er eagerly poured the water into a mug, and,
putting it to his lips, with a triumphant smile passed it round to us
all. It was deliciously cool and perfectly sweet. It now came pouring
out quickly, and we got up an empty cask to contain it. We all knelt
down and thanked God that we had obtained the means for sustaining life,
should our supply of water altogether fail. It took a long time, and
used up a large quantity of fuel to produce even a gallon of fresh
water, yet a gallon was sufficient liquid for everybody on board for a
couple of days, and we might thus give a larger share to the sheep.

You might not think so, but the gale off the Cape did not cause me as
much anxiety as this long calm. I ought, I confess, to have remembered
that in both instances God was watching over us. In the one, I trusted
to my stout little craft and my seamanship; in the other, my seamanship
was of no avail--the stoutest ship would not have prevented all on board
dying a frightful death had the calm continued. Here was my human
folly: on both occasions, had I thrown all my care on God, I should have
saved myself from all the anxiety I had suffered. This was increased by
the uncertainty I felt as to the character of the sail we saw in the
distance. I was in my own mind persuaded that she was a French
privateer, and if we were discovered, her boats would probably pay us a
visit, even if she did not.

We were all seated languidly about on the deck, under an awning rigged
to give us some shade, when Peter started up, exclaiming, "There comes
the breeze." Some downy feathers, fastened by a silk thread to the
after backstay, had, he thought, moved for a moment though the vane
quickly dropped again. We were speedily on foot, but the first glance
at the glowing, tranquil ocean, like some huge mirror on which we were
resting, made me fear that my son had been mistaken. I shook my head,
and a sigh escaped from several of our party, as they sank down again on
their seats. Just then, however, I caught sight of a light cat's-paw
skimming over the water in the distance, and Peter, springing at the
same moment into the rigging and pointing westward, exclaimed, "Here it
comes, father, no mistake about it now." I followed him up the rigging,
and saw in the far west a wide-extending dark blue line moving quickly
on towards us. Peter and I sprang back on deck, got the awning stowed,
the head sails set, and the big square-sail ready for hoist