he whole time, during our greatest danger, he had never
forgotten the cow; he remembered how necessary the milk was to the
health of his little master, and he had fenced and guarded her stall
with sails and straw-bands to prevent her being knocked about;
nevertheless, with all his care, she looked pitiable, and was galled and
bruised in many places.

Gradually the leaden darkness over our heads seemed to be stealing away,
a low moaning sound succeeded to the hollow blasts and whistling
hurricane that had been making us their sport. Instead of the violent
pitching and tossing that had been our fate for so many days, with the
fearful careening over of the labouring ship, we were now going slowly
up and down with the swelling rolling waves. Gradually and distinctly
the land, that had been viewed some hours before, became more visible,
and we beheld what seemed to us a small irregular island, rising very
abruptly to the right, and of great height, but shelving off to the
left; and, as we approached nearer, we could perceive long breakers
dashing for a great distance over the lower part, leading us to imagine
that it extended some miles into the sea. Our captain edged off as well
as he could, with his crippled rudder and the troubled sea with which he
had to contend, because night was coming on. Though the wind was quite
subdued, and the sea becoming each hour more calm, the night was an
anxious one, and weary enough to some of us, for the pumps could not be
left a moment.

The harassing time the young ones had passed made me anxious that they
should obtain that rest so long desired, while the age and delicate
health of Madame rendered her almost as necessary an object of care; but
the maids with my cousin and myself did our duty with the rest in our
endeavours to keep the ship afloat.

We were rewarded in the morning by, oh! joyful and beauteous sight, the
unclouded and glorious rising of the sun. Months seemed to have passed
since we had seen his beautiful face, and the genial warmth and bright
beams imparted a glow to every eye and every heart. The cock, so long
silent and almost dead with salt water, faintly crowed, the dogs barked,
and the cow lowed. When dumb animals thus endeavoured to express their
joy and thankfulness, could we be silent? Oh no, words were not wanting
to add to nature's hymn, happy and joyful sounds were heard on all
sides, and those who could not help it wept the happiness they found
themselves