way on
deck again, though Courtenay and I, knowing that we must be just about
crossing the edge of the Pedro bank, felt no apprehension whatever.
With Carera and the rest of the felucca's people the matter was very
different; they were all out of their reckoning, and confused
accordingly; and the sudden sight of the bright-green water all about
us, and the shorter, more choppy character of the sea, whilst only a
short time before the water had been as purely blue as the heaven above
us, and the sea long and regular, completed their discomfiture. For a
minute or two disorder reigned supreme on board the little craft;
everybody had an opinion to express and advice to give, everybody was
jabbering excitedly at the same moment; no man paid the slightest
attention to his neighbour; and as all hands were by this time on deck
the result may be imagined. Even the helmsman deserted his post at last
to join in the general clamour; a circumstance of which Courtenay took
immediate advantage by springing to the tiller and ramming it hard down.
The lively little craft at once shot into the wind with her canvas
loudly flapping; and this stilled the tumult in a moment.

"'Bout ship!" shouted Courtenay, as every man stopped short in the midst
of his gabbling; "'bout ship! there is blue water away there to windward
of us, and if we can once reach it we are safe."

The men sprang at once like cats to their stations, and the immense
lateen sail was trimmed over on the other tack with an amount of
alacrity which showed how intense was their relief at finding somebody
on board equal to the occasion.

So far, this was well; the felucca was now heading about north-north-
east and straight for the land, so that our chance of falling in with a
British cruiser was a shade better than before. But, alas, no cruiser,
or sail of any kind, was just then in sight; for, giving way to my
anxiety, I in my turn shinned aloft to take a good look round. But the
land was there, plainly enough, not only the two peaks already
reported--the second of which was now directly ahead--but also five
others, ranging from three to five points on our weather bow.

We stood on as we were going for a couple of hours, so as to get well to
windward of the shoal--though, as a matter of fact, there was plenty of
water over it everywhere to have floated us, or even a frigate, for that
matter--going about again when the men had taken their breakfast. The
high land was b