through my
frame, such as, according to the vulgar notion, a person feels when it
is said that some one is walking over his grave. Occasionally, when
anything was thrown overboard, a white flash was seen rising out of the
deep, and a large pair of jaws, armed with sharp teeth, opening, gulped
it down, and directly afterwards the creature went swimming on, watching
for any other dainty morsel which might come in its way. "How dreadful
it would be to fall overboard," I thought. "Calm as the sea is, a
person, with those creatures around, would have very little chance of
escaping with life."

Dark clouds had been gathering around, and the wavelets began to play
over the hitherto calm ocean. Although as yet there was not much wind,
the sails were trimmed, and, by the captain's orders, the vessel was put
on a north-west course. I concluded, consequently, that he at all
events intended touching at Sierra Leone, to obtain a mate and some
white hands. The wind, however, rapidly increased, sail was taken in,
and before long it was blowing a perfect hurricane. This made the poor
captain more anxious than ever to get on deck, but when he attempted to
move he found that he had not strength even to sit up. The wind howled
and whistled, the vessel tumbled fearfully about, and the seas, which
rose up in foaming masses, frequently broke on board, deluging her deck.

I had gone down to the captain, who had directed me to visit him every
quarter of an hour to let him know how things were going on, when, as I
entered the cabin, I discovered a strong smell of burning, and directly
afterwards I saw thin wreaths of black smoke making their way through
the forward bulk-head. The dreadful conviction came upon me that the
vessel was on fire. I sprang on deck, and calling the boatswain and
Paul, I told them my fears. That they were too well founded we had soon
fearful evidence, for the smoke, now in thick volumes, rose above the
deck, both fore and aft. Still there might be time to extinguish the
fire. To do this it was necessary to take off the main-hatchway, and,
in spite of the risk of a sea beating over us, it was done. The instant
it was off dense masses of black smoke rose up from below, preventing
all attempts which the boatswain and some of his men made to discover
the seat of the fire.

"We must take to the boats," he exclaimed, "the ship soon all in flames,
then the boats burn and we no get away."

Paul and I as well