arted with them, and I knew that this was in
the last degree improbable. Yet it was the only basis I had upon which
to make my calculations; for it was impossible for me to judge by the
weather which we had ourselves experienced. Of one thing I felt
tolerably well convinced, which was that, keeping so much farther to the
southward than we had done in the gig, the other boats would not have
met with the calms that had so seriously delayed us; and that
consequently--unless they too had been caught in the hurricane that had
so nearly proved our destruction--they must be somewhere directly ahead
of us as we were then steering. There was nothing for it, therefore,
but to keep all on as we were until we found them.

In this condition of anxiety and suspense we continued to run away to
the west-south-west until sunset, without sighting anything; and then,
fearful of running past one or more of the objects of our quest during
the night-time without seeing them, I hove the schooner to under
foresail and jib, with the topsail aback, so that we might remain as
nearly as possible where we were--excepting for our lee drift--all
through the night. I also caused three lanterns to be hoisted, one over
the other, from our maintopmast stay, as a fairly conspicuous signal,
pretty certain to attract attention in the event of either of the boats
coming within sight of us during the hours of darkness, and of course
gave the strictest injunctions for the maintenance of a bright lookout
all through the night.

The night passed uneventfully, and at daybreak, after having first gone
aloft and personally but unavailingly examined the horizon and the
entire visible expanse of the ocean through the ship's telescope,--an
excellent instrument, by the way,--we made sail again upon the schooner,
and resumed our search.

Shortly after breakfast I secured an observation for my longitude, and,
having worked out my calculations, found that, if the boats were still
afloat, and had continued to steer the course which I had been told they
would, we must certainly find them that day. As on the preceding day,
the men spent their watch upon the yards, maintaining so keen a lookout
that even I, anxious as I was, felt satisfied they would allow nothing
to escape them. Yet the day passed, and evening arrived without the
discovery of any sign of the missing boats; while my anxiety grew more
painfully intense with the lapse of every hour of daylight. And whe