e that we were not so very long a sail from it, could we gain
the slightest knowledge of the direction in which it was to be found.
But this was hopeless. I felt assured that we must abandon all idea of
seeing it again.

In the midst of these painful reflections, my companion directed my
attention to an object at a very considerable distance, and intimated
her impression that it was a ship. Luckily, I had brought my glass with
me, and soon was anxiously directing it to the required point. It was a
ship: but at so great a distance that it was impossible, as Mrs
Reichardt said, for any person on board to distinguish our boat. I
would have sailed in that direction, but the wind was contrary: I had,
therefore, no alternative but to wait till the ship should approach near
enough to make us out; and I passed several hours of the deepest anxiety
in watching the course of the distant vessel.

She increased in size, so that I could observe that she was a large ship
by the unassisted eye; but as we were running before the wind in a
totally different direction, there seemed very little chance of our
communicating, unless she altered her course.

Mrs Reichardt mentioned that signals were made by vessels at a distance
to attract each other's attention, and described the various ways in
which they communicated the wishes of their respective captains. The
only signal I had been in the habit of making was burning quantities of
wood on the shore and pouring water on it to make it smoke--this was
impossible in our boat.

My companion at last suggested that I should tie a tablecloth to the
mast; its peculiar whiteness might attract attention. The sail was
presently taken in, and the tablecloth spread in its place; but,
unfortunately, it soon afterwards came on a dead calm--the breeze died
away, and the cloth hung in long folds against the mast.

No notice whatever was taken of us. We now took to our oars and pulled
in the direction of the ship; but after several hours' hard rowing, our
strength had so suffered from our previous fatigues, that we seemed to
have made very little distance.

In a short time the sun set, and we watched the object of all our hopes
with most anxious eyes, till night set in and hid her from our sight.
Shortly afterwards a light breeze again sprung up; with renewed hope we
gave our sail to the wind, but it bore us in a contrary direction, and
when morning dawned we saw no more of the ship.

The wind