so
many people, not accustomed to look at objects on the water, where there
is nothing to compare them with, should be mistaken. Those who fancy
that it is a whale or the hull of a vessel think it is much farther off
than it really is, while those who suppose it to be a small fish,
believe it to be much nearer than it really is. It is only by comparing
things together that we can estimate them properly."

The breeze, although sufficient to fill the sails, was still very light,
so that the ship moved but slowly through the water,--at the rate,
perhaps, of a mile and a half or two miles in the hour, or, as sailors
would say, two knots an hour. She was, therefore, a long time
approaching the object. At last, Captain Willis, who had constantly
kept his telescope turned towards it, pronounced it, without doubt, to
be a boat.

"There appears to be no one in her, however," he observed; "at least, I
see no one's head above the gunwale."

"How strange that a boat should be out there all alone!" exclaimed Ellen
Barrow.

"Oh no; she has got adrift from a vessel, or has been driven off from
some coast or other," answered Captain Willis.

"There looks to me, sir, as if there were some people in the boat,
though they don't appear to be moving," sung out the third officer from
aloft.

"Mr Simpson, man the starboard quarter-boat, and lower her as we come
up with the boat. We must have her alongside, and overhaul her, at all
events."

"Ay, ay, sir," replied the mate; and soon afterwards the boat's crew
were seen coming aft to lower her into the water.

Numerous were the conjectures as to who could be in the boat, and where
she could have come from; but of course no one could answer the
question. The ship glided on slowly, for the wind was still very light.
When she got a short distance only from the boat, the captain ordered
the sails to be clewed up, and the gig to be lowered. Mr Simpson went
away in her, and was soon alongside. He was seen to throw up his hands,
as an expression of horror, as he looked into the boat. She was then
made fast to the stern of the gig, and rapidly towed up to the ship.

"Be quick there on deck, and bring a chair," he exclaimed. "Here's a
poor c