ght
would never come. It was just at the end of the middle watch, and, in
spite of the wet and my uncomfortable position, I had dropped off
asleep, when I was aroused by loud shrieks and cries, and a rush of
people on deck. The awful words, "Fire! fire! fire!" resounded through
the ship. Several, in the first paroxysm of alarm, leaped overboard;
and, no one regarding them or attempting to rescue them, they were
drowned. I was a witness of their fate, but could make no one attend to
me. The watch below and the officers were instantly on deck; but for
some time nothing was done, and the ship continued her course in
darkness over the deep.

"Silence, fore and aft!" shouted the captain, who believed that it was a
false alarm. "Those who spread this report deserve to be hove
overboard. I'll take care to make inquiries about it--in the morning.
What frightens you all so?"

"Fire! fire! fire!" was the answer of others rushing up from below.

For some minutes the shrieks and cries and confusion prevented me from
hearing anything more; nor could the exertions of the officers serve to
maintain order. At last the captain, who had been incredulous, or
pretended to be so, became convinced that there was some cause for the
alarm, and on going round the lower deck a strong smell of fire was
perceived, and smoke was found to be issuing from the fore-hatchway over
the hold. No flames were seen, so it was evident that the fire was
among the cargo in the lower hold. The hatchway was accordingly opened,
and immediately dense volumes of smoke arose, and almost stifled me
where I remained lashed.

When it was discovered that the fire was forward, the ship was hove to,
thus, under the idea that as fire works to windward, to prevent its
being driven so rapidly aft as it would otherwise have been. Buckets
were now cried for; and the crew, and all the emigrants whose fears had
not mastered their senses, were engaged in filling them with water and
in heaving it down below. A pump was also rigged and manned, which,
with a hose attached to it, played down the hatchway.

After some time this appeared to have effect; and Mr Bell, who, quiet
as he generally seemed, was now the soul of everything, volunteered to
go down in order to discover the exact position of the fire. Securing a
rope round his body, while some of the crew on whom he could depend held
on, he boldly threw himself into the midst of the smoke. Not a quarter
of a min