aware that the ship was being
brought to the wind; and presently the order was given to man the
braces. There were the usual "Yo-ho! yo-hip! round with her, boys!" and
the like cries, which the British merchant seaman deems it necessary to
indulge in when he is pulling and hauling; and presently we understood
that the ship was hove-to on the starboard tack, with her head to the
northward. Then the order was given to man the capstan; and the men
were heaving round when Lloyd returned, and, with a grin of
comprehension at finding us all released from our bonds, informed the
skipper that Bainbridge was willing to see him. Whereupon Captain
Roberts left us, and, escorted by "Welshy", went aft.

Meanwhile, we who were left behind in the forward house gathered from
the various sounds which reached us that the longboat was now being
hoisted out; and presently we heard the heavy splash of her as she was
dropped into the water alongside. This was followed by an order to
overhaul and unhook the yard tackles; and in the comparative silence
that then ensued we occasionally caught the alternate murmur of the
skipper's and Bainbridge's voices: but they were speaking in ordinary
conversational tones, and the multitudinous sounds of the ship--the
faint rustle of canvas aloft, the patter of reef-points, the creaking of
the yards and timbers, the wash of water alongside, and the subdued hum
of many voices on deck--prevented us from catching a word of what was
being said. However, we gathered that Captain Roberts had been
protesting against turning so many people adrift in the longboat alone,
for presently we heard Bainbridge shout an order to lower away the
captain's gig, which, next to the dinghy and jollyboat, was the smallest
boat belonging to the ship. But she was roomy enough to accommodate ten
people comfortably, without ballast, or seven with provisions and water
enough to last her crew for three weeks; and I considered that if
Bainbridge was indeed going to give us the gig as well as the longboat,
with, of course, an adequate supply of provisions and water, we should
be able to manage tolerably well in anything short of a gale.

Presently Lloyd, who appeared to be acting as Bainbridge's lieutenant,
came forward again and entered the house. "Now, then, gen'lemen," he
remarked, with the grin which he seemed to think it necessary to assume
when addressing us, "the longboat's all ready, and the passengers is
waitin' to go dow