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 J 
 
 U?*^' 
 
 LI B RARY 
 
 OF THt 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 or ILLINOIS
 
 V
 
 THE PETREL 
 
 A TALE OF THE SEA. 
 
 BY 
 
 A iNTAVAL OFFICEE. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 . YOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, 
 
 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 
 1850.
 
 PRINTED BY HAKRISON AND SON, 
 
 ST. martin's lane.
 
 
 t 
 
 THE PETREL 
 
 OB, 
 
 'V 
 
 ^ LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 
 
 <5- 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The little Petrel had been suddenly dis- 
 patched by the Commodore of a cruizing 
 squadron in the Indian Ocean, to search the 
 ^Mozambique Channel, and the Archipelago to 
 ithe northward of it, for pirates, a vaojue 
 ^rumour having reached that officer of vessels 
 >^lundered and crews maltreated in those seas ; 
 J; and, though disbelieving the report, he felt it 
 ^his duty to consider that our outward-bound 
 :>East Indiamen frequently took that route, 
 VOL. I. B
 
 2 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 which circumstance being generally known, 
 offered a powerful temptation to marauders. 
 Our little Petrel, therefore, towards the close 
 of a cruize of many months' duration, was 
 hastily completed with old salt provisions and 
 stale remainder biscuit from the larger ships 
 of the squadron, it being presumed that water 
 and fresh provisions, of both of which she 
 stood in great need, might be readily procured 
 in many parts of her extensive route. 
 
 Little is known to the general reader of the 
 difficulties and sufferings to which our small 
 cruizers have been too frequently exposed in 
 remote barbarous and often unknown regions, 
 when reduced to wretchedly scanty rations of 
 bad and unwholesome water, under a burning 
 sun, aggravated by a diet of stale rancid salt 
 meat, many years casked up, and flinty honey- 
 combed biscuit, swarming with, and deeply 
 tainted by, maggots and weevils. 
 
 The Petrels started cheerfully for their new 
 destination; it promised interesting occupa-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 3 
 
 tion, and they were to be clear of senior 
 officers, — great naval luxuries both; and thej 
 flattered themselves that there would be very 
 soon no more short allowance ; their only ap- 
 prehension was that they should find no 
 pirates to contend with : such rumours were 
 but too common. 
 
 Having made the east coast of Africa, to 
 the north of the Cape Colony, they had been 
 disappointed in two attempts to procure fresh, 
 water, the want of which was now severely 
 felt, and they were running along the coast 
 towards the Mozambique Channel, anxiously 
 looking out for a river's mouth, or for some 
 spot which might afford good landing for 
 boats, with a chance of finding fresh water ; 
 but it was a season of unusual drought. 
 
 "This huge barrier of bare precipitous 
 rocks, Mr. Herbert, so gloomy and so inacces- 
 sible,'^ observed Captain Daunton, to his young 
 First Lieutenant, " would appear to be inter- 
 minable." 
 
 b2
 
 4 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 " I am heartily tired of looking at tliem, 
 sir/' replied Herbert. " Thej come down to the 
 very water's edge, and often overhang it ; but 
 there must be outlets for the floods of the 
 rainj season somewhere. ^Tis a pity that we 
 haye no charts of this coast worth one straw." 
 
 " It is incomprehensible to me, I confess, 
 that our ships of war should not be supplied 
 with charts," rejoined Daunton thoughtfully. 
 
 The Captain had now lost all inclination for 
 talking, and continued to walk up and down 
 the quarter-deck moodily, chewing the cud 
 upon this strange and disagreeable subject of 
 want of charts, which, whilst it added heavily 
 to his responsibilities, really compromised the 
 safety of the ship, and of course the important 
 duties she was expected to perform. 
 
 Herbert stood on the gangway viewing with 
 impatience those horrid cliiFs which barred 
 them from all access to the shore. 
 
 " Why is it, Mr. Herbert,'' said a remark- 
 ably handsome young Midshipman at his
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAIlT. 5 
 
 elbow, '' that a heavy surf breaks at the foot 
 of these cliffs for miles, as it now does abreast 
 of us, and then again the sea becomes smooth 
 for hours, without any apparent cause for such 
 a changed" 
 
 " It is. Darby,'' replied Herbert, who alw^ays 
 encouraged such questions from the young- 
 sters, " because the coast just here lies 
 exposed to the regular swell of the ocean, 
 but after haying trended gradually, though 
 almost imperceptibly, to the westward for a 
 considerable distance, it becomes sheltered 
 from the regular swell, which forms this surf ; 
 till, after a time, resuming its former direction, 
 the swell again breaks upon the rocks. Look 
 at your compass. Darby, now and then." 
 
 " You must keep your lead going," ob- 
 served the Captain. " We are very near the. 
 shore." 
 
 " A¥e do, sir," replied Mr. Marliner, the 
 Master, "though it is little better than a 
 useless form; for there is sometimes a hundred
 
 6 THE PETHEL, OR, 
 
 fathoms of water alongside the coral reefs. 
 Our best dependence rests upon the clearness 
 of the water, and a good look out from 
 aloft/^ 
 
 " Keep a sharp look out for discoloured 
 water," exclaimed Captain Daunton, to the 
 man at the mast-head. Then resuming, '' this 
 is all very well, Mr. Marliner, on a bright 
 clear day, when in such transparent water a 
 coral reef maj be distinguished from aloft at 
 some little distance ; but it is of little use in 
 dull weather, Mr. Marliner, and of no use at 
 all at night.^' 
 
 " Quite true, sir ; and this is a queer sort 
 of a vessel to take the ground with, drawing 
 so little water forward, and so much abaft, 
 and so sharp as she is ; and jet, if a ship 
 goes on gently, and the water is smooth, there 
 are worse places to ground upon than a coral 
 reef, the surface of which will break down 
 under her, to a certain extent." 
 
 " That's all very well, Mr. Marliner, but
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN-. 7 
 
 look at our tant masts, and top hamper, and 
 this heayj tier of guns : we must keep her 
 afloat." 
 
 " I trust we shall, sir," replied the Master. 
 
 "Look, sir, at our poor fellows;" said 
 Herbert, " with their pale faces, and parched 
 lips, how thej eye these horrid cliffs, as we 
 pass along them, prying into every chasm, 
 in the hope of discovering some watercourse, 
 or at least some spot where the cliffs, re- 
 ceding from the sea, might leave a compara-^ 
 tivelj level space, to give us a chance of find- 
 ing a small supply. It is only sailors and 
 wanderers of the desert who comprehend the 
 full value of the precious fluid." 
 
 Still, hour after hour as they glided on, 
 nothing could be seen, but that rocky wall 
 in its dark and sterile monotony ; their very 
 souls were weary of it. 
 
 At length, when hope was almost dead 
 within them, and some of the old seamen had 
 begun to fancy there was a spell upon the
 
 8 THE PETKEL, OR, 
 
 ship, and to talk of the Flying Dutchman, a 
 cry of Water ! Water ! ! was heard. Every 
 eye was instantaneously fixed upon a point 
 of the cliff just opening to view, and twenty 
 outstretched arm§ were at once directed 
 towards it. 
 
 A host of worn and sickly faces cast off at 
 once the gloom of despondency to become 
 radiant with delight ; for, as the ship ad- 
 vanced, a beautiful waterfall was distinctly 
 seen gushing from a chasm high up in the 
 cliff, and glittering in the bright sunshine, 
 as it expanded into a broad sheet of the 
 purest water, lavishing its inestimable trea- 
 sures upon a narrow strip of low bare rugged 
 rocks, which, for several hundred yards, formed 
 a sort of beach between the sea and the 
 slightly receding cliff. 
 
 It was a glorious sight, that foaming and 
 sparkling cascade, and the luxury of un- 
 measured draughts of pure, cool, limpid water, 
 seemed now within their reach.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 9 
 
 The ship was steered for the spot, and every 
 telescope was fixed upon that narrow strip 
 of beach, upon which the water came pouring 
 down in such rich abundance. 
 
 But the countenance of Captain Daunton, 
 bronzed by long exposure, stamped with well- 
 defined lines, expressive of prudence and reso- 
 lution, tempered by long and severe expe- 
 rience, though for a moment like all the 
 others, it had brightened with hope and joy; 
 now, as he withdrew " his telescope, expressed, 
 nothing short of bitter disappointment ; and, 
 as they were approaching very near the shore, 
 cautiously, and with no more canvas than was 
 necessary to keep the ship fully under com- 
 mand, he turned to the First Lieutenant, who 
 had followed his movements with equal 
 symptoms of mortification, and shrugging his 
 shoulders, — 
 
 " Lay the ship's head ofi" shore, Mr. Her- 
 bert," he said. " We are quite near enough for 
 an accurate examination, and we will take our 
 
 b3
 
 10 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 time to examiue it thoroughly, though I see 
 but too clearly that it will be impossible for a 
 boat to land here. Look at the surf upon that 
 foam-covered line of sharp and rugged rocks, 
 just above the surface. It occupies the whole 
 interval from bluff to bluff; from the spot 
 where the cliff first begins to recede, to where 
 it becomes once more the inaccessible barrier, 
 which has so long baffled us ; the surf upon it 
 shows no opening." 
 
 Herbert obeyed in silence ; but his intel- 
 ligent countenance spoke volumes, and its ex- 
 pression was contagious ; officers and men 
 looked at each other in despondency, and dis- 
 may. In vain was the tantalising strip of 
 crags minutely examined by the piercing eyes 
 of so many anxious and experienced mari- 
 ners ; all felt the same painful conviction, that 
 there was no opening in the reef, no interval 
 in the surf, no possibility of landing. 
 
 "Permit me, sir, to take a couple of boats,'' 
 said Herbert, " that I may examine the reef 
 more closely/'
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 11 
 
 '"Do SO," replied the Captain, "and take Mr. 
 Marliner with you to sound between the ship 
 and the shore. I have no hope of your suc- 
 cess in any attempt to land here, but 1 will 
 not throw away the shadow of a chance, and 
 our poor fellows ought to see, and feel, 
 the utter impossibility of getting at that 
 water, which looks so tempting and flows so 
 freely." 
 
 Some few sanguine and less experienced 
 persons still entertained hopes of success, the 
 more experienced had lost aU hope, and the 
 expression of Herbert's face, as he returned on 
 board, would have been an amply sufficient 
 report of failure. 
 
 "No possibility of landing, sir," he said, 
 " and the soundings show so rough and rocky 
 a bottom throughout, that it would have been 
 madness to anchor, as any cable would be 
 ruined in a few hours." 
 
 The boats were hoisted up, and the Petrel 
 resumed her weary way, along a coast still
 
 12 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 possessing the same harsh aud disheartening 
 aspect. 
 
 Doublj nauseous to the parched palates of 
 the brave Petrels, was their scanty ration of 
 the dark, muddj, unpalatable substitute for 
 pure water, which thej that day received : it 
 was difficult to determine, whether its defi- 
 ciency in quantity, or its disgusting and deli- 
 terious quality, constituted the greater evil, 
 and that too, whilst a broad bright stream 
 was running to waste before their eyes, as 
 if in mockery of their sufibrings. A more 
 favourable curve of the coast, or a small 
 opening in that vexatious reef of rocks, would 
 have made it available to them, as a source 
 of health, strength, and enjoyment ; but they 
 were doomed to sufier still. 
 
 Captain Daunton observing the general de- 
 spondency, addressed his First Lieutenant 
 aloud : 
 
 " That abominable waterfall was provoking 
 enough Mr. Herbert, but it proves clearly that
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAXo 13 
 
 there is abimdance of water at the back of 
 those detestable cliffs ; and I feel certain, that 
 within a few hours, we shall fall in with a 
 river, or watercourse. I shall lay the ship 
 to at sunset, lest we should pass it in the 
 dark." 
 
 " There can now be no doubt of it, sir/' 
 replied Herbert, assuming a cheerful tone, 
 "and as the land has been for some time 
 trending to the westward rather sharply, it 
 will soon give ns the advantage of smooth, 
 water, and then we can secure an ample 
 supply, even if there should be a reef to con- 
 tend with." 
 
 Nor were these remarks without some cheer- 
 ing influence upon those to whom they were 
 indirectly addressed. 
 
 In these regions there is little twilight, the 
 piercing rays which have dazzled and op- 
 pressed every living creature opposed to them 
 for twelve hours, strike almost as fiercely even 
 when the sun approaches the horizon, as at mid-
 
 14 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 daj, but the instant it disappears, it is night. 
 And lovely are those tropical nights ! The 
 moon though far more radiant and beautiful 
 than with us, still preserves her characteristic 
 softness ; but fascinating as they are to imagi- 
 native persons, those mild bright moon rays 
 are very baneful, and it is dangerous to sleep 
 exposed to them. Fish or flesh speedily become 
 putrid under their influence, and the former 
 certainly imbibes a poisonous quality under a 
 bright moon, even whilst it yet remains free 
 from putridity, if long exposed to her rays. 
 
 "The sun shall not smite thee by day 
 nor the moon by night," saith the Psalmist, 
 and often do Scripture phrases, true to nature, 
 flash sudden conviction upon the mind of the 
 contemplative wanderer in wild and savage 
 regions. In the absence of the moon, the 
 stars shine out with a lustre and brilliancy un- 
 known to our grosser atmosphere. These 
 lovely nights are the season of revelry through- 
 out all Negroland. In populous districts they
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 15 
 
 are passed bj the natives in dancing to their 
 strangely discordant music amidst shouts of 
 laughter; the whole throng displaying in a 
 thousand rude ways, that inextinguishable de- 
 votion to mirth and merriment, which slavery 
 itself can repress in the negro, only during the 
 very hour of toil or of suffering. 
 
 On such a night, the Petrel was hauled off 
 to a reasonable distance from the shore, to 
 maintain her position under easy sail, till day- 
 light should enable her to resume her tedious, 
 task. 
 
 These rocky cliffs abounded with huge pro- 
 jections, some of them springing up like lofty 
 towers and battlements, shattered by age or 
 violence ; often they were perched upon the 
 verge of a precipice, or the summit of a con- 
 spicuous elevation, whilst others in forms 
 equally strange and fantastic, overhung the 
 sea. One of the most remarkable of these, the 
 very image of a dilapidated tower had been 
 set by compass at nightfall, as the point from
 
 16 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 "which thej were to recommence tlieir dreary 
 course in the morning. Splendid as was that 
 soft bright African night, amidst scarcely rip- 
 pled waters, glittering with star shine, its beau- 
 ties were as much lost upon our weary, thirsty 
 mariners, still acutely feeling their recent dis- 
 appointment, as were the rich out-pourings of 
 that delusive waterfall, upon the sterile and 
 inhospitable crags, which had rendered it in- 
 accessible. Visions of this foaming cataract, 
 haunted their feverish and unrefreshing sleep ; 
 rivers of living waters flowed swiftly past them 
 in their dreams, mocking every effort to reach 
 them. 
 
 It was a long, long night, but daylight came 
 at last, and again the Petrel ran along that 
 detestable coast, as near it as was possible to 
 do with safety, for the western curve of the 
 coast had continued, and the surf no longer 
 broke upon the rocks; a circumstance, which, 
 though advantageous, had led to a great in- 
 crease in the number and extent of the coral
 
 LOVE ON THE 0CEA:N\ 1? 
 
 reefs connected with the shore, calHng for 
 additional precautions. 
 
 "I think, sir,'' observed Herbert to the 
 Captain, " we shall find water to-daj, and as 
 there is no surf on the shore, our boats will 
 now experience no difficulty in landing." 
 
 Preparations for anchoring, and for water- 
 ing the ship, were now somewhat ostentatiously 
 commenced ; the look-out men aloft were called 
 upon for increased vigilance, both for rayines 
 on shore, and coral reefs in their route. This 
 move which showed confidence in the officers,, 
 was cheering to the men, and the work was 
 carried on with great alacrity. 
 
 " Reef a-head T exclaimed the look-out 
 man aloft, but before they could haul the 
 ship's head sufficiently ofi* shore, the rocks- 
 were distinctly seen beneath her bottom and 
 around her. There had been no want of 
 vigilance, yet had they had a narrow escape 
 from being wrecked, but she shot into deep 
 water without touching, and they soon resumed
 
 18 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 their course along tlie clijQTs, wLich had become 
 more broken, whilst the forms they assumed 
 were more wild and fantastic. 
 
 But still the morning wore awaj without 
 any farther change, save only that as the coral 
 reefs became more frequent and more exten- 
 siye, they were often obliged to haul off from 
 the land to avoid them, and not seldom with 
 considerable risk to the ship. 
 
 JSToon came, more hot, more close, more 
 oppressive, than ever. The ship's company, 
 summoned by the shrill winding of all the 
 boatswain's calls in concert, descended to din- 
 ner rather in compliance with habit than from 
 any appetite for their salt junk. The griev- 
 ous disappointment of yesterday was still 
 severely felt. The half-hour bell struck, and 
 the well-known cry of " Grog ho !" followed 
 a single blast of the boatswain's call. This 
 once enlivening summons, announcing the dis- 
 tribution of the seamen's favourite ration, 
 their grog, the great solace of their fatigues
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 19 
 
 and privations, ever received with a merry 
 laugh in ordinary times, and whilst as a man 
 from each mess hastened up with his can a 
 running fire of sea-jokes and nautical witti- 
 cisms was wont to flash from all quarters ; 
 — but it was not so now. Even this welcome 
 task was listlessly performed, in gloomy silence. 
 The heat was overpowering, and most of the 
 crew were suffering more or less from feverish 
 symptoms. Nowhere is the sympathy, be- 
 tween body and mind more obvious than at. 
 sea. The intelligent officer knows this and 
 acts upon it. 
 
 " A wide gap in the cliff !" was at length 
 the joyful cry of the man at the mast-head ; 
 every telescope, every eye, was instantaneously 
 turned towards the extreme point in view, 
 which as they were close in-shore, and the 
 land curved inward, was not very distant. 
 
 " A ravine \" exclaimed the delighted Cap- 
 tain, " a wide breach in that horrible rampart! 
 — it cannot but be a watercourse ; God be 
 praised!"
 
 20 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 All this had passed in an instant, jet was 
 every man already on deck, and at his post 
 too; for well did our hardy long-trained Pe- 
 trels know what would follow. 
 
 " Mr. Herbert," said the Captain, " there 
 must be water here, and as we are sheltered 
 from the swell, it must be, to a certain extent, 
 attainable; but I have great doubt of finding 
 anchorage, which will make watering the ship 
 a slow and difficult task/^ 
 
 " The land is opening more, sir," replied 
 Herbert, "and the ravine is not very wide. 
 It must be the bed of a great torrent in the 
 wet season, where the rains are so heavy, and 
 the outlets for water so few." 
 
 " There lies my hope of an anchorage," said 
 Daunton, " for such torrents bring down vast 
 accumulations of sand and gravel, which in 
 time fill up and level the rocky bottom. 
 Abreast of that ravine, therefore, I hope to 
 find anchorage." 
 
 " There is good landing at any rate," said 
 the Master.
 
 LOVE OK THE OCEAN. 21 
 
 " I am glad to see you on deck, Mr. An- 
 stej/' said the Captain, addressing the Second 
 Lieutenant, who had for some weeks been laid 
 up with rheumatic fever. 
 
 Mr. Anstej, who was an excellent joung 
 man, though of a constitution somewhat too 
 delicate for his profession, bowed. 
 
 "I am anxious, sir," he said, "to take 
 such duty as I am equal to, now that I am 
 convalescent ; and Mr. Danvers thinks I may 
 safely superintend the work on board, whilst^ 
 Mr. Herbert will be more actively employed.'' 
 
 The ship was now laid to with her head off 
 shore, and the boats were lowered. 
 
 " Take two boats to the shore, Herbert,'' 
 said the Captain, " with small casks, to for- 
 ward us an immediate supply of water by one 
 of the boats, that we may serve it out as 
 quickly as possible to the ship's company, 
 whilst you are filling casks for the other boat, 
 and looking into the country beyond the ravine, 
 (for we see nothing of it from hence), it is im-
 
 22 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 portant to know whether we shall find fire- 
 wood, for we are greatly in want of it. Let 
 me see joii again, as soon as you have satis- 
 fied yourself upon these most important points; 
 and lose not an instant in sending us water 
 for immediate use. Mast-head, there,'' he 
 added, "do you see any discoloured water 
 between us and the shore V 
 
 " A large white patch in front of the ravine, 
 sir." 
 
 " That's the very thing I hoped for. Go, 
 Mr. Marliner, and if, as I expect, you find 
 anchorage, raise a cap upon the loom of an 
 oar, whilst you examine it carefully, and we 
 will be ready to run for it as soon as you 
 return to take the ship in. I fear it will fall 
 calm before long, but luckily the transparency 
 of the water will save you a world of sounding." 
 
 In a quarter of an hour the signal was 
 made that anchorage had been found ; this, on 
 so rocky a shore, had been a very doubtful 
 point, though of extreme importance, for on a 

 
 LOVE 0¥ THE ocea:n-. 23 
 
 rockj, uneven bottom hempen cables are never 
 to be depended upon for an hour, and as jet 
 iron cables were not. 
 
 " Thej are carrying down water to tlie cut- 
 ter, sir," reported Mr. Anstej, " and tlie Mas- 
 ter, is retm-ning." 
 
 " There is a bank of hard white sand, sir," 
 reported Mr. Marliner, " about two cables in 
 length, and as much in breadth, for it forms 
 an irregular square, surrounded in all direc- 
 tions bj rugged, dark coloured rocks. The 
 general depth upon the bank is about six 
 fathoms ; we must lay our anchor as nearly 
 as we can in the centre of it. I can't call it 
 a safe anchorage, but in this season, when we 
 have nothing worse to look for than a strong 
 sea-breeze, I see no great risk in it. We shall 
 have an uphill drag." 
 
 " I am too happy to have such an anchor- 
 age, Mr. Marliner, for though it may be nothing 
 more than a thin coat of hard sand over sharp 
 rocks, which is the worst of holding-ground.
 
 24 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 it will preserve our cables from being cut. 
 The Spaniards, whose Mediterranean coast is 
 wretchedly deficient in harbourage, boast of 
 three good harbours there, — June, July, and 
 Oarthagina, — and upon this principle we will 
 anchor here." 
 
 There was fortunately breeze enough to run 
 the ship in ; and she was soon lying at 
 anchor, with sails furled and yards squared. 
 
 " The cutter with water, sir," reported Mr. 
 Anstey. 
 
 " All hands to water !" was joyfully piped, 
 and lightly did every heart beat at the wel- 
 come sound. Each man took his unstinted 
 draught of the cool, clear precious liquid, and 
 so grateful was it to the irritated palate, the 
 parched throat, and the dry pale lips, that it 
 absolutely appeared to diffuse itself perceptibly 
 through the whole fevered frame ; so calming, 
 so cooling, so tranquiilising, and yet so exhi- 
 larating was that delicious draught ! but its 
 effect defies description.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAX. 25 
 
 Years upon years have passed away, with 
 their mingled joys and sorrows of no ordinary 
 stamp, since we first enjoyed, under some- 
 what similar circumstances, the simple but 
 ineffable luxury of unstinted draughts of pure 
 cool water, after having long and severely 
 suffered from privation. We are unable to 
 describe the feelings of that moment, but the 
 recollection is vividly impressed upon our me- 
 mory for life. 
 
 'Twas a strange scene, that open unsheltered 
 anchorage ; the small bank on which the Petrel 
 lay, was a white field, surrounded by a rocky 
 frame-work, the water so transparent that, 
 though full forty feet deep, the dark anchor 
 which lay in the centre looked like a toy 
 in a crystal vase : one felt disposed to put 
 out a hand, and take it up ; for the huge 
 precipitous rocks which bounded the narrow 
 ravine, were, or appeared to be, so close, that 
 our little Petrel herself, with her low sharp 
 hull, and her tall slender masts, tapering to a 
 
 VOL. I. c
 
 26 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 point, appeared in comparison a mere skiff, a 
 sort of fairy craft. 
 
 Herbert, with tlie Doctor, had started with 
 an exploring party, to penetrate up the valley, 
 the narrow gorge of which was evidently the 
 bed of a mighty torrent, which half filled the 
 valley in the rainy season, though it was now 
 but a bright sparkling brook, babbling in its 
 rapid course amongst rocks and stones, brought 
 down by former floods. 
 
 The valley, as they advanced, extended con- 
 siderably, but it nowhere exceeded half a mile 
 in breadth, being bounded on both sides by 
 steep and almost inaccessible precipices, singu- 
 larly bare and rugged. The whole was barren 
 in the extreme, though wherever the hills re- 
 ceded most, a soil had been formed, bearing 
 detached thickets and groups of trees of con- 
 siderable size. 
 
 The whole country was thickly strewn with 
 stones and fragments of rock; but the most 
 striking peculiarity of it was, that huge boul-
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 27 
 
 ders laj scattered in all directions, from the 
 tops of the hills to the depths of the vallej, 
 wherever there was a level spot. 
 
 *' Those trees yonder look as if they would 
 suit me well/' said Herbert, " if I can only get 
 the wood carried down to the boats, through 
 such an abominable country as this." And he 
 was stepping forward to examine them. 
 
 " Stop," said Danvers, emphatically, as he 
 who was foremost at the moment, turned a 
 sharp angle. The party, on looking up, beheld 
 with astonishment, a little to the right of 
 them, a magnificent precipice, like the half of 
 a lofty hill just torn asunder in the midst, so 
 rugged, so bare, so precipitous, was its aspect, 
 whilst a huge detached rock, or boulder, on its 
 yery summit, overhung the edge of the preci- 
 pice frightfully, without any visible support. 
 It was far larger than any they had yet 
 seen, and the marvel was, that it appeared as 
 if more than half over the edge of the pre- 
 cipice, thus, as it were, air-borne. Herbert, 
 
 C 2
 
 28 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 however, had little leisure for idle speculations. 
 He soon directed three or four of the laro^est 
 trees to be felled; and whilst this operation 
 was going on, the Doctor examined some of 
 the larger boulders near them. 
 
 " It is Yerj strange,^' observed Dan vers, "but 
 whilst some of these detached rocks have a 
 surface covered with pointed projections and 
 sharp angles, as if thej had just been torn by 
 some convulsion of the earth from the very 
 bowels of the neighbouring hills, others, — this 
 one for instance, which must weigh some tons, 
 — has its surface smoothed down and rounded 
 off, almost like a pebble on the sea-shore. One 
 would think it must have been tossed and 
 rolled about for ages upon ages. Only fancy 
 an elementary strife which could whirl this 
 huge rock backwards and forwards for years, 
 like a dead leaf in a whirlwind ! ^' 
 
 "I admire your philosophical remarks -very 
 much. Doctor," said Herbert, " but you know 
 I make no pretensions to philosophy, whatever
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 29 
 
 you and the Captain may do. Two philoso- 
 phers are enough in one ship. What's your 
 opinion upon that subject, Darby Darcie'?" 
 
 " Faith, sir," replied our old acquaintance, 
 who had been hardly able to withdraw his 
 eyes for a moment from the imposing mass so 
 wonderfully suspended on the other side of the 
 narrow yalley, "faith, sir, I don't very well 
 know what a philosopher is, but this, appears 
 to me to be the devil's own country; and as 
 for rolling them big stones about till they've, 
 got so smooth and round, might not his imps 
 have been playing at marbles with them, and 
 forgot to put some of them up in their bag 
 when they had done wid them J I'm thinking, 
 sir, 'twould take more than one of them same 
 imps to hang that whopper up in the air yon- 
 der, that way. I shouldn't wonder if they 
 were holding on to it now, and that's Avhy it 
 don't come rattling down!" 
 
 " Faith, Darby, I think your philosophy as 
 good as another's ; but the sun is getting low.
 
 30 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 I see mj way pretty well now for to-morrow's 
 work; so down with one more tree; the wood 
 seems to be solid enough. Ill just look at 
 that clump a little further on, and then well 
 return to the boats." 
 
 Danyers, meanwhile, poking about amongst 
 some bushes, came upon a skeleton of some 
 large animal, which he was of opinion had 
 been killed and deyoured by wild beasts. 
 
 " I have no doubt," said the Doctor musingly, 
 as they picked their way over the rocky 
 ground and detestable thorn-shrubs, towards 
 the boat, " I have no doubt, Herbert, that 
 after the rains, this barren-looking country 
 would have a very different appearance; 
 covered, probably, with verdure, and abound- 
 ing with antelopes.'' 
 
 " Very likely ; I only wish we had some of 
 them here now! But here we are, and the 
 last boat waiting for us. Oome along, Mr. 
 Darby: what are you up to?" 
 
 " Oh let me, plase, have one more swig at
 
 LOVE OIT THE OCEAN. 31 
 
 the running* strame ; it does me heart good to 
 look at it/^ 
 
 Darbj, who had scarcely a touch of brogue, 
 unless when excited, had a way of larding his 
 jokes, or his entreaties, with just so much of 
 it as would give point or pathos, as the case 
 might be, which, aided by a most prepossess- 
 ing countenance, and a sweet rich voice, was 
 in either case not a little effective. 
 
 They all adopted Darby's view of another 
 swig at the running water, and once morQ 
 feasted their eyes upon it. 
 
 Captain Daunt on was walking the deck, ex- 
 pecting their return with considerable interest, 
 and was highly gratified with Herbert's re- 
 port about wood and water. As to the 
 strange and disagreeable character of the 
 country, which both Danvers and Herbert 
 spoke of with detestation, he cared little about 
 that. 
 
 "Well, Mr. Herbert," he said, "I shall 
 hope to have a look at all these wonders to-
 
 32 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 morrow; but if the country gives us wood 
 and water I shall be well satisfied with it. 
 Did jou see anj trace of inhabitants, man or 
 beast r 
 
 " None, sir, but one or two very small an- 
 telopes, though Danvers will tell you of a skel- 
 eton he found." 
 
 " Well, well, the Doctor and I will talk over 
 his discoveries, so make your arrangements for 
 wooding and watering the ship as quickly as 
 possible ; but remember, I will have no night- 
 work. Come into tlie cabin. Doctor, and let 
 us hear what you have to say.'^ 
 
 The labours of the day had now ceased, 
 and as the sun had sunk gradually behind the 
 lofty hills, the huge dark dismal shadows had 
 stretched out farther and farther over the sea, 
 till they had gradually enveloped the hull of 
 the little ship. It appeared in the gloom as if 
 tlie mighty cliffs had advanced and were still 
 advancing upon her; for the intervening space, 
 which from their magnitude had from the first
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 33 
 
 seemed to be friglitfullj small, appeared now 
 to have beeu almost annihilated. 
 
 The little Petrel, lost in those deep shadows, 
 lay cowering at the yerj feet of the cliffs, and 
 seemed almost to touch them, jet sweet and 
 refreshing was the sleep of her toil-worn 
 crew, that night. 
 
 c3
 
 34 THE PETKEL, OE, 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 The midsliipmen's berth in the Petrel was 
 a close, dark cell, into which daylight had 
 never penetrated, much less sunshine. Nearly 
 as much might be said of fresh air, but not 
 quite ; for during a fresh breeze, under favour- 
 able circumstances, a windsail from the hatch- 
 way had occasionally been coaxed into leading 
 a current of air into it for a short time, but it 
 was a rare event, and by night impossible ; 
 for then several ranges of hammocks, each in 
 its allotted breadth of fourteen inches, con- 
 taining its living occupant, intervened, and as
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 35 
 
 tlie only light our Mids could obtain proceeded 
 from a single tallow-candle, of the most ordi- 
 nary description, this and other untoward 
 circumstances rendered the atmosphere of the 
 sub-marine palace unpleasant enough. 
 
 The length of the berth was eight feet, its 
 extreme breadth six feet, though much less on 
 its floor, as the side of the ship which formed 
 its inner boundary rounded in considerably. 
 Its height between the beams was five feet six 
 inches, but those huge close-set oak beams 
 sadly curtailed these proportions, for the 
 thoughtless head was certain to come into rude 
 contact with the sharp edges of the hard oaken 
 beams, much more frequently than was agree- 
 able. 
 
 The huge timbers which projected from the 
 ship's side into the berth were very unsightly, 
 but less inconvenient to the six inhabitants of 
 this spacious dwelling ; who, moreover, turned 
 them to some account, for by fixing a door 
 between two of these timbers, they had gained
 
 36 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 a sort of cupboard, of most irregular form^ 
 but which afforded protection to the few plates,, 
 dishes, cups, and other simple household gear,, 
 their stock of which was so small as to make 
 breakage a serious evil. 
 
 A rough old deal table, with leaves too 
 often broken, and legs rickettj from age and 
 rough handling, with the addition of one old 
 chair, constituted a suite of furniture worthy 
 of the apartment, fixed lockers serving for 
 store-rooms and seats. 
 
 There is nothing very tempting in this pic- 
 ture, yet were the inmates of the berth, at 
 least the younger portion of them, as merry 
 and joyous a set as you would wish to see ; a 
 fresh annoyance or inconvenience was more 
 often received with a shower of jokes than 
 with regrets and complaints ; and good jokes 
 or bad jokes they were sure to call forth 
 peals of laughter with, or at, the perpetrator 
 thereof, as the case might suggest. 
 
 Fun of all sorts was in high favour, and
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAIT. 8? 
 
 here the captious or the fastidious, who plague 
 themselves and others, might have learned to 
 take a joke good humouredlj, as well as many 
 other lessons in practical philosophy highly 
 useful in social life. Even hunger and thirst 
 lost half their terrors where dainty fare was 
 unknown, and the ordinary comforts of life 
 only enjoyed from time to time, by fits and 
 starts, which had the happy effect of pro- 
 moting them to the local rank of luxuries, 
 and of much valued luxuries too. 
 
 The working parties had landed at day- 
 light, and all was soon going on briskly, under 
 Herbert's active superintendence, when the 
 Captain and Danvers, the Surgeon, stepped 
 into the gig. They were both, as Herbert 
 had hinted, philosophers in a small way, and 
 dabblers in natural history. Danvers was by 
 far the most scientific of the two, but the 
 Captain, though in all other matters cool 
 and judicious, was an enthusiast when fairly 
 mounted upon his own particular hobby. 
 
 #
 
 38 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 Thej first examined the sand-bank on wliich 
 the ship was anchored. 
 
 " Really sir,'' observed Danvers, " it is 
 yerj interesting to behold so distinctly the 
 bottom of the sea, and everything upon it, in 
 such a depth of water, so perfectly is it tran- 
 sparent/' 
 
 " Yes," replied his companion, " and this 
 whole bank looks as if it was enclosed in a 
 bronze frame; the only visible thing being 
 our anchor, which, by-the-bye, merely lies 
 on the surface of the hard sand, without 
 biting, or taking any hold. It is but a 
 thin covering of sand over the rocks. This 
 would be no safe anchorage in a strong south- 
 east wind, but our cable won't chafe, and that 
 is a great point." 
 
 They then proceeded to a convenient land- 
 ing place, upon a projecting shelf of rock, at 
 some distance from the watering place. It 
 was a sort of natural pier for light boats. 
 The gig was sent off with orders to return
 
 LOYE ON THll OCEAN. 3^ 
 
 when the boat's crew had taken their break- 
 fast. 
 
 Our two philosophers stood on the rock for 
 some time, in deep admiration of the scene 
 around them; on one side, huge dark precipi- 
 tous rocks, without a yestige of yegetable or 
 animal life; on the other, a sea of crystal, 
 displaying, with all the advantage of contrast, 
 a show of life and animation, the beauty and 
 brilliancy of which called forth the admiration 
 of the beholders. ^ 
 
 " Observe, Doctor,^' said the Captain, who 
 began to light up, " on the whole of that bank 
 on which our anchor lies, there was not one 
 single living creature, whilst these pools and 
 shallows swarm with myriads of fish, of every 
 possible shape and colour; some light and 
 graceful, some dark and sluggish, some even 
 grotesque in form, and, I may almost say, in 
 feature." 
 
 " It is a beautiful sight," replied Danvers. 
 " The brightest flowers are not more rich in
 
 40 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 colour than these denizens of the ocean. Tis 
 wonderful to see red, yellow, blue, every shade 
 of brown, scales of glittering silver, spots and 
 bars of burnished gold, lavished in rich pro- 
 fusion on these tiny creatures, — such various 
 forms, too, would appear to indicate corres- 
 ponding varieties of character/' 
 
 " Doubtless, Doctor, for those little gaudy 
 brilliant creatures, so slim and delicate, keep 
 close together, their movements, though grace- 
 ful are slow and gentle, whilst others, of grosser 
 form and duller hue, dart here and there, dis- 
 turbing everybody, as if in the mere indulgence 
 of a restless spirit." 
 
 " Look, sir," said Danvers, who appeared to 
 have been carried away for once by the enthusi- 
 asm of his companion: " pray observe that gro- 
 tesque-looking, chowder-headed creature, half 
 mouth ; he must be the Merry Andrew of the 
 party, a very Grimaldi : see, there's a second 
 like him, observe their antics, they chase each 
 other in turn, with open mouths. Look how the
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 41 
 
 pursuer cuts a somerset, and darts off in a 
 different direction ; now lie makes a dart to- 
 wards jour finical little friends with liis barn- 
 door mouth wide open, as if to swallow them, 
 to their eyident alarm, as thej close up into a 
 compact mass, like frightened sheep/' 
 
 "Tis wonderful,'^ ejaculated the Captain, 
 "over he goes again. See how he darts off 
 after something else. 'Tis a strange thing 
 to saj, Danvers, but if ever I saw boys at 
 play, these little creatures are at high 
 romps !'' 
 
 " I have often watched with great interest, 
 the habits and proceedings of animals," said 
 Danvers, gravely, '•' though our turbid waters 
 conceal the wonders of the deep from us. 
 Far be it from me to say what instinct is, or 
 is not, but it is quite clear to me that even 
 fish, if they have have not some glimmering of 
 reason, have something very like it ! " 
 
 " Perhaps so, Doctor, though it is a question 
 utterly beyond me ; but here comes Herbert,
 
 42 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 with a yerj long face. I have indulged in an 
 unusual canter on mj hobby this morning, 
 but the wearied spirit must have relaxation. 
 I have been overweighted of late, Dan vers, 
 and these hobbj-horsical glimpses of the 
 secrets of the deep, are refreshing/' 
 
 Daunton was a sensible contemplative man, 
 who had seen much and read much, but like 
 most self-taught men, he considerably over- 
 rated his own scientific attainments. He was 
 a religious man, too, and had a high relish, or 
 rather a reverential admiration, for the won- 
 ders and beauties of the creation, which by no 
 means extended to the wonders and beauties 
 of art, or what is generally termed the fine 
 arts. As he stood upon that rock, gazing 
 fondly at his- little Petrel, floating on the sur- 
 face of the smooth and glassy ocean, like some 
 graceful sea-bird in all her trim array, he 
 pronounced her to be the most perfect speci- 
 men of beauty and symmetry ever produced by 
 art of man,— what were pictures, statues,
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN". 43 
 
 triuinplial arches, or eyen loftj temples, com- 
 pared to the Petrel *? Pshaw ! 
 
 Herbert's countenance brightened as he read 
 in his commander's face, feelings so congenial 
 to his own. 
 
 " Look at the little beauty, sir," he said, 
 "how lightly she treads the waters, her tall 
 and slender spars tapering to a point, and 
 leaning rakishlj aft, her wide-spread yards 
 decreasing in beautiful proportion to the masts 
 they cross, ever ready to expand her whiie 
 wings to the breeze, whilst her cordage so taut, 
 so straight, so slender, in beautiful harmony 
 with all around, seems more like harp-strings, 
 than hempen ropes. Does she not look as if 
 she scorned restraint, and panted to be off '? " 
 
 " Just my own thoughts, Herbert, though I 
 could not have expressed them so well," said 
 Daunton, smiling at the enthusiasm of his 
 young First Lieutenant, " and Danvers, there," 
 he continued, " shuts his lubberly eyes to all 
 this, to pore over sea-weeds and sponges, on
 
 44 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 those oozy rocks, but there's no accounting for 
 taste, Herbert ! '' 
 
 There was a little freemasonry between the 
 Captain and the Doctor upon their hobby- 
 horsical weaknesses, for they expected no sym- 
 pathy from others. 
 
 " I appeal, sir," said Danvers laughing, " to 
 Herbert himself, Goth as he is, whether these 
 fungi, and other strangely anomalous sub- 
 stances growing plant-like on those rocks, in 
 that transparent water, and almost confound- 
 ing animal with vegetable character, as well as 
 substance, are not worthy objects of admira- 
 tion ?'' 
 
 " I grant them to be both curious and beau- 
 tiful. Doctor,'^ replied the First Lieutenant, with 
 his eyes still fixed upon his ship; "but I have 
 no leisure for such pursuits, and I fear no taste 
 for them. I came to attend the Captain to 
 the watering-place, and to our wood-cutters. 
 The work is very heavy, sir, for our poor fel- 
 lows/' he continued, " owing to the rough rocky
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAK 45 
 
 nature of the ground over which they have to 
 roll the full casks, with great labour and diffi- 
 culty, for at least two hundred yards. I spare 
 them all I can, and protect them from the sun 
 as much as possible; but still it is heavy work 
 for them, as you have seen. There they are. 
 I hope you think we have made the most of 
 our time, sir. We can contrive to get a little 
 shade here; and the men have water close at 
 hand.^^ 
 
 "You have indeed collected a good deal. .1 
 should hope, Herbert, that another day will 
 complete us, and then we may go to sea for 
 rest, though I fear we shall find no pirates. 
 This is really a wonderfully strange-looking 
 country !" 
 
 " It is indeed, sir," replied the Doctor; " but 
 step a little this way. There, on the edge of 
 that precipice opposite, is the most wonderful 
 thing I ever saw. "What do you think of 
 
 that r 
 
 " Wonderful, indeed, Doctor 1" said Daunton
 
 46 THE PETEEL, OE, 
 
 in astonislimeiit. " What on earth can sustain 
 sncli a ponderous mass in sucli a situation 1 
 It is more tlian half over the edge, and jet it 
 does not fall. It looks as if it were a huge 
 loadstone sticking on the face of an iron pre- 
 cipice/' 
 
 The subject furnished them with conversa- 
 tion on their way down to the gig, which was 
 now waiting them. 
 
 ''Halloo, Darbj, what are you up to? 
 What is it you are munching away at in that 
 dark corner T said a sharp but not unpleasing 
 voice, as its owner, Mr. Tandy, thrust his head 
 suddenly in at the door of the midshipman's 
 berth. " Fair play, Darby : why, you'd eat the 
 whole mess allowance, and then swear you 
 were hungry !" 
 
 " Faith, Tandy," repKed the youth, " you are 
 not very wide of the mark there; short allow- 
 ance does not suit me in any way. It's only a 
 cold 'petate' Fm eating. Chouchow picked 
 it up on the stray, and it's none of the best
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN". 47 
 
 neither; but it's no time to be nice in these 
 matters. Och ! this sea-life would be a mighty 
 pretty sort of a life, if one could only get some- 
 thing to eat now and then T' 
 
 " Well, Darby, we may drink as much as we 
 like now — that's some comfort; and as the ship 's 
 at an anchor, you are the boy, Darby, that 
 knows how to catch them hungry divils o' gulls 
 and gannets and Cape hens, that are squalling 
 and plunging under the ship's stern. Just get 
 us a score of the biggest of them; Chouchow 
 and I will turn ^em into a pigeon-pie in no 
 time. Twill do your heart good to see it." 
 
 " And still more to eat it. I'll catch the 
 poor beasts for you fast enough; and I bcHeve 
 Chouchow and you, if you laid your heads 
 together, would turn 'em into a plum-pudding 
 if ye liked it. I only wish ye would ! A fel- 
 low Hke you, Tandy, as thin as my grandmother's 
 thread-paper, with a pair of legs like broom- 
 stalks, may thrive upon suction, like your blood- 
 relation. Jack Snipe; but that won't shute me.
 
 48 THE PETREL, Oil, 
 
 If old Grogson didn't sell me half his allowance 
 of bread for m j rum, Td starve, I would I" 
 
 " I suspect, Darbj, that when jou go to 
 Herbert's cabin to read, 'tis something better 
 than books ye get. At least, ye're grown re- 
 markably studious since we got upon short 
 allow^ance, my friend — ha !" 
 
 "Hish, man," said Darby, who probably 
 wished to change the subject. "Come here, 
 and you'll see old Grogson behind the lid of 
 his big chest there, spoiling that beautiful 
 wather with the contents of his rum bottles. 
 The old soaker says that case-bottle is his pri- 
 yilege as mate of the hold. It's little he cares 
 for the water 1" 
 
 " The old fellow's nose," said Tandy, '^ is as 
 red already as a ripe cherry; — but there's 
 ' Stand by hammocks,' Darby. I'll go up and 
 get a mouthful of fresh air before I turn in." 
 
 " You are too late, you must wait now till 
 the hammocks are down, or ye'U get the breath 
 squeezed out of your little body in the hatch-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 49 
 
 way. See, Tandy, if there isn't Somers, 
 sneaking away from behind Grogson's big 
 chest. He's been taking a sup at the rum 
 bottle, too. That old fellow will be the 
 ruin of Somers, for he's not altogether one 
 of the right sort, that boy, I'm afraid, 
 though they do say he will have five thousand 
 a-year." 
 
 The strong sea-breeze of the afternoon, 
 though it retarded the watering, and added 
 much to the labour of the boat's crews, was so 
 refreshing, that it was anxiously looked for. 
 And if the land wind at night, on this bare 
 and barren coast, was not laden with the rich 
 perfumes which greet the toilworn mariner on 
 his return to the land of the orange and the 
 myrtle, it was at least free from the deadly 
 malaria, too often borne by breezes scarcely 
 less fragrant, from coasts teeming with the 
 rich spicy produce of more fertile tropical 
 regions. 
 
 The Petrel, guarded by the prudent pre- 
 
 VOL. I. D
 
 50 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 cautions of her experienced captain, had not 
 a single case of dangerous fever on board, and 
 the men previously ill had become rapidly 
 convalescent, from the moment in which they 
 had free access to fresh water, which amply 
 repaid Daunt on for the time lost by declining 
 to work at night. 
 
 Health is, on service, the first element of 
 efficiency, and woe betide the commander who, 
 by inconsiderate haste, or too rigid an adhe- 
 rence to formal rules, or by giving too much 
 license, overlooks this fact. 
 
 " Our water will be completed to-day, sir," 
 reported Herbert to the Captain, on the third 
 day: "may the people land to-morrow, sir, 
 one watch at a time, to wash and scrub every 
 thing they have, in fresh water ; for their frocks 
 and trowsers have been so long and so often 
 scrubbed in salt water, and dried in a hot sun, 
 that they are saturated with hard salt, and 
 crackle under the hand. They are terribly 
 rough wearing, and imbibe damp from the
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 51 
 
 night dews, which are chilly enough in them- 
 selves." 
 
 "It is an excellent opportunity, Herbert^ 
 for this,'' replied the Captain : " then one day 
 to bring down the wood, and off to sea for 
 rest. I only wish we conld have something 
 fresh and wholesome for our poor fellows to 
 eat, but there is no chance of that here. Our 
 provisions, originally of bad quality, are 
 now* half perished with age : the salt meat 
 has been casked up for years.'' 
 
 Herbert always rowed round his ship before 
 breakfast, to inspect her external appearance, 
 which he did as minutely now as if she had 
 been lying at Spithead, with twenty jealous 
 rivals to compete with her ; for he was quite 
 as great an admirer of that taut, trim, rakish- 
 looking little Petrel as Daunton himself ; but 
 with this important difference, that, whilst 
 with the Captain, our noble craft reigned 
 supreme, and without a rival, this was by no 
 meaus the case with Frank Herbert; for a 
 
 D 2 
 
 WSlTVOFlLUNOli
 
 52 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 certain blooming Hebe face, and a bright pair 
 of dark blue eyes, radiant with fun and feeling, 
 whilst they glanced and sparkled with irre- 
 sistible force, through rich glossy tresses of 
 wavy nut-brown hair, had made a deeper 
 impression on his imagination. 
 
 On his last visit to Cape Town this bright 
 vision, the fair and fascinating Norah, own 
 sister to our friend Darby Darcie, had laughed, 
 sung, and danced with poor Herbert, till he 
 had become bewildered, enchanted, or, what is 
 commonly called, over head and ears in love. 
 JN"or was Norah, though honest and artless as 
 maiden may be, either unconscious of her con- 
 quest, or perhaps quite indifferent to it. Her 
 father, Colonel Darcie, commanded the 103rd 
 regiment, in garrison at the Cape. It had been 
 rumoured that this gallant corps was shortly 
 to proceed to India ; but nothing certain was 
 known upon that subject when Herbert had 
 left. It was equally uncertain when the 
 Petrel would return thither, and these two
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAIST. '53 
 
 uncertaintities put together, it had become a 
 painful matter of doubt to the lover, whether 
 when she should return, those same bright 
 ejes and sunnj tresses would still be visible 
 in Cape Town. 
 
 Herbert was strolling listlessly up the 
 ravine, alone, and wholly entranced in 
 thoughts of this painful uncertainty upon a 
 point so vital to his happiness, he had for the 
 moment totally forgotten his wooding and 
 watering parties, and indeed the gallant Petrel , 
 herself; so that if, at that unlucky moment, 
 he should have been suddenly asked how he 
 did'? what o'clock it was? or any other 
 question upon any possible subject, the pro- 
 bability was that he would have answered,, 
 *' Norali Darcie f for Herbert's lips and his 
 heart were ever in close communion. But he 
 was gently recalled to recollection by the 
 proceedings of three young Mids, who just 
 then appeared, in close and earnest conference,. 
 a few yards from him. They were gradually
 
 54 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 approacliing nearer to tlie man of aiitlioritj, 
 though with some hesitation, as if their plans 
 had not yet been quite matured, and when, in 
 deference to his proximity, they had ceased 
 to talk, they kept up a telegraphic commu- 
 nication amongst themselves, by nods, winks, 
 and shrugs, whilst they urged forward their 
 spokesman. 
 
 This pantomime had put to flight all Her- 
 bert's serious thoughts, and he found some 
 difficulty in keeping his countenance, whilst 
 aflfecting not to observe what was going on ; 
 well did he know the mirth-loving trio. At 
 length our old friend Mr. Tandy having been 
 fairly shoved forward by his companions, broke 
 ground thus : — 
 
 " Please, sir, as the work is done for the day, 
 may Darcie and Somers and I have leave to 
 take a ramble on the hills : 'tis a long time 
 since we have stretched our legs on shore, sir. 
 We have brought our dinner from the ship 
 with us, and we'll be down upon the beach 
 before sunset."
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 55 
 
 " That sounds fair enough, Mr. Tandy, but 
 I don't always find results to correspond so 
 exactly as they ought to do, with promises of 
 this sort, not that T doubt your word, Mr. 
 Tandy, but it does, somehow or other, too often 
 happen that some extraordinary, not to be 
 foreseen accident does occur, which not only 
 mars the promised result, but does not unfre- 
 quently bring you all, more or less, into some 
 serious scrape !'' 
 
 " I must own, sir,'' replied Mr. Tandy apolo- 
 getically, "that last affair of the grapes did 
 look awkward — but it was only a few bunches, 
 sir. There they hung staring us in the face, 
 over the low wall, sir, and we so hot and 
 thirsty. We halloed and ofiered to buy them, 
 but nobody came, and we began to fear we 
 should get faint on the road, and so be too 
 late for the boat; and we had hardly taken a 
 very few bunches just to slake our thirst, and 
 they were hanging within reach, sir, when we 
 saw the nigger grinning over the wall and
 
 56 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 watching us, and he followed us down to the 
 boat/' 
 
 " Rather a lame story, Mr. Tandy, but I 
 know you would not speak an untruth. You 
 say that you called out you would buy the 
 grapes. Now I ask you ! if at that very 
 time you had money to buy them with T 
 
 " I hadn't myself, sir, but I made sure Darby 
 Darcie had, and that's all one." 
 
 " Had you any money, Darby T 
 
 " Not a cowrie, sir ; but I thought Tandy 
 had. I saw some dirty looking paper in his 
 hands just before, and I thought it was Cape 
 dollars." 
 
 " Let this be a warning to you to be more cau- 
 tious and correct in future. I don't think you'll 
 meet with much temptation from grapes, in 
 these hills to-day, and if you, Mr. Tandy, would 
 employ your very acute reasoning faculties 
 in persuading your friends to keep clear of 
 scrapes, instead of reserving them to palliate 
 matters, when the mischief into which you
 
 LOVE 01^ THE OCEAI^. 57 
 
 liaye led them is iiucler qiiestioD, it would be 
 very much better for them as well as yourself, 
 Mr. Tandy." 
 
 " Depend upon it, sir/' replied Tandy with 
 confidence, " we'll get into no scrape to-day. I 
 dont think it's possible, sir." 
 
 " Nor do I, Mr. Chap, which I consider to 
 be my best security. But why are you always 
 spokesman on these occasions^ why not Somers, 
 or Darby Darcie V 
 
 " "Why, sir," said Darby, turning up his 
 handsome face, full of fun and good humour ; 
 " they don't send me, because they say you^d 
 just be bothering o'me, and laughing at me, 
 till may be we'd get no answer at all !" 
 
 " You shall have your ramble, Darcie, if it's 
 only for the honesty of that speech ; but keep 
 out of mischief. I have always certain mis- 
 givings when you boys are long out of my 
 sight. Remember the Captain is rather sore 
 about your last exploit. He'll be asking after 
 you before sunset, and recollect there's no twi- 
 
 d3
 
 58 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 light here. The last boat leaves the shore at 
 sunset." 
 
 " Thank je, sir,'' said all three, and they 
 were going off in great glee, but Herbert 
 stopped them. 
 
 " How is your larder furnished for such an 
 expedition, in these hard times V 
 
 "Why, sir," replied Darby, "there's the 
 pigeon-pie — " 
 
 "What! a pigeon-pie? you might as well 
 tell me you had venison and turtle soup." 
 
 " Faith, I wish we had sir ! but there's the 
 pigeon-pie, sure enough ; I caught the gulls, 
 knd the Cape hens; Tandy and Chouchow 
 made them into a pigeon-pie, by the same 
 token there's the feet of the poor devils stick- 
 ing out at the top of the crust, all regular." 
 
 Herbert laughed heartily at Darby's de- 
 scription of their pigeon-pie. 
 
 " But how the deuce could you bake it ? we 
 have had nothing to heat an oven with for a 
 long time."
 
 LOVE OK THE OCEAK. 59 
 
 " Oh, sir/' said Darby, " we baked it, by 
 boiling it in the coppers ; there was nothing 
 else for it." 
 
 " Well, well, boys, I have had my laugh at 
 your pigeon-pie ; I think Tm bound to try and 
 mend your fare. There's a basket sent for 
 the Doctor and me, as we intended to have 
 dined on shore, but w^e have agreed to dine 
 early, with the Captain, on board, and to 
 explore the valley in the afternoon ; so take 
 the basket. It will be a reinforcement to your 
 commissariat. But remember Captain Daun- 
 ton and I will be in your neighbourhood, and 
 again I say, let us have no scrapes." 
 
 Thus dismissed, our gallant adventurers lost 
 no time in getting beyond the reach of a second 
 recall, and having effectually accomplished this 
 important object, Tandy forthwith called a 
 council of war. 
 
 " I wish," said Somers, " we had brought a 
 musket with us, for in these wild liills we 
 might have killed something worth showing ''
 
 60 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 " WeVe got quite enough to cany already,'^ 
 said Darby, who being much stronger than his^ 
 companions, and easy tempered withal, gene- 
 rally bore the burden of the day. " I vote," 
 he said, " that we sit down here, and examine 
 the contents of Herbert's basket, and lighten 
 the baggage wagon by dining. We shall be 
 better up to our work, and have less to carry !" 
 
 This reasonable proposition was instantly 
 adopted, a shaded spot was found, and the 
 pigeon-pie was voted to be excellent, — thej 
 only wished there had been more flesh on the- 
 bones. 
 
 " Ah,'' said Darby, trying to put on a dole- 
 ful look, but with very little success ; " ah ! 
 this is the last drop of our onions and petates^ 
 boys, in this same pie, — no more lobscouse,. 
 nor chowder; sea-pies are out of the question 
 now, and there's nothing left for it but the 
 naked salt junk, more's the pity — but hurrah, 
 care killed the cat, so let's be thinking what 
 we shall be at. We must try our hand at
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 61 
 
 something, Tandy, and there's no grapes here, 
 bad luck to these great big lumps of rock, 
 laying about everywhere." 
 
 " Talking of these lumps of rock, boys," 
 said Tandy, " suppose we work our way up 
 yonder, and have a close look at that huge 
 whopper that's hanging by the eyelids on the 
 edge of that steep mountain. Most of these 
 hills seem pretty easy to mount on one side, 
 though as steep as a wall upon the other." 
 
 " Capital," exclaimed Darby ; " everybody 
 has been wondering at it, and asking how it 
 can possibly hold on as it does, and we are 
 the boys that will tell 'em all about it." 
 
 They now put up the fragments of tlie feast 
 and prepared for the adventure, in great 
 sjDirits. 
 
 " See, Darby," said Tandy, coaxingly, and 
 winking to Somers, "ye'U have a light load 
 now, man." 
 
 " It's a baste of burden ye're making of me,'^ 
 said Darby, laughing, " but there's no help for 
 
 %
 
 62 THE TETREL, OR, 
 
 it. Ye're a pretty couple, I must say ; but as 
 for the four legs of ye, they're mere mop-sticks, 
 I'd be ashamed of the like of 'em. I must say 
 ye're bold fellows to thrust the whole weight 
 of your little bodies to 'cm, let alone carry the 
 prog!" And then stretching out a leg of 
 remarkably fine proportions, he said, '' Look 
 there, the pair of ye ! that's what I call a good 
 understanding, boys!" 
 
 Tandy had a particular dislike to compa- 
 risons of this sort, but chuckled internally with 
 the very agreeable consolation, that if Darby 
 Darcie did beat him hollow in the matter of 
 thews and sinews, he, Tandy, had wit enough to 
 lead his sturdy friend pretty much as he pleased, 
 if not so completely as he did Somers, who 
 he was wont to say, with some scorn, could 
 boast of no such jackassical advantages over 
 him as those Darby was so proud of; and 
 nothing pleased this ingenious and somewhat 
 mischievous specimen of middy ism better, than 
 to save his own labour by employing his friend
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 63 
 
 Darby's strength upon such occasions as the 
 present. 
 
 " Come," he said, " let's be off ; we have a 
 heavy job before us. Let me help you up 
 with the basket, Darby ?' 
 
 " Go a-head, Fm ready in a moment,'' said 
 his friend ; and whilst he was adjusting his 
 burden to his satisfaction, the other two had 
 advanced a short distance to explore the 
 ascent. 
 
 " Somers," said his sharp-witted leader, 
 "Darcie's a capital fellow, but he's subject 
 occasionally to hungry fits, which are some- 
 times attended by a slight lapse of memory ; 
 so whilst I look out the best way to mount 
 the hill, do you keep our friend always in 
 sight. If you don't, and one of these same 
 hungry fits should take him, he'd devour the 
 whole of our prog in no time, and be very 
 sorry for it, which would be of Httle use to us, 
 Somers ! Here he comes ; I'll go on, you look 
 after him."
 
 64 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 When Darbj had so honestly stated to 
 Herbert the reason whicli his friends, or rather 
 Tandy, had given, for never employing him as 
 their ambassador when they had a favour to 
 ask, Herbert had observed a very singular ex- 
 pression in Mr. Tandy's shrewd countenance, 
 and, reflecting upon the whole afi*air, he be- 
 came conscious that he did take great delight 
 in long colloquies with Darby, and was rarely 
 in haste to close them. His attention once 
 drawn to this subject, he soon discovered the 
 cause of it all. The tones of Darby's voice 
 had ever brought Norab before him. 
 
 " Confound that prying, quick-witted brat," 
 he muttered. " I have more than once chanced 
 to overhear him quiz Darby for being favoured 
 by me, but it touched me not, for I knew I 
 had no such intention; no sort of mischief 
 comes amiss to Mr. Tandy — nothing escapes 
 the saucy whelp." 
 
 The Captain's little party were seated at 
 their early dinner in the cabin, and dis-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 65 
 
 cussing their projected excursion up the 
 valley. 
 
 "'Tis a strange wild district/' said the host, 
 "completely deserted by man and beast;" 
 then suddenly starting rather abruptly from 
 the subject under discussion, "Where are 
 those youngsters, Herbert?" he said, "I don't 
 like their being long out of sight; they are 
 sure to be in mischief." 
 
 "Why, sir, they begged hard for a ramble 
 in the hills, and the poor boys have been so. 
 long shut up in that dark close little berth 
 of tlieirs, and half starved into the bargain,, 
 and have borne it all so cheerfully, that I 
 could not refuse them. Indeed, I thought it 
 would do them good to stretch their legs over 
 Ahe hills ; so, as I imagined it quite impossible 
 '^for them to get into mischief, I added Dan- 
 vers's dinner and mine to their own store, and 
 made them promise to be dow^n at the boat 
 before sunset." 
 
 The Captain shook his head, rather mis-
 
 66 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 givinglj ; so Herbert gave them the history of 
 the pigeon-pie, at which they had a hearty 
 laugh, and soon after they landed. 
 
 We confess to a coincidence of opinion 
 upon many points with the worthy Captain of 
 the Petrel, and can fully sympathise with his 
 apprehension of mischief whenever our well- 
 beloved Mr. Tandy and his satellites hap- 
 pened to have been for any considerable time 
 left to their own devices. And there is strong 
 reason to believe that the eminent and sa- 
 gacious individual of whose ingenuity we have 
 spoken, under the singular name of Ohouchow, 
 though he undoubtedly possessed some more 
 Christian-like appellation, which remained a 
 dead letter in the pages of the ship's books, 
 amongst the many other hidden mysteries/"^' 
 thereof, because he never would willingly 
 answer to any other name but that by which 
 we have introduced him. This singular indi- 
 vidual, we observe, who had a more full and 
 correct knowledge of the habits and pro-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN". 67 
 
 pensities of the youthful trio than any other 
 person, he having long served as a sort of 
 maid-of-all-work to the Midshipman's berth, 
 in virtue of which office he performed the 
 several duties of cook, valet, and chamber- 
 maid to the "whole party, acting occasionally 
 moreover as tailor or washerwoman. This 
 useful attendant had obviously, like ourselves ,a 
 fellow-feeling upon this point with the worthy 
 Captain, for no sooner had the rumour reached 
 him that his three young masters had set out. 
 for the hills, of which he had heard such wild 
 and dismal accounts, than to the utter as- 
 tonishment of everybody, he, Chouchow him- 
 self, who never could be prevailed upon to set 
 his foot on shore unless positively ordered to 
 
 ^do so, flew to the commanding officer. 
 
 I 
 
 "Please, sir,'' said Chouchow, plucking a 
 
 forelock of his rough hair, " may I have leave 
 to go on shore ?" 
 
 " On shore!" said the astonished Mr. Anstey, 
 " I thought you never went on shore. It's the
 
 68 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 beauty of the country, I suppose, that tempts 
 you. Oh yes, go on shore, if it's only for the 
 fun of the thing/' 
 
 Chouchow, thus authorised, landed from the 
 first boat, "with a covered basket in his liand^ 
 inquired what route the youngsters had taken, 
 and set out after them with a degree of 
 energy and activity habitual to him in all his 
 movements. 
 
 Little did our adventurous young Middies 
 know, or care, what the rest of the world 
 might be thinking about or doing; to reach 
 the summit of that precipice, and the huge 
 rock dangling from it, which had so astonished 
 and puzzled everybody else, and to ascertain 
 what really retained it in so strange a posi- 
 tion, was to them for the moment the only*" 
 thing in the world worth thinking about. A 
 weary task it was to reach the top of the 
 rugged mountain ; often did they stop to take 
 breath, and to moisten their parched lips, for 
 the sun was awfully fierce : but their stock of
 
 LOVE 0I!T THE OCEAls^. 69 
 
 liquids was so small tliat strict economy was 
 necessary. 
 
 At length they found a cave, which afforded 
 a most welcome protection from the sun, and 
 soon after Tandy, poking about amongst the 
 shattered rocks of every imaginable form which 
 surrounded their retreat, had the good fortune 
 to discover a natural basin, containing at 
 least a barrel of water, so pure, so cool, that 
 they gave three cheers for joy. This was in- 
 deed a luxury. , 
 
 Thus rested and refreshed they started once 
 more, in high condition, and at last attained 
 the highest point of the hill or mountain, some 
 few sharp broken pinnacles of bare rock ex- 
 cepted, and soon they stood by the object of 
 Iheir expedition. Its size even exceeded their 
 expectations ; it overhung the precipice fear- 
 fully, and appeared to be retained in its place 
 merely by a few detached fragments, more or 
 less of wedge-like shape, against, but not abso- 
 lutely upon, which it rested. The balance
 
 70 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 was thus very sliglitlj inclined inward, and it 
 looked as if a kick would dislodge it. The 
 elevated situation commanded an extensive 
 view, including a considerable sheet or pool of 
 fresh water, a long distance up the valley. 
 
 " Look,'' said Darby, " there's the Captain, 
 and Herbert, and the Doctor, t'other side of 
 the narrow valley, amongst the trees and 
 bushes. But what are ye after, Tandy, 
 shoving your long nose under that big baste of 
 a rock "? Ye'll have it moving, for I don't see 
 what stops it ; and ye'll be crushed like a bit 
 of a beetle under it." 
 
 Tandy, after crawling round both sides of 
 the huge boulder, to the very edge of the pre- 
 cipice, sprang suddenly up upon his feet. 
 
 " My life for it, boys," he exclaimed in great 
 delight, " if ye'll only work heartily with me 
 for five minutes, we'll launch the whole con- 
 cern, slap dash amongst them all! And what 
 will old Daunty, yonder, say when he sees it a 
 coming 1"
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAIT. 71 
 
 " I don't believe well do it, Tandy ; but 
 here's have a try at it," said Darby, rising np. 
 
 " Lend me your stick, Somers,'' said Tandy, 
 " and both of ye creep close under the rock. 
 Yell soon see how little 'tis that holds it. 
 Well have a glorious launch yet, boys.'' 
 
 All three went at once to work under 
 Tandy's directions ; for the lower part of the 
 mass, as well as its exposed sides, was rough 
 and irregular in its formation ; so much so 
 that it rested upon projecting points, which, 
 scarcely indenting the rocky surface of the 
 ground, left vacant spaces, through which, by 
 crawling under it, they could pretty clearly see 
 the small wedge-faced stones, by leaning 
 against which its very precarious position was 
 maintained. 
 
 " Give me the stick again," said Tandy, " I 
 see what holds it. Now — there it goes!" he 
 exclaimed. "Jump back, boys!" 
 
 A slight movement took place, and they all 
 drew back, but no launch followed.
 
 72" THE PETllEL, OE, 
 
 " I see what it is now/' exclaimed their bold 
 little leader ; " one poke more. Stand back ! 
 stand back !" he cried, and once more his com^ 
 rades started to their feet. 
 
 A horrid crash ensued, — the solid rock be- 
 neath their feet seemed to tremble as in an 
 earthquake,— a thick cloud of dust arose. 
 The huge boulder was indeed launched, and 
 was thundering down the precipice, bounding 
 from crag to crag, crushing and smashing 
 whatever it came into contact with. 
 
 " Hurrah, Darbj, it's gone r cried Somers. 
 
 But Darby turned deadly pale. 
 
 " Oh, Somers ! Somers ! where's poor 
 Tandy !''
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. ^3 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Captain Daunton and his little party, 
 attended by Jack Oakum, Lis coxswain, with 
 his telescope, had landed, and were proceed- 
 ing leisurely up the valley, picking their way 
 amongst loose stones and thorny shrubs. 
 
 " Look here, sir,*' said Danvers, leading the 
 way into. a sort of thicket, "here's that skele- 
 ton of a large animal, of the antelope species, 
 which must have been devoured by some wild 
 beast, most probably by a lion. Observe how 
 those bones have been crushed, and look at 
 this skull ; it has clearly been smashed in by 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 74 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 a blow of great yiolence. Nothing but a lion 
 or a tiger could have done tbis/^ 
 
 " Certainly,'^ replied Daunton, examining it, 
 "there can be no doubt of it. At certain 
 seasons these animals find feed here ; and 
 beasts of prey naturally follow them. That 
 some of these bones have been literally 
 crunched is obvious. They bear the marks of 
 the teeth. It m^kes . c^ne shudder to think of 
 a beast whose jaws had strength enough to do 
 this ; but as we have seen nothing to bring 
 beasts of prey hither, we need have no appre- 
 hension of them at this season.'' -._; j: ch: 
 
 Whilst our two philosophers were discnsking 
 this interesting subject rather lengthily, Her- 
 bert, who had no taste for such matters^ was 
 left to himself, and his thoughts, true as the 
 needle to th^Pole, had forthwith reverted to a 
 much more attractive object. He had, at one 
 bound, reached the Oape, when they were all 
 suddenly startled, by a noise like distant thun- 
 der — that same huge threatening mass of rock
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 75 
 
 whieli had been the constant object of their 
 wonder, whilst it had hung suspended so mys- 
 teriously on the brink of the deep abyss be- 
 neath it, was plunging down the steep and 
 rugged' precipice, throwing up showers of 
 splinters and clouds of dust, as it encountered 
 different obstacles in. its headlong descent. 
 The valley was narrow, and their fascinated 
 eyes distinguished its every movement. It 
 soon reached the wooded part of the ravine, 
 ploughing its resistless way through the matted 
 forest, crushing huge trees like reeds or rushes, 
 till at length, it entered what appeared to be 
 a thicket, like that in which they were then 
 standing ; but the real nucleus of which was 
 a mass of huge rocks, each resembling the 
 boulder now so violently assailing them, and 
 most /probably they had been its forerunners 
 in ;the sdme terrific descent, though now, by 
 the force of tropical vegetation, cbvered and 
 concealed by trees and bushes. Here the 
 rolling monster came into such violent col- 
 
 E 2
 
 7-^ THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 lision with an obstacle more than sufficient in 
 weiofht and substance to arrest at once its 
 furious course. The earth trembled even to 
 the opposite side of the narrow valley where 
 the wondering spectators stood, or else the 
 vibration of the air from the awful concussion, 
 caused it to appear to tremble. Large frag- 
 ments of the shattered rocks were thrown to a 
 considerable distance in all directions, and the 
 clouds of dust which arose wrapped the imme- 
 diate scene of action in darkness. A dreadful 
 pause followed. Jack Oakum flew to the Cap- 
 tain's side, as if he thought his chief in danger. 
 Not a word was spoken, till Daunton, recover- 
 ing from his astonishment, asked somewhat 
 petulantly — 
 
 "What the devil is all this?" 
 
 "Please your honour,'' said Jack Oakum, 
 who had taken a look with the glass, "it's 
 Mr. Tandy!" 
 
 "Mr. Tandy!" replied the Captain indig- 
 nantly, and turning towards Herbert, "what
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 77 
 
 can' that miscliievous brat Lave to do with all 
 this row?" 
 
 Herbert had just brought his pocket tele- 
 scope to bear upon the precipice from which 
 the boulder had descended, but before he could 
 quite satisfy himself, much less the Captain, as 
 to the immediate cause of the extraordinary 
 scene they had just witnessed, or as to what 
 Mr. Tandy could possibly have to do with it, 
 their whole attention was irresistibly drawn to 
 a very different subject. 
 
 " Look, sir, look !" whispered the Doctor, 
 pointing towards the edge of the cloud of dust, 
 which still enveloped the immediate scene of 
 the late collision. 
 
 " Lions, by heaven !" replied the Captain, in 
 the same subdued tone. 
 
 " See, sir," resumed Danvers, " look at that 
 lioness stealing away up the valley, at a trot, 
 with a cub in her mouth : the lion's den has 
 been in that rocky thicket, and has been 
 crushed by the falling boulder."
 
 78 THE PETREL, OK, 
 
 " 'Tis lucky it was not here tliej had it," 
 muttered the Captain. 
 
 •"' An enormous lion was now distinctly seen 
 following in the ti'ack of his ferocious spouse, 
 but his step was stately, as if disdaining to fly. 
 He stopped, and turned as if to face and 
 defy once more, the incomprehensible assailants 
 of his domicile; looked fiercely at the shat- 
 tered mass, from which he had so sulkily 
 emerged, lashed out violently with his bushy 
 tail, shook himself impatiently^ bristled up his 
 huge mane, and assuming that nobly graceful 
 attitude unattainable by caged lions, but which 
 "stamps him- in ^ the forests as- the noblest of 
 beasts, uttered three furious -roars ; a concen- 
 trated expression of rage aiid defiance, which 
 curdled the very blood of his hearers, ' bold as 
 they were. No object was to be seen on 
 which he might wreak his vengeance, the in- 
 dignant hero turned, and followed with stately 
 step the cub-bearing lioness. They were soon 
 out of sight, to the great satisfaction of our
 
 LOVE O:^ THE OCEAK. 79 
 
 party, who were bj i^o means armed for an 
 
 j^counter with such foes. 
 r. " Tis quite as well that , to were concealed 
 in the thicket," said the Poctpr, "and that our 
 wooding party were out;] of ^sight too,; or 1 be- 
 lieve that irritated monster might have made a 
 fearful onslaught on either u^or tjiem" 
 
 "What was that you said ^bqut Mr. Tandy, 
 Oakum?" asked the Captain. "What could 
 that youngster have to do with all this ?" 
 
 Jack Oakum was a man of few words. He 
 put a long telescope into the Captain's hand, 
 pointed to the precipice, and forthwith placed 
 himself in a proper attitude for officiating as 
 a rest for the glass. 
 
 ^^j f God bless me !" saidpaunton, as soon as he 
 
 ^^liad, looked up through the glass, in .the direc- 
 tion indicated, " there's oi^e of those boys, 
 Herbert, hanging upon that cliff, far down it 
 : tOGf ; what he has to stick to, I can't see 1" 
 
 - "Yes, sir," answered Herbert, "I think it 
 is Tandy; and^there,,is^a head and face look-
 
 80 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 ing oyer at liim, which FU swear belongs to 
 Darby Darcie. I'll be up with them as quick 
 as possible. Tandy is holding out an arm as 
 if in answer to Darby/' 
 
 Herbert started off at speed, but he had a 
 long circuit to make before he could reach the 
 accessible part of the hill. The Captain and 
 Danvers took the same direction more lei- 
 surely. 
 
 Darby was not the boy to let his grief for 
 his friend's disappearance evaporate in useless 
 exclamations, nor indeed was his companion, 
 though far less active and energetic. As soon 
 as the cloud of dust had pretty well cleared 
 away from before them, it became quite evi- 
 dent to the boys that the great rock and the 
 great Mr. Tandy had both bundled over the 
 edge of the precipice together ; for on the side 
 upon which Tandy had been at work there 
 was a wide gap. The rock must have been 
 less solid there, and intermixed with earth, for 
 it had given way imder the weight of the
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 81 
 
 boulder when it had moved ; though on the 
 other side, where Darbj and Somers had been, 
 it was, fortunately for them, one solid mass of 
 rock to the very edge, which had resisted the 
 pressure, and saved them. 
 
 " m creep close to the edge, Somers/' said 
 Darby, " and look over. Do you hold me on 
 by the heels. May be Fll see something o' the 
 darhnt ; he's as light as a bird ; and he will 
 have all his seventeen senses about him, will 
 poor dear Tandy ; and if he has but a chance 
 for his life, he's the boy that will make the 
 most of it." 
 
 Darby drew himself along the ground to 
 the very edge of the precipice ; his nerves 
 were naturally firm, and his whole heart was 
 with his friend ; he would have thought little 
 of any risk to gain a chance of saving poor 
 Tandy. At first he could see nothing, for not 
 being sufficiently in advance, he had looked 
 beyond his mark. 
 
 " Och, Somers, dear," he said aloud, " the 
 
 E 3
 
 82 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 darlint is kilFt. I'll see nothing of him any 
 ways/' ' ' ^^^ Y^tfiCT ^'f^i'^f ,'nrh •:^)t^ki 
 
 This was the precise mbment at which their 
 perilous situation had beea^ discovered by the 
 party on the rise of thfe hillc?)n the-: opposite 
 side of th^ valley. '^ oJ ssob aj^^-io ivl •- 
 
 no i<«-Yoihoiy Darby ! " came fam% tip 'dn the 
 ear of the ^anxious bo]^5':''fend>r.he''stretchfed 
 himsfelf out still farther over -that tremendous 
 abyss, tihin'king much more'«K)f his: friend <than 
 of himselfl'' ^ii oii ^ ha^ ; v^jg/^T liieb fo:^'; 
 
 "Hold -me hard, SomerSj'-ifheA^id^- *''fbr 
 I'm well over." And he was, most i danger- 
 ously ^^o. ^ ■■'''■■ ^'''li; X'-^- ' 
 
 This last generous, and iiadeet^ ; frightful risk, 
 was instantly rewarded. •; There ^ lay Tandy, 
 on his back, in a most uneasy and dangerous 
 position, resting on a slight projecting , cradle- 
 like ledge, over which the descending boulder 
 must have leaped, and half-smothered with dust 
 and earthy matter. i^-r; 
 
 oiI:l« Och, Somers dear," cried Darby Darcie
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAX. 83 
 
 with delight, " it's now I see him; 'tis an awful 
 bed for a Christiau to lie upon. But Tandy 
 takes it aisy, or else it's not long he'd hold on 
 there. He's pointing across the way, and 
 beckoning ; he can see them yonder; and he's 
 aware of that big roaring baste too now, that's 
 looking so fierce there. Ay, and they see him; 
 God be praised ! There's Herbert started off 
 liie a greyhound. Oh, that we had a bowhne 
 knot, to let down to him 1" 
 
 ma\^''ATi ftjv roared l)^rby, in answer tp sign^ 
 
 i i;TaHdy ^ was making to. hi^ j. ^ . ^. . 
 
 g; ; He then, with Somers dragging at his legs, 
 drew back, and stood, up. . . "Go down as fast 
 as you can, Dick Somers," he^ said. " A 
 couple of stout hand^, and a few fathoms of 
 
 ^^i[Qpe, would soon bring. him up all right. I 
 ,,wish I could lower some grtib down to him, to 
 keep him quiet. I'll just look over and keep 
 up his spirits." ,;., 
 
 Somers had started- long before Darby had 
 said all this, but had scarcely adyanced a hun-
 
 84 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 dred yards when he met Chouchow blowing 
 like a grampus, from his exertions in mounting 
 the steep and rugged hill. Great was the de- 
 light of the two agitated boys at this important 
 and unexpected reinforcement. 
 
 Chouchow had never doubted, from the mo- 
 ment in which he had heard the direction that 
 his young masters had taken, but that they 
 would speedily get into difficulties of some sort. 
 With his habitual sagacity, foresight, and un- 
 scrupulosity, he had taken two hand lead-lines 
 from the chains unobserved, and having a small 
 axe belonging to the berth already in his 
 basket, he was pretty well prepared for any- 
 thing that was likely to have happened. As 
 soon as he had learned the state of the case, 
 he peeped over the edge, to make himself fully 
 master of the subject, but without showing him- 
 self. 
 
 " Now, Mr. Darby," he said, " Somers and 
 I will hold you on by the legs, whilst you tell 
 Tandy that Chouchow is here with a rope, and
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 85 
 
 that we'll have him up in no time. It might 
 startle him to see me all at once/^ 
 
 This was encouraging news to the sufferer, 
 who, though not severely injured, was much 
 shaken and bruised, and half smothered with 
 dust, and did not dare to move, or to alter his 
 position materially, though he had begun to 
 feel cramped. He had perfect faith in the 
 zeal and attachment of his two friends, espe- 
 cially of Darby; but he did not entertain a 
 very high opinion of their ingenuity. In his 
 situation, therefore, the arrival of the prompt 
 though eccentric Chouchow was a decided 
 advantage, though how he should have 
 trusted himself such a distance from the ship, 
 was a puzzler, which almost led him to fear 
 he must be dreaming. 
 
 But Chouchow, no longer fearing to startle 
 him, now projected his head and half his 
 shoulders over the edge of the precipice, 
 supported by one of the youngsters cling- 
 ing with his whole weight to each of his
 
 86 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 legs, -wliich gave him considerable freedom of 
 action. -t ^^ii ot av ' 
 
 "Don't answer me, Mr. Tandj," he said, 
 "but just hold up your hand when jou un- 
 derstand clearly what I say. to you; answering 
 would tire you.'' - ^-ub joa fafb J- 
 
 Up went poor Tandy's hand. ! (!ot:*noq 
 
 "If I send down a. bo'Ndine knot/ are* ycDu 
 able to put it over your shoulders/ andi to pass 
 your arms through it ?' ij J v) ;\<i'£i(i 1.^ 7ii<!:.: 
 
 Up went the hand. : >^> itorfiiqo Jr'i^f r^';' 
 I " I have plenty of rope, -hUl ^m afraid -^f 
 cutting it against the sharp edges -of the rocks, 
 or of throwing down the ioose stones upon 
 you; so will go to some trees not very far off, 
 and get a large branch to Jay oyer the cliff, 
 and then we'll send the rope ' down over the 
 crutch of it. Do you understand I'r^H ^i;JT 
 
 Up went both hands, for ; poor -Tandy was 
 delighted to see the care and caution of his 
 active and zealous ally. 
 
 In a short time — though it had seemed
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 87 
 
 rather long to Tandy— a branch of a tree was 
 
 laid along the ground close at hand, \diich had 
 
 taxed the utmost strength of Ohdu and his 
 
 companions to bring it to the spot The thick 
 
 /[;end of it,, with a strong crutch, was projected 
 
 about a foot over the edge of' the 5 precipice, 
 
 when Chou once more :^eaehed over and ad- 
 
 a;dressed Tandy. ■ '^bb sih biio\iid . 
 
 v.uii/^We'rB all ready now. Look out for the 
 
 olbdwline knot ; there's Darby'S ' jacket and 
 
 ? Somers' stick in it; their weight will enable me 
 
 ccto guide it to you. ^ Dse the jacket for parcel- 
 
 liiing, that the rope may liot cut you; the stick 
 
 will serve you to boom off gently with; for if 
 
 •you do this roughly, with your feet,- you -11 jar 
 
 ;^Tis too much. I don't fear the rope, though I 
 
 8/send'it down doubled; but our outrigger can't 
 
 .'be very firm. Do you understand V 
 
 Up went Tandy's hands again. Chouchow 
 then asked if he was ready, and once more re- 
 ceived a satisfactory reply. 
 
 "Now, young gentlemen," he said, "great
 
 88 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 care and caution will be necessary; for if the 
 rope should take a sharp rock, it may be cut, 
 and then he'll go down the precipice altogether 
 and be knocked to smash; or if it should set 
 loose one of those great stones, it might knock 
 him on the head. Our best chance of avoiding 
 these risks is by keeping the rope in this crutch 
 well beyond the edge of the cliff; but that is 
 no easy matter. This is a wide- spreading 
 branch, and we must all three place our whole 
 weight upon it, to keep it steady. There goes 
 the bowline knot. Ay, he's got it. We must 
 not hurry him. One halloo when you're all 
 ready, Mr. Tandy.'' 
 
 This was an anxious moment, especially to 
 the two youngsters, who could not see what 
 was going on below, and dared not move, as 
 their weight kept steadily in the right place, 
 was that upon wliich Tandy's life depended. 
 
 A faint halloo was heard, the decisive mo- 
 ment had arrived ; again Chouchow shouted — 
 
 " We wiU haul taut the rope gently. And
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAX. 89 
 
 you, as soon as your weight is fairly on it, rise 
 upon your feet/^ 
 
 This having been clearly understood, Ohou- 
 chow turned to the youngsters. — 
 
 " I must keep the crutch steady, and will 
 light up the rope slowly to you. Hold it firmly, 
 but do not haul upon it. I can see him here, 
 and will direct you. Luckily he isn't much 
 heavier than our great tom-cat, and he's al- 
 most as active." 
 
 Ohouchow now drew the rope quite tautj 
 and took Tandy's weight upon it; the boy 
 rose upon his feet with all a seaman's confi- 
 dence in a rope. Again Ohouchow addressed 
 him— 
 
 " Look well above your head, you can see 
 the face of the clifij much better than I can. 
 Avoid any jerk as much as possible." 
 
 He then began to draw Tandy up slowly 
 and gently, whilst Darby and Somers gathered 
 in the slack of the rope, with their hearts in 
 their mouths. The rope was fearfully slender,
 
 90 THE PETKEL, OR, 
 
 and by no means newy wkikt at the other end 
 of it, dangled poor Tandy, their lightThearted, 
 sharp-witted : frientJ,- :md c les^der, - with? a' gulf 
 beneath him, at least eight hundred feet deep, 
 well garnished with sharp crags. Itf was easy 
 to see what his fate must be, if i ^the slight cord 
 should be partly cut, or even materially chafed, 
 and on the other hand, the falling of; any oae 
 of those detached rocks, or stones^ which lay 
 strewn about so thickly, might ik^ock .out his 
 brains, and leave them nothing to draw up, 
 but his lifeless corpse.,, AUrjidepended upon 
 the strength, caution, -apd dexterity^ qf Chou- 
 chow, to whose mutte?ings, tjie .anxious boys 
 listened with painful interest, scarcely breath- 
 ing lest they should, lose- a wordv ,They had 
 impHcit faith, however, in the ingenuity of 
 Mr. Chief-Engineer Chouchow, and not a little 
 in Mr. Tandy himself, whose numerous hair- 
 breadth escapes were .matters of cock-pit 
 history. : ;.;i -.-fj ^n .-to;/ 
 
 "Look out sharp below there,'' roared
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 91 
 
 Chou; "there, steadily! gently!'* he said, as 
 be turned to the boys. " I wish I had some 
 better means of steadying this infernal crutch, 
 It wabbles confoundedly. Gently, lads 1 con- 
 'found that big stone ; well, it is gone clear of 
 him, any how; but a close shave it was. 
 Don't shove off with your foot, I tell you, Mr. 
 Tandy, or you'll jerk the rojpe out of the 
 crutch. There, we come again cheerly — no 
 hurry, lads, no hurry. Be^^ooL Hold well 
 on. There's his head above water at last. 
 Give me the other end of the lead-lines, Mr. 
 Darcie ; that's it : now pass the bight round 
 both your bodies, — that's it. Here, Mr. 
 Tandy, talce the ends of this^line in both your 
 hands. You're aU: safe now. ' Them two will 
 weigh half-a-dozen of ' you— ^staihd back both 
 of you, as far as the line will let you. The 
 crutch may slip in now; it's n:0 more use: 
 that's right ! Now, Mr. Tandy, help yourself 
 up, with all your might, by the lines in your 
 hands ; they won't give way. There ! now
 
 92 THE PETLEL, OR, 
 
 IVe got a grip of yotir collar ; jo, lieave ho ! 
 altogetlier. There we are, landed safe and 
 sound ; a bason of water and a clothes brush 
 "wouldn't harm je, Mr. Tandy. That's right, 
 Mr. Darcie, a drop o' that wine is the very 
 thing for him ; dancing the tight-rope is 
 nothing to this, — is it, Mr. Tandy?" 
 
 Chouchow had it all his own way ; and well 
 he deserved it. 
 
 At this moment, Herbert made his appear- 
 ance, having far outstripped all competitors 
 in mounting the rugged ascent. 
 
 " Help is at hand,'' he said, " and the 
 Doctor on his way up/- 
 
 He was delighted to find that matters were 
 no worse ; and soon began to look into the 
 means by which the rescue had been accom- 
 plished. 
 
 The boys were loud in praise of Chouchow, 
 to whom they justly gave all the credit of 
 their success. Herbert could not but admire 
 the simple means by which they had overcome
 
 LOVE OIT THE OCEAN. 93 
 
 SO many difficulties, avoiding, at the same 
 time, so many dangers. 
 
 " Where's your friend Ohouchow, Darby 1 
 he deserves the greatest credit/^ 
 
 But that eccentric individual was nowhere 
 to be found. 
 
 " It's no use looking for him," said Darby, 
 who well knew Chou's habits, " depend upon 
 it he'll neither stop nor stay till he gets into 
 the first boat that may be going on board ; 
 and well find him sitting on the chest outside 
 the midshipmen's berth. The only wonder is, 
 how he came here, just in the nick, when 
 Somers and I were bothered entirely, whilst 
 poor Tandy was dancing upon nothing, back 
 of beyond there.'' 
 
 " Since I am here," said Herbert, " and you, 
 I see, are safe and sound, which is more 
 than you deserve, I'll have a look up the 
 vaUey with my glass, for those lions must have 
 their reasons for establishing themselves here ; 
 and I should like to have the skin of that
 
 94 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 fierce-looking gentleman. There's nothing to 
 be seen from the other side. Haha ! I see a 
 pool of fresh Wfiter. That's precisely what 
 I wished for, and had lost all hope of findiQgi^.^ 
 if Captain Daunton will let me have mj way 
 for one night, we'll have plenty of venison ,for> 
 all hands yet V 
 
 " What's fresh-water pools to do with veni-?' 
 son 1" asked Darby, innocently. 
 
 " Ask Tandy ; for I see, by the twinkle of 
 his eye, he understands me, though yoU: 
 can't." 10 OuX *hnM, 
 
 "It's clear enough what you mean, sir,"i 
 replied the boy, "and- Fm astonished Darby 
 does' not s-ee it ; for he's always boasting 
 that his understanding is very superior, to 
 mine.f • 
 
 "I'm glad' to find you're getting saucy 
 agaiUj ' Tandy," . said his -friend ; * ' but 'twill 
 be droll enough if a bit of a chap like you, 
 by cutting one. queer caper, should frighten 
 the lions, and give us a supply of venison,
 
 LOVE OIT THE OCEAN. 95 
 
 now we are so hard up ; that would be great 
 consequences from puny causes, Tandy." 
 
 Herbert had paid little attention to this 
 sparring match. He was an enthusiastic sports- 
 man. The sight of the pool of water had 
 brought to his imagination visions of herds of 
 deer coming down to it at night, and the pos- 
 sibility of the lions joining in the fray, when 
 Tandy interrupted his .day-dream. 
 
 " I hope, Mr. Herbert, you'll get me out of 
 this •• little -sQrape^ with the Captain; and TU 
 neyer go he^d first'overi a precipice again, as 
 long'as'I ivve-I'^A - - p-'^^ ^v - 
 
 "You are an -iffiptid'ent yotmg Jack-a-napes, 
 Mr.'TandyZ-he said,! '''b^t- I think the fright 
 this time should be punishment enough.'' 
 
 < "Frighti 0ir<!- said Tandy, with a starfc "I 
 beg feave M ^d^ny the fright.'' - 
 
 .; . . . I ...
 
 96 THE PETKEL, OR, 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The party were now descending the moun- 
 tain in higli spirits ; the boys were delighted 
 not only at Tandy's escape, bnt because they 
 had faced the First Lieutenant without pains 
 and penalties, for Herbert could think of little 
 just now but the approaching deer-hunt, and 
 the possibility of laying the shaggy spoils of 
 that huge lion at the feet of his fair Norah ; 
 for whereyer his anticipations or day-dreams 
 might commence, they were sure some way or 
 other to lead him to Norah Darcie at last. 
 
 " It's hot and thirsty you are, Mr. Herbert/'
 
 LOVE OJS" THE OCEAN. 97 
 
 said Darby. " Ye gave us a basket this morn- 
 ing, that carried ns through the day well; 
 and I made Tandy swallow the last drop of 
 your wine, as soon as we got him up, and it 
 cheered him entirely ; but I think I can find 
 something that's cool and fresh, and will be 
 full as good for you now as wine, and better 
 too." 
 
 " ni say you're a very clever fellow. Darby, 
 if you do that, in such a wilderness as this.'' 
 
 Darby laughed. « 
 
 " Just step round that rock to the left of 
 you. That's it; now mount those steps-like on 
 the rock." 
 
 Herbert had no sooner done this, than he 
 saw immediately before him a deep hollow in 
 the surface of a flat porous rock, filled with 
 water, cool and limped as heart could wish. 
 What are the most delicious wines to pampered 
 palates, compared with the luxury of Her- 
 bert's draught from that natural reservoir; 
 heated, fatigued, and fevered as he had been, 
 
 VOL. I. F
 
 98 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 bj extreme exertion and anxiety! Thej 
 stopped a few minutes to indulge in this simple 
 luxury. 
 
 " Go forward, Darby," said Herbert, " you 
 are the freshest of the partj^, and call out to 
 all those you see advancing, to turn back ; 
 we don't want them now. I wonder we don't 
 see some of them coming up." 
 
 " Tm ready and willing, sir," replied the 
 boy, " but I won't meet one of them, you may 
 depend upon it ; Chouchow has sent them all 
 back, and by this time they knew all about it 
 at the beach. Ohou has all his wits in his 
 pocket, I belieye, for he is never without them ; 
 and he said to me, as he started, ' Mr. Darby, 
 I'll be telling the people below, that all's right 
 up here ; no harm in that you know.'" 
 
 "Your man Ohou," said Herbert, "is a 
 queer fellow : we must do something for him. 
 I once offered to take him as my servant, by 
 way of giving him an easy berth. He seemed 
 to be deliofhted for a minute, but after a little
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 99 
 
 tesitation, he stammered out, 'I hope joii won't 
 be angry, sir, I am hard worked, but I can't 
 leave them young gentlemen. I couldn't well 
 do without them, and some how, sir, I don't 
 think they'd get on at all without Chouchow."' 
 
 " No man ever spoke a truer word than that 
 same," said Darby, " but what ails ye, Tandy'? 
 Ye havn't spoke a word good or bad this half- 
 hour. I'm thinking, Mr. Herbert, that Tandy 
 is rather delicate-like about seeing the Cap-, 
 tain." 
 
 "Well, Darby, you put the case so deli- 
 cately, that I must see what I can do for him. 
 Chou and you helped him out of one scrape, 
 and I was too late, so I'll see and give him a 
 lift now. It's a sign of grace in Tandy, that 
 he can be afraid of any thing." 
 
 Tandy for once had the good sense to look 
 grateful, and hold his tongue, though there was 
 a saucy remark hanging at the very tip end of 
 it, and longing to come out. 
 
 Luckily for our adventurers when they re- 
 
 E 2
 
 100 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 turned to the ship, Herbert's discovery of the 
 pools of fresh water, and the confidence with 
 which he spoke of ample supplies of venison 
 in consequence, occupied all thoughts and 
 tongues. He had two heavy guns on board 
 and mixed metal balls for them, expressly for 
 shooting wild beasts. These were prepared 
 for immediate service, to the great delight of 
 every body but the Captain, who listened 
 rather gravely to his First Lieutenant's san- 
 guine assurances, that if permitted to take a 
 party up the valley for one night, he would 
 procure an ample supply of fresh meat. 
 There was nothing that Captain Daunton 
 more desired, but he dreaded night-work for 
 his men. 
 
 " We can reconnoitre the place, sir, in the 
 morning,'' said Herbert. " We shall be sure 
 to see the tracks of the herds who come down 
 to the water at night; and we may kill as 
 many of the fattest of them as we please, 
 without difficulty."
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN". lOl 
 
 " And tlie lions, Mr. Herbert 1 It will 
 puzzle jou to kill them. They may eat jou^ 
 but we can't eat them if you do kill them. I 
 suspect the lions are your chief object; and it's 
 all good fun for you young fellows to hunt 
 lions, but I won't have my people endangered 
 for any such fancies." 
 
 The Captain was so firm in refusing to ex- 
 pose his people to the night dews, and the 
 possibility of a lion chase, that he could only 
 be brought to give a reluctant consent to the 
 deer hunt, upon the express conditions that 
 the whole party should be posted in trees, be- 
 yond the reach of danger. Herbert did all he 
 could to escape this mortifying condition, but 
 without success. 
 
 Upon examining the ground which led from 
 the interior through a narrow gorge to the 
 waterpool, it was found that a path had been 
 formed by the constant passage of the herds 
 towards the pool, leading close under some 
 very large trees. Every other part of the pass-
 
 102 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 was rough, stonj, and bare, and arrangements 
 were made accordingly. 
 
 The Captain was still fidgettj, and all their 
 preparations only put him more out of 
 humour. 
 
 " Didn't you see, Mr. Danvers," he said, 
 " that all those skeletons you found in every 
 thicket must have been killed by lions ; and if 
 there are many such as that fellow we saw, it 
 will be awkward dealing with them. Even if 
 Herbert should kill any eatable beasts, they 
 will be mere skin and bone at this season.^' 
 
 ^^ It does not necessarily follow, sir," said 
 Danvers. " These herds traverse wide districts, 
 and find abundance of food somewhere in all 
 seasons. They may possibly be in good con- 
 dition; and it's a great object to the health of 
 our men to procure a little wholesome and 
 nourishing diet for them, which I think we 
 shall." 
 
 " Ay, there you have me. Doctor ! If it 
 was not for that consideration, Herbert would
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 103 
 
 have to give up all hope of a lion hunt, upon 
 which I see he has set his mind, though he 
 sajs little about it. So I suppose you must 
 go; and Tm losing another day too, here, and 
 I don't like that.'' 
 
 Herbert coming up to make some report to 
 the Captain, the conversation was soon resumed; 
 for the subject was uppermost in all their minds, 
 though thev did not all take exactly the same 
 view of it. Daunton was still obviously out of 
 humour. • 
 
 " I only wish, sir," said Herbert, " to take a 
 small party. We shall be well armed; and the 
 trees, or indeed one of them, will afford shelter 
 to us all. The animals must pass quite close 
 to us, as the path they have made is almost 
 under the trees. A single yard beyond the 
 pathway the gorge is rough impracticable 
 ground. We may select our victims at 
 leisure." 
 
 " It's all very fine, Mr. Herbert, but only 
 that from the immense importance of a change
 
 104 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 of diet to our poor fellows just now, I can't 
 find in mj heart to lose the smallest chance of 
 getting a fresh meal or two for them, not one 
 of them should go. Danvers here is a sports- 
 man too, though not perhaps so mad for a lion 
 hunt as you are; but recollect, I will have the 
 precautions I have prescribed carried out to 
 the very letter." 
 
 " It shall be so, sir; depend upon it," replied 
 Herbert. 
 
 Nothing was talked of throughout the ship 
 but Herbert's expedition. As a fine, active, 
 handsome young fellow, full of life and spirit, 
 always foremost in danger or in difficulty, 
 handling the craft beautifully, and good- 
 humoured, though somewhat hasty and self- 
 willed, the First Lieutenant was a general 
 favourite; and our seamen are excellent judges 
 of the character of their officers. They havo 
 too deep an interest in the subject to be easily 
 deceived. 
 
 *' Well, Tandy," said young Darcie, in the-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN-. 105 
 
 Mid's berth, "are you to be of Herbert's 
 party? I am not, bad luck to it, Tm cut out 
 entirely." 
 
 " It appears to me/' replied his acute and 
 saucy friend, " that the First Lieutenant, since 
 his last trip from Simon's Bay to Cape Town, 
 loves dearly to laugh and talk with you. 
 Darby, but seems resolved to keep you out 
 of harm's way. I'm thinking that either your 
 mother, or somebody else, has given him a hint 
 upon that subject. I hope to go wdth him, 
 but I dare not ask it ; at any rate, I must 
 wait a little first. Perhaps, as he must not 
 take you, he may be wanting me, — that's my 
 best chance." 
 
 '*Mr. Tandy, the First Lieutenant w^ants 
 you on the quarter-deck," said the messenger 
 boy. 
 
 And before Darby could reply to this last 
 impertinent insinuation, which he himself began 
 to suspect might not be altogether without 
 some foundation, Tandy was gone. 
 
 f3
 
 106 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 " Well, Mr. Scapegrace," said Herbert, " are 
 you sound wind and limb, after leaping a 
 precipice, cheek by jowl with that huge boulder, 
 and dangling so long over such a rayine by a 
 piece of whip-cord 1 If so, I have some thoughts 
 of taking you with me to-night, for you can 
 run up a tree like a racoon, and I shall want 
 a light hand with a sharp eye, to look out 
 aloft. But I'm half afraid, after all your 
 scrapes, that the Captain won't let you go. 
 Has he spoken to you yet V 
 
 " Captain Daunton has not seen me yet, 
 sir ; Darby has taken my watch for me when- 
 eyer the Captain was likely to see me. He's 
 other things to think of; and he'll soon forget 
 all about it." 
 
 At this moment Daunton came on deck. 
 There was no possibility of escape for the 
 youngster ; the Captain, who was still eyi- 
 dently out of humour, looked angrily at him. 
 The conference with Herbert just then raised 
 his suspicions.
 
 LOVE ON" THE OCEAN. 107 
 
 " You are not going to take that youngster 
 with jou, Mr. Herbert V he said, very gravely. 
 " He'd be sure to bring down some mischief 
 or other upon the whole party ; and Fm not 
 half reconciled to this wild expedition as it is, 
 without his being in it." 
 
 " As you please, sir," replied Herbert. " You 
 may go down, Mr. Tandy. If I want you 111 
 send for you." 
 
 Then, addressing himself to the Captain, he 
 added, ^ 
 
 " That boy is so light, active, and intelli- 
 gent, that he would be very useful as a look- 
 out high up in the tree, where I should have 
 him completely in hand, and beyond all risk 
 or possibility of mischief Neither of the other 
 youngsters could do it so well, and if I leave 
 them all here in idleness, you, sir, will pro- 
 bably be annoyed in some way or other." 
 
 " Well, well, Herbert, do as you like. I 
 should have little temper myself with him just 
 now, after his late prank."
 
 108 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 And so Mr. Tandy joined the expedi- 
 tion. 
 
 The party arrived upon the ground an hour 
 before sunset — Ohouchow, and two trustworthy 
 men, with Herbert, Danvers and Mr. Tandy, 
 the latter somewhat disgusted that he was not 
 permitted to carry a musket. Their guns, 
 stores, and ammunition, were soon secured in 
 convenient situations, amply afforded by a very 
 large tree. Herbert took his place in the 
 centre of the tree, with a large arm in front 
 of him, which, when the foliage and small 
 boughs had been lopped away, offered a com^ 
 modious rest for the heavy guns. Everything 
 in a direct line below it was carefully cut 
 away, that they might be able to direct their 
 iire close to the very foot of the tree, if neces- 
 sary, for it was there that the track or path 
 lay. Ohouchow was placed behind Herbert, 
 in charge of the heavy artillery; Danvers, 
 with his rifle, on a level with his friend, who 
 likewise had a rifle. On the further side of
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 109 
 
 each of the officers was a man with a musket ; 
 and Tandy was perched considerably higher 
 up in the tree, to watch for and give notice of 
 arrivals. 
 
 " Now mark w^hat I say," began Herbert. 
 " No person is to fire, under any circumstances 
 whatever, till I give the word, and then one 
 only at a time. I shall probably let a con- 
 siderable number of the animals pass before 
 we attack them, not only because the leaders 
 will be tough old bucks, who will take a deal 
 of killing, and be good for nothing when killed, 
 but because our fire, when many of them shall 
 have gone by, will throw the whole herd into 
 confusion in attempting to retreat by this 
 narrow path, so that they cannot escape us. 
 One word more, — whoever is called upon to 
 fire must select a good-sized beast, and 
 fire at his head, if possible between the 
 eyes; for as they will be quite close to us, 
 every shot ought to bring down its bird; and 
 now we must remain quiet. Mr. Tandy, a
 
 110 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 good look out aloft ; the slightest noise may 
 undo all I" 
 
 About two hours after sunset, Tandy gave 
 notice of some moving object well up the pass. 
 It was a fine starlight night, the tall leaders 
 of a herd were seen soon after, advancing slowly 
 and cautiously. They hesitated as they ap- 
 proached the . tree, tossing their heads, and 
 snuffing the air audibly. It was quite clear 
 that they had taken alarm, and for a moment 
 it was doubtful whether they would not retreat 
 altogether. To secure two or three of the 
 headmost, w^as even then possible, and the 
 temptation was great ; but Herbert exerted all 
 his self-command, and discipline restrained the 
 rest of the party. Even a whisper, or the 
 slightest rustling in the tree which had evi- 
 dently become an object of alarm to the timid 
 and wary leaders, so accustomed to the sudden 
 attacks of ferocious beasts, w^ould have spoiled 
 all; but whilst the foremost on the narrow 
 path hesitated, masses from behind them.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. Ill 
 
 where the ground was more open, pushed 
 steadily on, and the leaders almost of neces- 
 sity again advanced. About fifty were al- 
 lowed to pass, when Herbert, having selected 
 his victim, gave the word, and fired his rifle; 
 Danvers and the others followed in slow and 
 orderly succession, as directed, so that each man 
 might take deliberate aim, and be reloaded by 
 the time it came to his turn to fire again. A 
 fearful scene of confusion ensued amongst so 
 large a number of animals crowded into so nar^ 
 row a pathway ; the ground was soon cumbered 
 with the slain, and as no more slaughter had 
 been contemplated than would supply their 
 necessities, the fire of the party ceased, and 
 the trembling fugitives were permitted to re- 
 treat, as best they might. A few words of 
 congratulation on their success were inter- 
 rupted by a terrific roar within a few yards of 
 them, wliich, in the calm still night, vibrated 
 upon every nerve. Even the boldest felt for 
 one moment, when thus surprised, as if already
 
 112 THE PETKEL, OR, 
 
 in the reach of the jaws of the ferocious 
 monster, whose roar is so wildlj expressive 
 of strength and ferocity. 
 
 The excitement of the deer-hunt was lost, 
 forgotten, for at the very foot of the tree 
 which concealed the party, and within twenty 
 feet of Herbert, the majestic lion, of whom 
 they had once before had a distant view, lay 
 crouched with a huge animal beneath his 
 murderous grasp. Whilst his terrible claws 
 pierced its flanks, his bloody jaws crunched 
 audibly the bones of the neck of his prostrate 
 victim; his back being turned towards the 
 tree, as he lay perfectly quiet, apparently 
 quaffing the life-blood of his prey, with a deep 
 purring growl of satisfaction. 
 
 There was neither alarm nor confusion 
 among the little party ; all proper measures 
 of security had been taken in time, and well 
 taken. Herbert rested his heavy gun in the 
 crutch of the branch, but he was anxious to 
 strike a vital part, and the animal's front was
 
 LOVE ON" THE OCEAK. 113 
 
 altogetlier covered, as lie lay at his full length 
 so close before his hidden foe, with his tail 
 almost touching the tree. After a moment's 
 consideration, Herbert resolved to aim at the 
 spine, the whole length of which was exposed 
 to him in a direct line, so that a little more 
 or less of elevation would not baulk him, if he 
 could keep the line of fire accurately. There 
 was no need for haste, for whilst growling in 
 low deep tones, the brute seemed to enjoy his 
 occupation intensely, and never moved, except 
 that his tail lashed gently, as it were with 
 enjoyment. The muzzle of Herbert's gun was 
 within a few feet of the animal's body, and 
 the aim was taken with a pulse as calm as if 
 firing at a snipe. 
 
 It was a moment of deep interest to the 
 lookers-on, all of whom, the foliage below 
 them having been cut away, could see dis- 
 tinctly everything that passed, except poor 
 Tandy, who blinded by the thick foliage be- 
 neath his loftier station, and possessing quite
 
 114 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 as much curiosity, as all the rest put together, 
 had crept further and further out upon his 
 branch with cat-like silence and dexterity, till 
 he, too, had obtained a partial glimpse of 
 matters below. — At length Herbert fired, the- 
 huge beast sent forth a yell, more hideous far 
 than anything they had ever heard, giving full 
 expression to its rage and agony. 
 
 Herbert had sprung back to his former 
 station, the instant he had fired, and seized 
 his second gun, expecting that the wounded 
 lion would face round and spring at him, 
 and thus expose his front for a death-wound. 
 JSTor was he much out in his conjecture ; for, 
 dropping his mangled prey, the furious beast 
 made a desperate effort to turn and attack 
 his assailants ; but his object was only very 
 imperfectly accomplished, and that obviously 
 with extreme agony, the yells produced by 
 which were frightful. 
 
 " You've broken the spine, Herbert," said 
 Dan vers, '•' he cannot spring. You may finish
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 115 
 
 him at your leisure ; for lie is unable to rise, 
 having no power to turn his body/' 
 
 " I see/' said Herbert, " he has only, by 
 those desperate efforts, drawn himself half 
 round ; but he faces me, and I will put him 
 out of his misery. Is that gun reloaded, 
 Chou 1 Very well, then ; reserve your fire, 
 all of you. Those horrid cries will bring the 
 lioness to the rescue. She will be much the 
 more active and formidable of the two ; and 
 we must be well prepared, as, in her fury, she* 
 may storm the tree." 
 
 He then once more descended a few feet, 
 and levelling his gun at the lion's forehead, 
 between the eyes (for liis balls were not made 
 of mere lead), he took a calm deliberate aim, 
 whilst the lion glared at him with fiery blood- 
 shot eyes, his huge distended mouth dripping 
 with gore. He fired, and sprang up again 
 into the centre of the tree with the agility 
 of a young and active seaman. 
 
 Meanwhile, Tandy, whose curiosity had
 
 116 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 overcome the very slender stock of prudence 
 which Dame Nature had bestowed upon him, 
 wondering what Herbert could hesitate so 
 long about, after his first shot, and still more 
 that the lion did not rise, though evidently 
 still alive, had continued creeping further and 
 further out, maddened by an imperfect view 
 of the great event, till, at the very instant in 
 which the grizzly monster sank under the last 
 shot, with a fearful groan, Mr. Tandy's branch 
 gave way with him, and down he came upon 
 the hind-quarters of the dying lion. 
 
 In an instant Ohouchow was down at his 
 side, snatched him up and sprang into the 
 tree with him, with an effort of strength and 
 agility which excited the wonder and admi- 
 ration of the whole party. At this very 
 moment tlie lioness rushed upon the scene, 
 and made a spring at Ohouchow and his 
 burden. One moment sooner on her part, 
 or one particle less of exertion on the part 
 of Ohouchow, and both he and Tandy would
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 117 
 
 have fallen victims to lier vengeance. She 
 reached a large bough just beneath them, 
 foaming with rage : they would fain have 
 spared her, but it was not possible. She 
 made no effort to retreat, received several 
 shots without appearing to feel them ; and 
 never for a moment relaxed her grasp, or her 
 threatening attitude, till pierced to the brain 
 by one of Herbert's fatal balls, she fell lifeless 
 by the side of her shaggy lord — faithful unto 
 death.
 
 118 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Whex Captain Daunton saw a supply of 
 fresli meat for his criew, which so far exceeded 
 his hopes, he became forthwith quite reconciled 
 to Herbert's expedition, — so much so that he 
 listened to the episode of the lions with good- 
 humoured interest. The welfare of his men 
 was always uppermost in Daunton's thoughts, 
 and they knew it, though he was no popularity 
 hunter. 
 
 All looked with admiration upon the shaggy 
 spoils of the noble animals, who had so fear- 
 lessly and so fatally to themselves, broken in
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 119 
 
 upon the operations of the deer-hunters, af- 
 ter having been so strangely unkennelled, and 
 brought into notice by Mr. Tandy, who but 
 for his guardian angel Ohouchow, would cer- 
 tainly have been involved in their tragic fate. 
 
 "Well, well, Herbert," said the Captain, 
 " you got well out of the scrape it's true, but 
 you must admit that the precautions^ I insisted 
 upon were none too many ; for had you 
 rashly bivouacked your party on the ground, 
 the owners of those formidable-looking hides, 
 might have had the best^of the fight. Why, 
 your friend Mr. Tandy would have been no 
 more to that shaggy monster than a mouse to 
 a cat. But how did you contrive to keep that 
 boy quiet in the midst of such an uproar. I 
 could have sworn that he would have compro- 
 mised himself at least, or more probably the 
 whole party." 
 
 This remark rather startled Herbert, who 
 began to suspect that the Captain had received 
 some hint of Mr. Tandy's adventure, all men-
 
 120 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 tion of which it was Herbert's wish to sup- 
 press; for though Tandy not unfrequently 
 annoyed him, he always shielded the boy, and 
 helped him out of his scrapes as much as he 
 could, which we could only account for by 
 believing that Herbert himself had been a 
 Tery great Pickle in his days of middyism, 
 and indeed we have lately heard that it was 
 so. 
 
 " There is still enough of the land-wind left, 
 Mr. Marliner, to give us an offing," said the 
 Captain. " I believe,'' he resumed, " we are 
 about a hundred leagues to the southward of 
 Mozambique." 
 
 " Rather more than a hundred leagues, sir," 
 replied the Master. 
 
 " Weigh and make sail to the northward, 
 Mr. Herbert," said the Captain. " I think by 
 hauling well off the land, we shall get the sea- 
 breeze earlier and fresher." 
 
 The Petrel weighed, and having hauled off 
 a few miles from the land, steered for Mozam-
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 121 
 
 bique under a cloud of canvas, whilst her 
 crew, refreshed and invigorated bj an ample 
 supply of wholesome food and pure water, 
 soon forgot past privations. 
 
 " Who have we, Herbert, that knows Mo- 
 zambique T said the Captain. 
 
 " I was once there as a boy,'' replied the 
 First Lieutenant, " in the old Rattlesnake, sir. 
 She was about our draught of water. The 
 harbour is well enough for vessels of our size, 
 when you are in it, though difficult of ap- 
 proach, but the immense mud-banks, exposed 
 to a burning sun when the tide is out, must 
 make it unhealthy." 
 
 " I do not intend to take the ship in," re- 
 plied the Captain, " but you can go in with a 
 boat, for information. If there are any pirates 
 in these seas, they must know it, as their 
 commerce would be sure to suffer. For my 
 part, after having been so often deceived by 
 rumours of pirates, I have no faith in this 
 
 one." 
 
 YOL. I.
 
 122 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 Although our little Petrel appeared like a 
 mere speck on the wide waters, there were 
 several distinct communities and sections of 
 communities within her, each occupied with 
 its own duties, its own hopes, anxieties, and 
 expectations, but all feeding as heartily, when 
 the J could procure the means, and all sleeping 
 as soundly when off duty, as if they had not 
 been navigating without charts or chronometers 
 a sea of which they knew little or nothing,, 
 except that it abounded in coral reefs, and was 
 notorious for strong and variable currents, 
 the Petrel having on one occasion been carried 
 ninety miles to the northward in twenty-four 
 hours, in a dead calm. 
 
 " Come ! come ! Mr. Tandy, none of your 
 trick s,'' said our friend Darby Darcie instinc- 
 tively, for it was quite dark in the berth,, 
 when he had been suddenly awakened by a 
 splash of salt-water in his face, as he was lying 
 fast asleep on the locker, with his mouth open. 
 **It's a hard enough couch I'm on, for though
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 123 
 
 they do saj that a deal plank is softer thau 
 oak, devil a difference could I ever find worth 
 speaking about, though I have tried them both 
 many a time. But faith, there's neither peace 
 nor quiet wid you, Mr. Tandy, since you took 
 to riding lions." 
 
 " Confound the lions, Darcie. Am I never 
 to hear the last o' that nonsense'? The Cap- 
 tain will be getting hold of it soon. It's all 
 jealousy, . because you were not let go ; but 
 never mind, dear boy, I'll ask for you next 
 time ; though I do believe that Herbert has 
 had private instructions to keep the sweet 
 child from getting into harm's way.'' 
 
 " Do you know, Somers," said Darby, who 
 did not like this last insinuation, for he had 
 really begun to suspect that his mother had 
 done something of the sort, " that when 
 Tandy fell out of the tree at the report of 
 Herbert's great gun, the lion being directly 
 under him, with his huge barn-door of a mouth 
 wide open, the poor little fellow went slap 
 
 g2
 
 124 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 down liead first into it, and if Chouchow 
 had not sprung off the tree after him as 
 quick as lightning, and dragged him out 
 bj the heels before the big baste had time 
 to close his jaws upon him, it would have 
 been all up with our gallant little friend. At 
 least this is what I heard in the gun-room 
 after dinner to-daj." * 
 
 " Tm astonished to hear you talk such non- 
 sense, Darcie," retorted his irritable friend, 
 " but you are jealous, my smock-faced boy." 
 
 " Well, Tandy, if I'm not all eyes, nose, and 
 teeth, and can't boast of a copper-coloured 
 complexion, like some people, it's my misfor- 
 tune, and not my fault, you know. But give 
 us your own version of the tale ; for they do 
 say in the gun-room that Ohou took you up in 
 his mouth as a cat does a kitten, and leaped 
 up into the tree with you, as if you weighed 
 nothing, just as that poor mad lioness came 
 rushing into play ; and that she had all but 
 clutched both Ohou and you, I refused at
 
 LOVE OIT THE OCEAN. 125 
 
 first to believe this disparaging account, but 
 every body vouched for it. Will you tell us 
 how it really was ; or shall we send for Ohou- 
 chow to tell us r 
 
 "The dear boy is angry and jealous/' re- 
 torted Tandy ; " but never mind, dear, it shall 
 go another time, whether its mamma likes it 
 or not/' 
 
 " Well, Tandy," replied his good-humoured 
 friend, " I hadn't fair play last time, or 1 
 might have had a ride on the lion too. Wait 
 till it comes to boarding the pirates, then see 
 if Darby doesn't take the shine out of you ; 
 for go I will, if I'm obliged to hint to Herbert 
 what is said on that subject." 
 
 " Let us defer the dispute. Darby, till that 
 day shall come ; when if any one does get the 
 start of me. Darby Darcie will be the man ; 
 but we'll have a try for it, Darby. Hallo, 
 what's all that upon deck T 
 
 The boys, as well as everybody else, rushed 
 upon deck.
 
 12'6 THE PETHEL, OE, 
 
 The ship had been running to the north- 
 ward under all plain sail, with a five-knot 
 breeze on the starboard beam, when the look- 
 out man aloft suddenly exclaimed, "Rocks 
 under the ship's bottom !" 
 
 In fact, the ship was upon a large coral- 
 reef. Rocks were distinctly visible through 
 the transparent water beneath her, and in 
 every direction around her, though there was 
 no land in sight, and no bottom had been 
 found with fifty fathoms of line a few minutes 
 before. 
 
 The Master leaped into the starboard-chains, 
 to take the soundings with his own hand. 
 " And a half seven," cried the Quartermaster 
 in the larboard chains at the same moment. 
 
 "Brace up, haul aft, ready about!" ex- 
 claimed the Captain. "Port the helm, down 
 with it," he continued. " Steady up the head 
 bowlines." 
 
 By this time Herbert, who had been in the 
 hold, was on deck.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 127 
 
 " We were steering north-north-east," he 
 said. 
 
 "Yes/' replied Marliner from the chains; 
 " quarter less five," he added. " We are shoaling 
 fast; but she is nearly head to wind, and is 
 losing her way." 
 
 "Mainsail haul — up mainsail," cried Her- 
 bert. 
 
 "If she comes round without taking the 
 rocks, which I think she will do now," said the 
 Captain, " keep her south-south-west ; where 
 there was water enough for us to come in, 
 there will be water enough for us to get out." 
 
 " Quarter less four," sang the Quartermaster. 
 The Captain and Herbert looked at each 
 other. 
 
 " What have you now, Marliner?" 
 
 "And a half three,'' replied the Master, 
 " and much less close a-head." 
 
 " Of all haul," exclaimed Herbert, and the 
 head-yards flew round ; " right the helm," he 
 added.
 
 128 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 And as he did so, lier heel grated upon the 
 coral. It was a moment of intense anxiety 
 and dead silence. The ship's head was now 
 towards the right point, but it was very doubt- 
 ful whether she would be able to gather way, 
 or whether her heel had taken too firm a hold 
 X)f the rocks to permit her to moYe. 
 
 " All hands forward on the bowsprit and 
 forecastle,'^ said the Captain. 
 
 Whether the weight thus suddenly thrown 
 forward turned the scale, by bringing her 
 down by the head, we know not, but Marliner, 
 who stood in the chains, with the lead on the 
 bottom, and the line in his hand, instantly 
 said, — 
 
 " She's drawing a-head, sir." 
 
 The surface of the reef beneath the ship 
 bore some resemblance to a miniature grove 
 petrified. The light coral grated beneath her; 
 but she continued to gather way. 
 
 " We are deepening our water, sir," said 
 Marliner.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 129 
 
 " Quarter less fixe" sang once more the 
 Quartermaster in tlie larboard chains cheer- 
 fully ; and with a slight occasional scrape from 
 some projecting point of coral, they now 
 launched rapidly into deep water. 
 
 In a quarter of an hour the ship was out of 
 soundings, having narrowly escaped ship- 
 wreck, in broad daylight, with no default of 
 vigilance. Such are coral-reefs out of sight of 
 land. Anchors afford no security on coral 
 ground. . • 
 
 In half an hour everything had reverted tO 
 its usugcl course, and the little incident of the 
 day was altogether forgotten. 
 
 Mr. Chouchow having upon more than one 
 occasion appeared rather prominently amongst 
 our dramatis personce, and it being evident, 
 from the prompt and energetic character of 
 that eccentric personage, as well as from his 
 peculiar position in the ship, which brought 
 him so much in contact with our young Mid- 
 dies, that he may hereafter come forward 
 
 g3
 
 130 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 somewliat conspicuously with or without leave, 
 we wish to give some account of this sin- 
 gular, but by no means fictitious character, 
 who did really exist, and did also bear that 
 very odd name. His age might have been 
 about eighteen, but he did not know his age, 
 and had never known his parents. He was a 
 little below the middle height, thickset, and 
 quite as stout-limbed as was consistent with 
 an extraordinary degree of agility. He was 
 very dark, but evidently from exposure, with- 
 out any mixture of dark blood, with a round 
 bullet-head, with short, thick, coarse black 
 hair. His countenance, though plain, was in- 
 telligent and pleasing, while indicating a rough 
 untutored spirit. 
 
 Chouchow's account of his birth, parentage, 
 and education was quite unostentatious and 
 extremely concise ; he assumed to have been 
 born under a gun, and bred in the galley, 
 and like many other people, he appeared to 
 be much attached to the scenes of his early
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 131 
 
 youth ; which was, perhaps, one reason for his 
 finding himself so much in his element, as mid- 
 shipmen's factotum. We have already alluded to 
 the various duties comprehended in that office, 
 with respect to the Mids in general ; but as 
 these multifarious occupations were not suffi- 
 cient to exhaust the mighty energies of Ohou- 
 chow, it was his habit to attach himself, quite 
 gratuitously and disinterestedly, to some one 
 of his younger masters, with great devotion ; 
 though, like many other extraordinary cha-* 
 racters, he was somewhat fickle and capricious 
 in bestowing his patronage, transferring his 
 valuable services, sometimes rather abruptly, 
 from one to another, in a very decided 
 manner, though Darby Darcie, who was a 
 boy after Chou's own heart, kind, generous, 
 grateful, and confiding, had been so long in 
 the ascendant, that his reign had come to 
 be considered as permanently established. 
 Ohouchow had been accustomed to address 
 Darby as Master, and to speak of him as the
 
 132 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 Master ; and these were no empty unmeaning 
 words. All the Master's wants or wishes had 
 been attended to with a degree of zeal and 
 unceasing assiduity highly conyenient and 
 agreeable to an idle, indolent, and negligent 
 boy, like our friend Darby ; who was legally 
 entitled to only one-sixth part of the leisure 
 time of this servant of many masters, in such 
 multifarious daties. And well pleased had 
 Darby been to be saved the trouble of 
 bothering himself about personal or domestic 
 affairs ; all which Ohouchow had long since 
 taken upon himself. 
 
 The good nature and native humour of 
 Darby, which made him a general favourite, 
 had long fixed even the fickle Ohou ; which, 
 as poor Darby was blessed with little 
 prudence or foresight, and was, moreover, 
 inclined to be generous as well as careless, 
 both in season and out of season, the habit 
 of casting all his cares upon Chou, and of 
 relying upon him in all his necessities, had
 
 LOVE 01^ THE OCEAK-. 133 
 
 made that individual a sort of tutelary genius 
 to him — a crutch to lean upon, at all times ; 
 and Darbj used it so constantly and so con- 
 fidingly, that it was not easy for him, now, 
 to get on without it. 
 
 But Chouchow, who had always admired 
 Tandy, had been captiyated by the cool 
 unflinching audacity of that hopeful youth, 
 as lately displayed upon two trying occasions ; 
 and moved moreover, though he was not 
 aware of it, by the fact that he, Chou, had. 
 twice saved the life of that saucy and pre- 
 sumptuous specimen of middyism, to the great 
 benefit of the world in general, and of Old 
 England in particular : he, Chouchow, thus 
 tempted, did suddenly transfer his allegiance, 
 or patronage, with all its privileges, immu- 
 nities, and advantages, from the hapless 
 Darby Darcie, who really wanted it, to the 
 triumphant Mr. Tandy, who was perfectly 
 capable of taking care of himself, and accus- 
 tomed to watch over his own personal
 
 134 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 interests, with equal judgment and perse- 
 verance. 
 
 Darby, who really suffered a severe loss by 
 the caprice of Mr. Ohou, was so entirely free 
 from envy or jealousy, that he joined heartily 
 and honestly in the uproarious laugh, caused 
 by that officiaFs first public act of homage 
 to his new Master ; and he congratulated his 
 friend Tandy cordially upon so important an 
 acquisition. Nor did he, in any way, show 
 anger or displeasure towards the delinquent 
 himself; circumstances which probably made 
 a deep impression upon Chouchow's mind, 
 fickle and capricious though he was. 
 
 The following morning found the Petrel off 
 Mozambique, with its shallow and circumscribed 
 harbour, well sheltered by extensive shoals 
 around its narrow entrance ; but although it 
 appeared at high water to be of great extent, 
 the only anchorage for ships of any burden 
 is close under the walls of the old castle, coeval 
 apparently with a very early stage of the short-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN". 135 
 
 lived supremacj of Portugal in these seas. It 
 is a respectable-looking affair at a distance/ 
 and commands the entrance of the harbour; 
 but it is a place of no strength in these days. 
 
 "A boat coming off from the shore, sir/' 
 reported the officer of the watch to the Captain, 
 whilst Herbert was receiving his instructions 
 from him previous to landing for information. 
 
 A large government barge, with the Portu- 
 guese flag flying, now rapidly approached, with 
 several sitters, one of them a military officer.. 
 A very gentlemanly aide-de-camp of the 
 Governor-General of Mozambique presented 
 himself on the quarter-deck, with an English 
 interpreter. 
 
 " Don Jose Maria di Mello di Casabianca,'' 
 said the officer through his interpreter, " pre- 
 sents his compliments to the Captain of His 
 Majesty's ship, and offers him such supplies as 
 the colony can afford. He hopes the Captain 
 will enter the harbour, and has sent his best 
 pilot to take the ship in."
 
 136 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 Due compliments Laving been returned, the 
 following dialogue ensued, the Captain asking, 
 " What do you know about pirates in these 
 seas r 
 
 " Two schooners armed and full of men 
 have been committing great ravages and 
 cruelties. Of the largest heavily armed pirate 
 our accounts are not so certain, but the smaller 
 one has captured and destroyed several of our 
 coasters, treating the crews with great bar- 
 barity. A Portuguese brig from Rio having 
 made some resistance, they murdered the whole 
 crew, one man excepted, and sent him here 
 with an insolent defiance.'' 
 
 " Where is this man who has been with 
 them r 
 
 " He is up the country with the captain of 
 an Enghsh ship, which arrived from the Cape 
 yesterday. Mr. Brine, the Abyssinian traveller, 
 who is proceeding in her to the Red Sea, is 
 also up the country." 
 
 " What distance up the country V'
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 137 
 
 "If the ship will come into harbour, the 
 Governor will send off expresses and have them 
 all down in two days; and Manoel, the man 
 who was taken bj the pirates, shall go to sea 
 with jou. He is a good pilot for the coast, 
 and speaks English." 
 
 " Umph," said the Captain, " we must have 
 this man, and get the Cape news from Mr. 
 Brine. We know him, and yet incalculable 
 mischief may be done in these two days, 
 Herberts" 
 
 " It is quite possible, sir, but to go to work 
 in the dark when such important information 
 may be acquired;, and such a pilot as this 
 Manoel, would I think scarcely be wise, but 
 as you please, sir." 
 
 "No, Herbert, that is precisely what it is 
 not ; for if I could do as I pleased I would go 
 after these pirates at once — but Manoel we 
 must have." 
 
 Then, through the interpreter, he told the 
 Aide-de-camp that he would take the Petrel
 
 138 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 into the harbour, and would have the pleasure 
 of waiting upon his Excellency. 
 
 The Portuguese boat returned, and soon 
 after the ship bore up under the pilot's 
 guidance for the harbour. The Petrel was soon 
 moored close under the castle wall, which over- 
 topped her masthead, making her berth very 
 hot and close, not only from the reflection of 
 the sun from the huge line of dead wall, but 
 because the sea-breeze could only blow home 
 in puffs, unless it was unusually strong. 
 
 Nothing could exceed the kindness of the 
 Governor- General, who was a well-informed 
 agreeable man, of high rank. Some small 
 supplies were procured, but the island pro- 
 duced nothing, and the ueighbouring country 
 T.ery little, but oranges, citrons, guavas, cocoa- 
 nuts, and yams. Its inhabitants drew most 
 of their own supplies from Madagascar. 
 
 There was a grand dinner given to the 
 English officers that afternoon, at the castle. 
 The attendants were slaves, and many of them
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAX. 139 
 
 wore sliowj dresses, having their arms and 
 ancles ornamented with large silver bangles. 
 Royal salutes were fired as the health of the 
 monarchs of the two countries were drunk, and 
 the utmost hilarity prevailed, for his Excel- 
 lency was a cheerful, hospitable bon vivant. 
 
 The means of communication among the 
 party were, however, inconveniently limited. 
 Captain Daunt on was no linguist, his Excel- 
 lency spoke Italian, and Herbert had picked 
 up some little knowledge of that language in. 
 the Mediterranean ; the Doctor and the Aide- 
 de-camp both spoke a little French, and thus 
 they got on pretty well. 
 
 " Herbert,'' whispered the Captain, late in 
 the afternoon^ " he's a monstrous good fellow, 
 this governor, but he wants to come on board 
 the Petrel. Fm afraid I must ask him to 
 dinner to-morrow." 
 
 This fancy of the Captain's was the grand 
 mistake of the evening. His Excellency had 
 certainly from mere politeness expressed a
 
 140 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 wish to visit His Majesty's sliip, but nothing 
 could be farther from his intention than to 
 dine there. 
 
 " I must ask him," resumed the Captain, 
 aside, to his First Lieutenant, " but I hope to 
 Heaven he won't come. What do jou think ? 
 he looks like a sensible man." 
 
 "He is certainly a superior man, sir," re- 
 plied Herbert, "but I think rather ceremo- 
 nious, and if he does come, there will be space 
 enough on the quarter deck, under the awning, 
 with plenty of flags. The Doctor and I can 
 make something of them in French and 
 Italian, and perhaps Brine may arrive in time 
 to help us." 
 
 The invitation to dine on board the Petrel 
 next day was given, to the great distress of his 
 Excellency, who detested ships, having made 
 more than one voyage in ships of his own 
 country, which had left no pleasing recollec- 
 tions. He was a stout, sturdy bon vivant, 
 who rarely quitted the spacious airy halls of
 
 LOVE OK THE OCEAN. 141 
 
 his castle, unless it was to visit a coiintryhouse 
 equally well adapted to the climate, to which 
 he was conveyed in a state barge, well-cushioned 
 and protected from the sun. He loved his 
 ease and elbow-room, and above all, cool, lofty 
 spacious rooms, with a current of air ; and 
 when that failed, the glorious punkah. Still 
 he accepted the invitation so smilingly, that 
 the Captain was delighted that he had asked 
 him. 
 
 Everybody having been pleased with his 
 Excellency and his hospitality, and anxious 
 for the honour of the Petrel, great and suc- 
 cessful efforts were made to furnish forth the 
 feast. 
 
 The professional skill of Danvers having 
 been laid under contribution by his Excel- 
 lency's chief domestic, the Doctor, with his 
 accustomed sagacity, availed himself of that 
 circumstance not only to ascertain what were 
 the favourite viands of the great man, but also 
 to get his head cook conveyed on board pri-
 
 142 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 Tatelj to prepare them. This was a master- 
 stroke ; and all were in high spirits on the 
 morning of the feast, the Amphitryon and 
 his chief guest excepted, who both in their 
 hearts detested the whole affair, although from 
 Tery different motives. 
 
 It was as usual a fine bright day, and the 
 preparations were progressing satisfactorily, 
 when lo! about noon, there fell suddenly a 
 shower of rain, as it was called at Mozambique, 
 though in old England it would have figured 
 as a deluge, and furnished a leading article for 
 half the provincial papers in the kingdom. 
 
 " 'Tis too heavy to last, sir," said Herbert, 
 as he entered the cabin, for the laudable pur- 
 pose of attempting to cheer up his disconsolate 
 commander. " There's the sun out again," he 
 resumed — for the lofty battlements beneath 
 which they lay, totally obscured one half of 
 the horizon, and unluckily that was the wind- 
 ward half. The sun did indeed, at that in- 
 stant, suddenly flash forth in full meridian
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN". 143 
 
 splendour ; and the sodden, half-drowned ship 
 absolutely sent up a reeking cloud of steam. 
 
 Again a dark truculent cloud emerged from 
 behind that abominable wall, and once more 
 the waters poured down upon them and their 
 quarter-deck preparations, like a cataract. And 
 thus did these alternations of heavy tropical 
 rains, and a burning African sun, continue to 
 play at bo-peep from behind the horrible wall, 
 till the Captain and his First Lieutenant were 
 at their wits' end, for how could it be possible, 
 to carry out the feast. 
 
 Little did our embarrassed friends imagine 
 that his Excellency was watching the course of 
 events, with a degree of dismay almost equal 
 to their own, in deep consultation with his 
 Aide-de-camp and Secretary, as to the pro- 
 priety of sending an excuse. But he knew 
 that great preparations had been made ; he 
 was a gentlemanly, kind-hearted man, and, as 
 Herbert had hinted, punctilious withal ; so he 
 came to the conclusion, that though it was a
 
 144 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 terrible bore, he would not disappoint the 
 English Captain. 
 
 In heavy rain, a deep-waisted, corvette-built 
 ship, is very like a house without a roof, in 
 which there is only one habitable floor, which 
 receives neither light nor air, but what may 
 be procured from skylights and trap-doors in 
 the ceiling. This was precisely the condition 
 of the Petrel, for upon her only habitable 
 deck there was neither port-hole, scuttle, nor 
 window of any sort, — no possible admission for 
 light or air, but from four hatchways ; and 
 now that she lay in a confined harbour, close 
 under a high wall which excluded the sea- 
 breeze, — one hundred and thirty persons living 
 and sleeping upon that one deck, closely packed 
 together, in an atmosphere which made breath- 
 ing a labour, it was not in this, the hottest 
 part of the world, exactly the pleasantest place 
 for a dinner party. 
 
 But when torrents of rain compel the partial 
 closure of the hatchways, sadly reducing the
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 145 
 
 quantum of air, already so scanty, without by 
 any means excluding the water, with a hot 
 burning sun occasionally breaking out, matters 
 become still worse, and all below the deck 
 becomes a vapour-bath, 
 
 To serve the dinner in the Captain's cabim 
 with little light and less air, was hardly feasi- 
 ble. Its height under the beams was only five 
 feet six inches ; a fixed table in the centre 
 would only accommodate six persons, and even 
 then there was not a clear space sufficient to* 
 allow the servants to pass round. Yet to 
 serve it on the quarter-deck, in such weather, 
 was clearly impossible. 
 
 Four o'clock was the dinner hour ; at three 
 down came another torrent of rain. 
 
 Herbert and Danvers were summoned to 
 council in the cabin. 
 
 " What can be done, Mr. Herbert V said the 
 perplexed Captain. " If the rain would con^^- 
 tinue to pour down thus, there would be some 
 hope that his Excellency would send an excuse.^ 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 146 THE PETEEL, OE, 
 
 Herbert shook liis head. 
 
 " Those abominable half-hours of sunshine 
 between the showers destroy all hope of that, 
 sir ; but were it otherwise, he is punctilious, 
 and would make it a point of honour to come.'' 
 
 " What a fool I was to ask him !" resumed 
 the Captain pettishly. 
 
 " To dine on deck will be impossible," re- 
 sumed Herbert, without disputing the Cap- 
 tain's opinion upon the subject of the invita- 
 tion ; " our awnings are so old and worn that 
 they keep out no wet. You might as well 
 entertain his Excellency in a shower-bath as 
 on the quarter-deck." 
 
 ' " Time presses," said Danvers ; " dinner 
 riUst be served here in the cabin. It will be 
 hot work, but there is nothing else for it." 
 
 " Impossible !" replied the Captain. " Why, 
 we shall be ten at dinner, and no more than 
 six can sit at table here." 
 
 " I must agree with the Doctor, sir," said 
 Herbert, — " you have no choice. The Gover-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 147 
 
 nor's party will be onlj three, and your own 
 officers will resign their seats, and that will 
 reduce your number to six, and if it will only 
 hold up so that you can keep your guests upon 
 deck whilst dinner is put on the table, all will 
 go well yet/' 
 
 The Captain shrugged his sltoulders with an 
 air of resignation, and the order was given, for 
 they had now no time to lose. 
 
 Fortune favoured them; at four the sun 
 shone brightly. His Excellency was punctual. 
 He came in great state, dressed in a rich 
 uniform, with orders, attended by his Aide- 
 de-camp and Secretary. He was received by 
 a guard of marines, and with a salute, all the 
 officers of the ship attending in full uniform. 
 During these ceremonies they were hastening 
 the dinner upon the table, whilst both the 
 Governor and his anxious host took a glance 
 occasionally at the top of the battlements, 
 where a dark, heavy, ragged- edged cloud, had 
 begun to show his threatening visage. It 
 
 H 2
 
 148 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 advanced rapidly, and it was a near thing, but 
 the company were fortunately seated at table 
 before the torrent descended ; and although 
 they had some difficulty in understanding each 
 other, it was quite clear that they all felt what 
 a very narrow escape they had made from a 
 thorough drenching. 
 
 His Excellency seemed to be rather sur- 
 prised at the Lilliputian dimensions of the 
 apartment, by which, indeed, being a tall man, 
 he was somewhat incommoded; but he was 
 evidently determined to be pleased. 
 
 He had, no doubt, entertained some misgiv- 
 ings about the Captain's cuisine, but he had no 
 sooner tasted the potage than all his apprehen- 
 sions upon that score vanished. Influenced 
 perhaps also by the unmistakeable odour of 
 garlic sent forth from every dish upon the 
 table, his jolly good-humoured face became 
 quite radiant ; though the pungency of that 
 same odour somewhat discomposed both the 
 Amphitryon and his English guests.
 
 LOVE ON- THE OCEAN". 149 
 
 It was hot work, and unluckily the cham- 
 pagne had imbibed an undue proportion of 
 caloric. Both these evils were, however, cheer- 
 fully submitted to, and the scantiness of their 
 means of communication produced little incon- 
 venience during dinner. The dessert once 
 lipon the table, the Captain rose and proposed 
 His Majesty's health, which was drunk with 
 great enthusiasm, and was immediately followed 
 by a royal salute. 
 
 It is not possible to convey to the uninitiated * 
 reader an adequate notion of the effect of twenty- 
 one 32-pounders, fired in slow succession, upon 
 the sense of hearing of a party congregated 
 in a close but loosely constructed compartment 
 of so small and so slightly built a ship as our 
 Petrel — old, too, withal. Hands flew up in- 
 stinctively to ears. But dust, fragments of 
 pitch from the seams, and clouds of frightened 
 fat cockroaches, issuing from every cranny, 
 assailed the heads and faces of the guests, 
 covering the plates and dishes, which with the
 
 150 THE PETREL, OK, 
 
 glasses and decanters danced upon the table, 
 as it shook to each separate explosion ; whilst 
 the constantly accumulating smoke almost 
 blinded every body, and what a hot sulphure- 
 ous atmosphere did they breathe, whilst they 
 gaped at each other's hot and blackened faces, 
 as one by one the horrid guns went off. And 
 no sooner had they ceased, than the battery 
 oyer their heads on shore took up the ball and 
 repeated the salute. 
 
 Though a brave and loyal subject, it was 
 with a flushed countenance, and painful fore- 
 bodings, that his Excellency soon after heard 
 the health of his own sovereign proposed, and 
 the whole party forthwith underwent the second 
 infliction with much more equanimity ; they 
 were getting used to it. But even after the 
 last horrible gun had shaken and deafened 
 them, the increased accumulation of sulphureous 
 smoke almost choked them; for as the rain was 
 splashing in torrents upon the deck above, the 
 smoke could not escape, and the partial opening
 
 LOYE OK THE OCEAN". 151 
 
 of the skyliglit seemed to admit more of the 
 rain than of fresh air. It was the black 
 hole of Calcutta, with the addition of the 
 smoke. 
 
 His Excellency stood all this nobly. At 
 length the time fixed for his departure had 
 arrived; he had unflinchingly performed the 
 trying duties of the day, greatly as they had 
 been aggravated by unforeseen circumstances, 
 and he was entitled to retire with honour. 
 
 But, alas! a fresh deluge had commenced.' 
 To remain was terrible, but to get away was 
 impossible; for whoever in that climate should 
 have ventured, red hot as they all were, to 
 have exposed himself to that chilling drenching 
 night torrent, would in all probability have 
 been consigned to the land crabs next morning. 
 The foreign guests looked at each other in mute 
 but eloquent despair. 
 
 "Confound it!" broke out the Captain. 
 "Herbert — Doctor — do say something to his 
 Excellency about stripping, or we shall all be
 
 152. THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 stifled to death in full uniform, buttoned up to 
 the chin/' 
 
 Herbert, however, had good reasons for hesi- 
 tation. His smattering of Italian had served 
 him pretty well for a toast or a compliment; 
 but to call upon a Governor-General to strip, 
 was a very dijBferent matter, and he boggled. 
 
 " Comment V said the Aide-de-camp to the 
 Doctor. 
 
 "Que veut il dire,'' prompted thereto by a 
 hint in Portuguese from his chief, who appeared 
 anxious to know what could be meant. 
 
 " II propose," repliedJXLanvers, hesitatingly, 
 like a man who had to look for his words, " que 
 nous nous debarrassons de nos uniformes, a 
 cause de la chaleur etouffante." 
 
 Whether his Excellency, who had a quick 
 eye, had guessed the purport of the Doctor's 
 words from his gesticulations, or whether some 
 impatient but expressive movement on the 
 Captain's part, had enlightened him, may be 
 doubted. Certain it is that, without waiting
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 153 
 
 for liis Aide-de-camp's interpretation, lie began 
 to throw off liis rich uniform, coat, decorations, 
 and all, as well as a tight black stock, with 
 great energy of manner; an example which was 
 instantaneously followed by the whole party, 
 who thus joyfully rushed from the suffocating 
 extreme of buttoned-up etiquette to the freedom 
 of short sleeyes, amidst roars of laughter, for 
 their recent sufferings had spoken in a language 
 equally intelligible to them all. 
 
 But in the midst of this explosion of merri— 
 ment, the unexpected entrance of Mr. Brine 
 attracted all eyes. That gentleman, however, 
 paused for one moment in his advance towards 
 Captain Daunton, and drew himself up in evi- 
 dent astonishment to find so many grave dig- 
 nitaries at a formal entertainment abandoned 
 to noisy mirth, in such an extraordinary des- 
 habille, contrasting so strangely with the royal 
 salutes in honour of their dignified conviviality, 
 which he had distinctly heard some distance 
 from the ship. 
 
 h3
 
 154 , THE TETKEL, OR, 
 
 • Brine was a man of the \YOiid ; his liesi- 
 tation had been but momentary : but all 
 had immediately returned to gravity and 
 decorum. 
 
 , " God be praised, Captain Daunton ! '' said 
 Mr. Brine, with deep feeling, " God be praised, 
 sir^ that I find you here. No words can 
 express what I haye suffered since we arrived 
 at Mozambique ! " 
 
 The gloomy expression of his countenance, 
 naturally so cheerful, his excited manner, 
 and the faltering tone of his voice, were 
 alarming to those who knew the careless 
 easy-going character and habits of the tra- 
 veller. 
 
 Captain Daunton took his hand and pointed 
 to a chair, expressing his gratification at seeing 
 him so soon. 
 
 " I have ridden night and day," replied 
 Mr. Brine, "from the instant on which, 
 through his Excellency's kindness, I received 
 the news of your arrival. Manoel was with
 
 LOVE 0^ THE OCEAN. 155 
 
 me, and will be here before dajliglit. Mj 
 tale is soon told/' 
 
 The suffocating heat of that crowded little 
 cabin, and all the tragic-comic incidents of 
 the last few hours, were at once forgotten, 
 as all listened with intense interest, anxious 
 to liear what could have so painfully excited 
 the cool and experienced traveller ; though 
 they were very far from anticipating such a 
 statement as that which their old acquaintance 
 now proceeded to make. ♦ 
 
 '' When we left the Cape little more than a 
 fortnight since," he said, " purposing to touch 
 here, on our way to the Red Sea, nothing had 
 been heard of pirates in the Mozambique 
 channel. Two extra Indiamen, which had 
 brought out troops and stores to the Cape, 
 were preparing to proceed to India through 
 this passage. Colonel Darcie had sailed with 
 his regiment for Bombay three months before; 
 but the illness of his youngest daughter at 
 that time had compelled Mrs. Darcie and her
 
 156 THE PETKEL, OE, 
 
 cliildren to remain at the Cape, where thej 
 had been for some time awaiting an eligible 
 opportunity to follow him. 
 
 " Thej had taken a passage in the largest 
 of these two ships, the Thames, and were to 
 sail a few days after us. Judge of my horror, 
 gentlemen, when I learned on my arrival here, 
 that we must have had a narrow escape from 
 falling into the hands of a set of ferocious 
 miscreants, chiefly men of colour. The ravages 
 they have committed, and their cruelty to all 
 those who have fallen into their hands, Manoel 
 will describe to you, as an eye-witness of it. 
 Their great object is to cut off an English 
 Indiaman. Their larger vessel was said to 
 have proceeded to Bembatooka for supplies. 
 She is described as being heavily, armed, and 
 commanded by a European monster, guilty 
 habitually of every species of crime and 
 cruelty. 
 
 " The smaller vessel, a schooner, has passed 
 to the northward of this island, ranging the
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 157' 
 
 African coast to pick up Portuguese coasters. 
 She is, I believe, wholly manned with 
 blacks/^ 
 
 Mr. Brine paused from excess of agitation, 
 whilst his auditors sat horror-struck. 
 
 " It is impossible to guess whereabout the 
 Thames may be," he resumed, " but the pro- 
 bability is, that she has not yet passed this 
 part of the coast, and consequently that she 
 is so far safe. Of that you will be the best 
 judge. Captain Daunton. But that our 
 amiable friend, Mrs. Darcie, with her lovely 
 daughter, and our dear little Emma, should 
 be exposed to the possibility of falling into 
 the power of such wretches, makes my blood 
 run cold." 
 
 Herbert covered his face with his hands, 
 his whole frame shuddered convulsively ; all 
 was grief and consternation. 
 
 The kind-hearted Governor, who compre- 
 hended the horrible apprehensions of his new 
 friends for the fate of those so inexpressibly
 
 158 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 dear to tliem, retired with as little parade as 
 possible. 
 
 Captain Daunton, Herbert, and Mr. Brine 
 remained in close consultation. Marliner was 
 sent for with the log-book ; distances from 
 place to place were measured upon their 
 wretched chart. The prevailing winds for 
 the last fortnight were accurately ascertained, 
 every element of calculation was carefully 
 collected and worked out, bufc the results 
 aiForded no data upon whicli it might be 
 possible to guess, within a hundred miles, 
 whereabout the Thames and her consort might 
 then be. 
 
 "It is pretty clear," observed Herbert, 
 whose whole soul was on the subject, "that 
 the Thames can hardly have passed to the 
 northward of us yet. And as we know from 
 Manoel that the smaller pirate is gone to the 
 northward, whilst Bembatooka, where the 
 larger one is said to be, is also considerably to 
 the northward of us, the natural inference
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAK 159 
 
 is, that tlie rendezvous at wliicli they are to 
 meet is also to tlie north, perhaps in the lati- 
 tude of Table Cape, which marks the entrance 
 to Bembatooka, on a line between Mozambique 
 and Joanna, which is obviously their best 
 cruizing ground." 
 
 In this opinion all concurred, but there was 
 little consolation in it ; for although it sug- 
 gested the best mode of proceeding, yet it was 
 but too obvious that the chance of the pirates 
 escaping the Petrel in so wide a channel wa^ 
 greatly in their favour ; whilst the possibility 
 that one or other of the buccaneering vessels 
 should fall in with the Thames was a terrible 
 consideration, sadly enhanced by their uncer- 
 tainty at that moment whether the Thames 
 mio'ht be to the northward or to the southward 
 of them ; for upon this momentous point all 
 was mere conjecture. 
 
 It was impossible to get out of the harbour 
 in the dark, from the intricacy of the shoals 
 around its entrance, but every preparation was
 
 160 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 made for starting as soon as tlie pilot could 
 see his way sufficiently to take charge of her, 
 and she was warped close up to the harbour's 
 mouth. 
 
 Manoel arrived during the night. He was 
 a great acquisition, but of course he could 
 throw no light upon the present position of 
 the Thames, upon which so much depended. 
 
 Few of the officers of the Petrel slept much 
 that night. Mr. Brine remained with them 
 till the last moment. Poor Herbert's mind 
 was a chaos of hopes and fears. 
 
 Darby Darcie had fortunately been sleeping 
 in preparation for the middle watch when 
 Brine had arrived ; and although everybody 
 around him knew more or less of the danger 
 of his family, he was kept as long as possible 
 in a happy state of ignorance upon that pain- 
 ful subject. 
 
 The Petrel, once at sea, steered a direct 
 course for Joanna, but under her topsails only. 
 There was great danger in advancing too
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 161 
 
 hastily in such a painful state of uncertainty; 
 for it was impossible to guess whether they 
 were advancing towards or receding from the 
 Thames, and her inestimable freight. But to 
 remain in the immediate vicinity of the island 
 of Mozambique would have been to throw up 
 all hope. No outward-bound ship approaches 
 that island.
 
 162 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 
 In one of the many excellent houses in Cape 
 Town, and the master of which, who held a 
 responsible and lucrative public appointment, 
 was remarkable for his hospitality, as was his 
 fair wife for every quality that does honour to 
 the sex, two ladies were seated in a morning- 
 room, and with them an arch and lively girl, 
 about seven years of age. 
 
 " My dear Mrs. Darcie,'' said the lady of 
 the house, in one of those soft sweet voices 
 which possess such winning power, "I am sorry 
 you should think of leaving us. I shall miss
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN-. 163 
 
 my little playfellow here, and Norali is the 
 light of the house. I have not ventured to 
 mention the subject to Mr. Vaughan, for I still 
 hope you will alter your plan, and give us a 
 little more of your company. Surely you 
 should remain here till we hear of the ColoneFs 
 arrival in India. Norah," continued Mrs. 
 Vaughan to her young favourite, who just then 
 joined the party, " you must take part with 
 me, and protest against your mamma's going 
 away so soon." • 
 
 Mrs. Darcie's reply was cut short by Janu- 
 ary's announcement of Major Singleton and 
 Captain O'Gorman; the first a tall dashing- 
 looking officer on the Governor's Staff, the 
 latter a relative of the Darcies. 
 
 " There is a cruel report, Mrs. Vaughan," 
 said the lively little Captain, *' which I have 
 just heard, and I am very desirous to ascertain 
 that there is no foundation for it ; for, 'pon my 
 honour, it's heartbreaking. The whole garrison 
 is in commotion."
 
 164 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 "Are the Caffres coming down upon us? 
 Do pray be more explicit," said the hostess. 
 
 " Faith, it's the ladies that must be explicit 
 this time,'' resumed the Captain. " If it 
 rested with the gentlemen to speak out, there'd 
 be no danger of such a misfortune." 
 
 " I fear, mj dear madam," said the Major, 
 whose tone was much more serious than that 
 of his volatile friend, "I fear, Mrs. Darcie, 
 from your countenance, that the report of your 
 proceeding forthwith to India in this ship is 
 but too correct." 
 
 Mrs. Darcie smiled sadly. She had a great 
 horror of the sea, especially without the Colo- 
 nel, and she was fondly attached to Mrs. 
 Vaughan, who, seeing that her friend was not 
 disposed to reply, drew the conversation upon 
 herself. 
 
 " I was urging our dear Mrs. Darcie to give 
 up all thought of leaving us for the present, 
 at least to wait till she had heard of the 
 Colonel's arrival, and I am glad to find such 
 able support.^'
 
 •LOVE ON THE OCEAX. 165 
 
 " Faith, madam, if it's support jou want in 
 that matter, Til engage for the whole garrison, 
 and the Major will answer for Government- 
 house. Why, my fair cousin, here are the 
 balls just beginning, and the races close at 
 hand. What will we do without you, — espe- 
 cially myself, your unworthy cousin?' 
 
 " Remarkably well, I've no doubt," replied 
 Norah laughing. " Though I should like the 
 balls and the races very much, and if I am to 
 be shut up in a ship whilst they are going on,^ 
 I shall miss them much more than they will 
 miss me." 
 
 Other company came in, and no more was 
 said upon the subject ; but whilst the Captain 
 chatted away gaily, the grave and stately 
 Major was silent and thoughtful. 
 
 ' 'And so, mamma," said Norah, as soon as 
 she was alone with her mother, "you have 
 determined to embark in this ship at once 
 for India. T shall be sorry to leave Mrs. 
 Vaughan, however much I may wish to see 
 papa."
 
 166 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 " I promised to follow him as soon as I 
 could with safety to Emma, and I am assured 
 that such an opportunity as this rarely offers ; 
 for few ships touch at the Cape on their way 
 to India. I could have wished to see poor 
 dear Darby once more/' 
 
 "Poor Darby," said JSTorah, with tears in 
 her eyes, "how disappointed he will be when 
 the Petrel returns, to find that we are gone." 
 
 " So will somebody else in the Petrel," said 
 Emma, who had entered the room unobserved. 
 ^' Dont you think so, Norah V 
 
 " You'll be late for dinner, darling," said 
 mamma, who, occupied with her own sad 
 thoughts, had not heard Emma's remark, 
 though Norah had both heard and felt it. 
 
 The party at dinner was small. The Major 
 w^as there, but neither he nor anybody else 
 was in spirits, the host excepted, who was one 
 of a class not quite so numerous now as then . 
 The dinner hour with him was more or less 
 looked forward to all day ; but it was quite as
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 167 
 
 much with a view to cheerful intercourse and 
 social chat as to the viands or the wines, both 
 of which had, however, a full share of his 
 consideration, and he was an excellent judge 
 of such things. But on this particular day, 
 neither his turtle-soup, his finest wines, nor 
 his best stories, could produce their usual effect, 
 and for once he was not sorry when they were 
 summoned to the ladies. 
 
 There is always something dispiriting and 
 dejecting in the breaking up of a little social, 
 congenial party. Mrs. Darcie and her hostess 
 were old friends, and much attached. They 
 had met by mere accident in a remote colony, 
 and had enjoyed each other's society exceed- 
 ingly. Mrs. Yaughan was as a second mother 
 to the girls, and it was but too probable that 
 they should never meet again. These meet- 
 ings and separations in distant colonies are 
 much more keenly felt tlian they would be at 
 home, where other friends and local attach- 
 ments take off the sharp edge of such events.
 
 168 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 Colonel Darcie was a distinguislied officer 
 and an excellent man, fond of his family, but 
 rather decided, and even somewhat peremp- 
 tory, in the exercise at least of his paternal 
 authority. 
 
 Major Singleton, though younger than 
 Darcie, was his personal friend. They had 
 served much together, and the ladies had been 
 recommended to his especial care and protec- 
 tion in the Colonel's absence. He was on 
 intimate terms with the Yaughans, and had 
 naturally enough spent most of his leisure 
 time at their gay and hospitable mansion 
 whilst the Darcies were there. 
 
 The Major was exceedingly well qualified to 
 execute the charge intrusted to him, for he 
 was a sensible, prudent, and honourable man, 
 holding a distinguished post in the Governor's 
 household, and universally respected. But 
 the care and protection of ladies has its 
 dangers as well as its pleasures, and despite 
 all his prudence and good sense, matured
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAl^. 169 
 
 bj the experience of thirtj-eight years, this 
 somewhat sudden departure of the Darcies 
 first opened his eyes to the fact, that to part 
 with Norah Darcie would be a heart-breaking 
 concern to him. Yet was he most cordially 
 and unreservedly treated by that fair damsel 
 as a representative of her father, — a sort 
 of deputy papa ; divested, indeed, of the 
 somewhat oppressive authority of papa him- 
 self, but still so decidedly clothed with the 
 paternal character that although he might be 
 to others the handsome, accomplished Major 
 Singleton, Norah, it was quite clear, would as 
 soon have thought of admiring her grand- 
 mother^ 
 
 Mrs. Darcie, who had great and just con- 
 fidence in her husband's friend, and had Ions: 
 learned to entertain much respect and regard 
 for him, little thought what the poor Major's 
 feelings were when she was continually con- 
 sulting him about the thousand doubts and 
 difficulties which were constantly alarming 
 
 VOL. 1. I
 
 170 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 and perplexing her, in tlie management of an 
 undertaking so entirely new to her, as a long 
 voyage without her husband. Mr. Vaughan, 
 with all his kindness, was wholly useless in. 
 such matters, and Norah always made her 
 escape, if possible, when they were under 
 consideration, declaring they were utterly be- 
 yond her, and only to be decided by older and 
 wiser heads. And strange as it may appear, 
 this unhappy term from Norah's rosy, laugliiug 
 lips, almost made the Major believe that he 
 was old, though so many bright eyes and flat- 
 tering tongues vouched for his youth daily 
 and hourly. It was quite evident, even to 
 himself, that Norah had not dreamed of being 
 personal. 
 
 " But so much the worse,^' said the Major 
 to himself, when reflecting upon this unfortu- 
 nate speech, " for it is quite clear that it is to 
 her a matter of absolute indifibrence, whether 
 I am young or old." 
 
 Major Singleton, a younger brother, of good
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 171 
 
 family, witli great advantages of person and 
 manner ; an unexceptionable character, and a 
 respectable military career, mostly on the 
 Staff, had ever been a general favourite, and 
 as he was of an easy composed temperament, 
 could scarcely be said to have experienced any 
 very material disappointment, or indeed any 
 considerable interruption, to a flattering and 
 prosperous course of life. He was not a mar- 
 rying man ; or if any thoughts of matrimony 
 had ever crossed his mind, they had certainly 
 been connected with vague, indistinct visions 
 of wealth, or rank, or both. 
 
 And behold! this sapient man of the world, 
 at a ripe and mature age, was painfully agi- 
 tated at the thought of losing our gay and 
 pretty Norah, who certainly looked up to him 
 with a sort of half filial deference, upon grave 
 and important subjects, but who evidently, 
 on all minor occasions, was fully as ready to 
 laugh at him as with him. 
 
 The poor Major was bound in honour to do' 
 
 l2
 
 172 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 all lie could to forward the departure of his 
 unconscious enslayer; and moreover had to 
 hear continually, and unreservedly, from her 
 own artless lips, all the various grounds upon 
 which she regretted leaving the Cape, and 
 which certainly included nothing very flatter- 
 ing to himself personally. The main grievance 
 clearly was, that she should not see the Petrel 
 again ; and there would have been nothing in 
 that, as her brother was in that ship ; but un- 
 fortunately, certain occasional inuendoes of 
 the slyly observant little Emma had more than 
 once reached his ears, and he had seen the 
 blushing girl wince under these provoking 
 speeches of the saucy spoiled child. 
 
 When these things recurred to his recol- 
 lection, in the solitary rides which had all at 
 once become habitual to him, there became 
 awakened, as it were, within his disturbed 
 mind, visions of a certain handsome young 
 officer of the Petrel, who had been very much 
 with the Darcies, and to whom, though he
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 173 
 
 knew not why, he had taken a most particular 
 dislike. But the Major's reveries, though they 
 interfered very much with his own peace of 
 mind, had no influence upon the progress of 
 Mrs. Darcie's preparations. 
 
 " Mamma, Mamma,'' said Emma, rushing into 
 her mother's room, "old Januarius has just 
 announced Captain Timmins to Mrs. Vaughan. 
 Is not that the Captain of the ship V 
 
 Mrs. Darcie at once descended to the 
 morning room, and entered upon a business 
 conversation with the Captain, a sensible, 
 agreeable, and gentlemanly man, about fifty. 
 
 " The cabins, Mrs. Darcie," he said, " are 
 now ready for inspection. Major Singleton 
 talks of going on board with the Flag- Lieute- 
 nant, who tells me he is directed by your 
 friend the Admiral to assist your embarkation 
 in every way. I much wish you could be 
 prevailed upon yourself to go on board to- 
 morrow, with these gentlemen; I am very 
 anxious that your accommodation should be 
 fitted to your satisfaction."
 
 1 74 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 Mrs. Darcie felt and acknowledged Captain 
 Timmins' kindness, but she had not spirits for 
 the enterprise. " Her kind friends," she said, 
 " would look at her apartment ; and she had 
 full confidence in the Captain's wish to make 
 everything agreeable to her." 
 
 *'May I ask, Captain Timmins," she said, 
 " what you consider to be the probable dura- 
 tion of the voyage from hence to Bombay V 
 
 " About seven weeks," replied the Captain, 
 " and I am happy to say the Liffey will sail 
 with us. I feared she would not be ready, 
 but I have this morning received an assurance 
 that she will go with us. It is always an 
 object, that a merchant-ship in these seas 
 should have a comrade. There are many ad- 
 vantages in it." 
 
 " And what is the latest day you can give 
 us, for we shall want some time for prepa- 
 ration V 
 
 " I am bound to sail this day week, madam, 
 and it is highly advisable that you should
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 175 
 
 embark the day before, that you may settle 
 into your places, as we sailors express it." 
 
 "Pray, Captain Timmins, have we any 
 chanco of meeting the Petrel?" asked 
 Norah. 
 
 "Should the Petrel happen to be in the 
 Mozambique Channel it will be very probable, 
 else, I fear the chance of meeting her will be 
 very small." 
 
 " My daughter is thus anxious to meet the 
 Petrel, Captain Timmins, because her brothcF 
 is in that ship." 
 
 Emma looked up saucily at her sister ; but, 
 luckily, she stood in some awe of the Captain, 
 and said nothing. 
 
 " Go, Emma," said Mrs. Darcie, " and tell 
 Susan that I shall not go out this morning." 
 
 This, whether intended to be so or not, was 
 a considerable relief to Norah, who stood in 
 some apprehension of Emma's inuendoes. 
 
 A week soon passes, when hasty prepa- 
 rations for a long voyage, and receiving fare-
 
 176 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 well visits from numerous friends, create 
 constant occupation. The Darcies had been 
 two years at Cape Town, living handsomely, 
 and had largely contributed to the social 
 enjoyments of the place. Though, since the 
 Colonel had left them, they had been the 
 guests of the Yaughans ; so that Mrs. Darcie 
 was, through their kindness, spared the fatigue 
 and annoyance of having to break up an 
 establishment ; a duty so much more appro- 
 priately performed by the Colonel himself. 
 They parted from many kind friends with 
 regret ; but to take leave of Mrs. Yaughan 
 was indeed a painful task. It would be 
 difficult to say who felt it most severely at 
 the time, though of course the feeling was 
 deeper and more lasting on the part of the 
 two old friends. Mrs. Darcie^s society had 
 been by far the greatest comfort Mrs. 
 Yaughan had experienced, during a long 
 sojourn in that remote but agreeable colony. 
 Her large establishment, and a continued
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN, 177 
 
 round of company, had no attractions for 
 her, and the loss of her own two infant 
 children had somewhat hurt her spirits ; but 
 her husband's pleasure was a law to her, and 
 so completely did she exert herself to make 
 his home all he wished it to be, that only the 
 very few who knew her well, entertained 
 any doubt of her love of the trappings of 
 wealth. 
 
 Mrs. Darcie was a congenial spirit, and her 
 children absorbed the overflowing affections, 
 of the bereaved mother. It would be difficult 
 to say which of these amiable and excellent 
 women suffered most from the separation. 
 
 Captain 'Gorman and many others pro- 
 fessed their despair at Norah's departure, in 
 good set terms; for which she laughed at 
 them, with so much wit and humour, that 
 their lamentations always evaporated in hearty 
 laughter, which amused Norah greatly. Sho 
 was little inclined to the dolefuls, under any 
 circumstances, and all affectations of the kind 
 
 I 3
 
 178 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 "were mercilessly detected and exposed by her. 
 But with the Major it was quite a different 
 matter. His assiduity to serve them, in every 
 possible way, was earnest and unceasing ; but 
 he paid no compliments, professed no grief; 
 he was grave, pale, punctilious, and altogether 
 an altered man. 
 
 Mrs. Darcie feared he was ill. Nor ah was 
 sorry to hear that her mother thought so, but 
 she had not herself observed it. 
 
 The last day had arrived, and everything 
 was embarked but themselves. An early 
 dinner was ordered by their disconsolate 
 hostess, and all their friends had retired, 
 except Major Singleton. Both Mrs. Darcie 
 and Mrs. Vaughan were too much occupied 
 with their own regrets to observe him. It 
 was natural that he should remain to overlook 
 and arrange everything for them, to the last 
 moment. Norah had cried as if her heart 
 was breaking, at a solemn leave-taking of 
 Mrs. Vaughan, who was too much affected to
 
 LOVE OIT THE OCEAN. 179 
 
 be able to leave her own room. Mrs. Darcie 
 liad gone up stairs, for one more last word 
 with her dear friend. 
 
 Norah and the Major were left alone, in 
 the morning room ; and she was within two 
 short hours to embark for India. He should 
 very probably never see her again ; nay, the 
 -first thing he should hear of her would, he 
 doubted not, be that she had married, or had 
 become engaged to some happy man. Woe 
 be to the wise and the prudent who rashly, 
 expose themselves to such trials ! 
 
 Norah had wiped away her tears ; that 
 -April face was again radiant with mental 
 ^sunshine. 
 
 " You care but little for leaving us," he 
 said. 
 
 " Indeed, I am very sorry to leave you," 
 replied the frank and single-minded girl ; 
 meaning exactly what she said, and nothing 
 more. 
 ' Whether the recent flood of sorrow, elicited
 
 180 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 by the truly maternal affection of MrsC 
 Vauglian, in their late conference, had given 
 an unusual degree of pathos to that deep soft 
 voice, or whether the difference existed solely 
 in the Major's excited imagination, certain it 
 is that he felt or imagined that there was 
 something unusual, something touching, in 
 the yery simple expression of regret at parting 
 which Norah had uttered. 
 
 " Is it possible,'' he said, " that you really 
 feel sorrow at this parting V 
 
 " I should be yery ungrateful else," said the 
 young girl, utterly unconscious that eyery word 
 she spoke, nay, the tone of eyery syllable, 
 vibrated on the heart-strings of the man before 
 her. 
 
 The room, as is the custom at the Cape, was 
 yery imperfectly lighted. She did not see the 
 agitation of his countenance and manner, she 
 merely saw her father's friend, for whose kind- 
 ness and attention to her mother and herself 
 she felt very grateful ; and his recent services
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 181 
 
 had greatly raised him in her opinion. He 
 was to her a kind and valuable friend, but 
 nothing more. 
 
 "This parting," said the Major, scarcely 
 knowing what he said, and certainly not aware 
 that he had spoken audibly, " is dreadful I" 
 
 Norah thought it very odd. 
 
 " It must not, it shall not be !" resumed the 
 love-stricken swain. A short pause ensued, 
 and Norah began to be frightened ; 'twas so 
 odd! She approached the open door of tlje 
 room, which led to a large hall, also very 
 scantily lighted, whilst the dark-coloured 
 beams overhead cast a gloom upon both 
 rooms, — for there are no ceilings to the houses 
 in Cape Town, the beams being wholly exposed 
 to view, as well as the floor they support, and 
 covered with a dark varnish. 
 
 Whether perceiving that she was slowly ap- 
 proaching the door, as if to escape, or what- 
 ever might excite the frantic impulse, this pru- 
 dent, sensible, dignified man rushed forward^
 
 182 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 and was on the point of throwing himself at 
 the feet of a gaj, lively, but half-terrified girl 
 of seventeen, who stood looking at him with 
 utter amazement. 
 
 A terrible crash was heard, as if some 
 twenty magazines had gone off in a volley. 
 The house shook violently, the walls separated, 
 and daylight was visible through two upper 
 comers of the room. A silence ensued, so 
 profound after this horrid crash, that it was 
 awful. Then shrieks and lamentations were 
 heard in all directions, and footsteps in wild 
 haste. A huge beam fell between the Major 
 and the bewildered Norah, as both stood 
 statuelike with amazement. It occupied the 
 entire space between them, but touched them 
 not. It was an earthquake !
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAX. 183 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 NoEAH soon recovered her presence of mind 
 sufficiently to avail herself of the open door 
 near which she had been standing. She saw 
 that the Major was unhurt; and as his pru- 
 dence and foresight had been continually 
 vaunted in her presence, she conceived some 
 confused idea that his very odd conduct at 
 that moment must have proceeded from his 
 anticipation of the danger to which they were 
 all on the point of being exposed. Could the 
 Major have known the state of Norah's feel- 
 ings upon this subject, it would have relieved
 
 184 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 him from overwhelming anxiety, and no small 
 degree of self-humiliation. The subject had 
 been with her one of light and passing interest, 
 and was already forgotten, in anxiety for her 
 dear friends amidst such a scene of terror and 
 confusion, as both her eyes and her ears now 
 bore witness to. 
 
 Her worst apprehensions were soon calmed ; 
 for the whole family, rushing from various 
 parts of the house, met in the hall, and pro- 
 ceeded, under the advice and guidance of Mr. 
 Vaughan, into the street, and thence to the 
 Company's Gardens, as it was felt to be unsafe 
 to remain near buildings, most of which had 
 been more or less shaken and injured, though 
 none had fallen. 
 
 Earthquakes, like other wonders, have now 
 become so common, that the diary of a lady 
 traveller contains the following entry, " Earth- 
 quakes as usual." Here, however, they were 
 rarely experienced, and never had been at- 
 tended with much loss of life, though with
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 185 
 
 considerable destruction of property; so that 
 when every one had found self and friends safe 
 and sound, and people began to question each 
 other leisurely as to their various adventures 
 and experiences, there was much laughter 
 amongst the young and light-hearted; though 
 the more serious and reflective were calculating 
 what the consequences might prove to be 
 should the shattered buildings be exposed tcJ 
 another shock as severe as the last. 
 
 Our party were soon surrounded by friend^ 
 and tents were pitched in an open space for 
 their accommodation. 
 
 " It's glorious to see you all safe and well; 
 ladies, after the bobbery. Twas no joke that 
 explosion. I thought we were all blown up 
 together, and wondered to see myself standing 
 on my own legs !" 
 
 Thus rattled Captain O'Gorman. 
 
 " By Jove, O'Gorman ;" said a brother officer^ 
 " I could not but laugh to see you leap out a' 
 the window. I never saw you so active before;
 
 186 . THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 I thought all jour agilitj lay in jour tongue 
 barring a ball-night." 
 
 " Faith," replied the Captain, " I was stand- 
 ing at the window, smoking a cigar, and think- 
 ing about " 
 
 " Nothing," interrupted his friend, " as 
 usual." 
 
 , "May be so, Mac," replied the Captain; 
 ^' but I found mjself all at once standing on 
 the stoup outside the window ; and I was so 
 mad with mjself, that I jumped in again, and 
 staid it out fairlj there." 
 
 " So jou did; but I think the first impulse 
 ■was the wisest of the two." 
 
 " Faith I'm thinking so mjself, and Til be 
 trusting mjself whoUj to first impulses for the 
 rest of mj life. Don't jou think it's the best 
 plan, mj fair coz V 
 
 " I'm no judge of such matters," replied 
 Norah carelesslj ; " but here comes Major 
 Singleton. Refer the question to him." 
 
 " Singleton," said the Captain, as that officer
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 187 
 
 approached the parfcj with an air of hesitation 
 and embarrassment singular in a man usually 
 so calm and self-possessed, — " there's Miss 
 Darcie wishes jou to decide whether it is not 
 always safest and best, as a rule of conduct, to 
 act upon first impulses." 
 
 The Major looked as if he wished himself a 
 hundred miles ofi*, and certainly for once in his 
 life, had he acted upon first impulses, he would 
 have taken to his heels; but, like a sensible 
 man as he was, he looked up at the bright in-* 
 telligent face of the fair girl, well knowing that 
 it was an unerring index to her feelings. All 
 there was calm, placid, and cheering; she cer- 
 tainly looked upon him neither more nor less 
 kindly than usual. He brightened up; sh© 
 had not then seen his folly. Her utter indif- 
 ference towards him, in any other capacity than 
 as her father s friend, was unmistakeable. This 
 conviction fell like a wet blanket upon his half- 
 awakened hopes ; but he was almost consoled 
 by the reflection, that all knowledge or suspi-
 
 188 
 
 cion of his recent design was confined to liis 
 own breast. 
 
 All this had passed so rapidly through 
 Singleton's mind, that O'Gorman was still look- 
 ing up to him for an answer, and that not im- 
 patiently. Relieved from a crowd of painful 
 and humiliating apprehensions, he rallied at 
 once. 
 
 " That must depend, O'Gorman," he said, 
 "upon the character and disposition of the 
 person to whom the rule is to apply. For 
 instance, in the late alarm your first impulse 
 led you to leap out of the window — a decision 
 which second thoughts led you to reyerse. 
 Miss Darcie's first impulse was to walk quietly 
 out at the door, a decision which she has found 
 no reason to condemn. But I have many 
 apologies to make to you, Miss Darcie, for 
 Laving been so slow in offering you my assist- 
 ance. The fact was" — turning towards Norah 
 — " that when that horrid beam had so nearly 
 crushed you, I scarcely dared to raise my eyes.
 
 LOVE 01^ THE OCEAN. 189 
 
 Never maj I again pass tlirough a moment of 
 such horror as that when you were so endangered. 
 And when I did look up, you were gone" 
 
 There was something in his voice which 
 bore powerful witness to the agony he had 
 endured. 
 
 ** Did you hear," said O'Gorman, " of Card- 
 ley and his officials ? The old gentleman was 
 sitting in great state in his office when the 
 blow-up took place. All at once up he jumped, 
 and rushed for the door, without his hat. Like . 
 master like man. All started for a bolt ; but 
 poor Oardley in his alarm forgot there was a 
 threshold to the doorway ; it caught his foot, 
 and out he shot, head foremost, losing his wig 
 in the shock. The under-strappers followed 
 his example, as in duty bound; and there thej 
 all lay, one a-top of the other, in the street, 
 and Old Dignity undermost, without hat or 
 wig. Tom Strangways of ours was coming 
 past at the time, and picked up old Oardley, 
 more frightened than hurt; and a most ludi-
 
 19® THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 crous figure he was, as Tom describes liim. A 
 Malay boy ran off with the wig, and Tom had 
 a long chase on the strand before he could 
 catch the blackguard ; and there were all the 
 slaves round about him, grinning and showing 
 their white teeth at Massa Oardley's bald 
 head." 
 
 "Ay," added another, "and they do say 
 that your friend Strangways gave the urchin a 
 schelling to run off with the wig, and then pre- 
 tended to chase him ; and that Tom laughed 
 so openly, that Cardley is inclined to believe 
 this version of the tale." 
 
 The Governor and his Staff now joined the 
 party. His Excellency, one of the most ami- 
 able men living, was in excellent spirits, for he 
 had received reports from all quarters that no 
 lives had been lost, and that the damage done 
 was, after all, trifling to what had been in the 
 first instance apprehended. 
 
 Various amusing anecdotes were related. 
 
 " I was riding," said his Excellency, " about
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 191 
 
 three miles lience on the Oonstantia Road, and 
 of course immediately returned homeward, 
 fearful of serious mischief in the town, when 
 we overtook a certain gentleman (alluding to 
 a grave and pompous civilian) pale as a ghost, 
 with his teeth literally chattering. You felt 
 the earthquake ? I said." 
 
 " Oh, yes — ^s," replied my friend, "m — y — y 
 hor — hor — horse was ve — e — ery much fright 
 — frio;ht — friditened.'' 
 
 In short, order was soon re-established,, 
 most people returned to their houses, but con- 
 fined themselves to the ground-floor, with open 
 doors and windows ready to bolt ; a few par- 
 ticularly timid and cautious people erected 
 small tents just outside their doors, as places 
 of refuge, which were of course much more 
 exposed to danger, than the interior of the 
 houses. 
 
 Captain Timmins announced that all was 
 ready for embarkation : the movements of ships, 
 wind, and weather permitting, are peremptory.
 
 192 THE TETREL, OR, 
 
 It was an additional pang, to leave their 
 friends, in so unpleasant a predicament, but 
 there was little real danger ; and Major Sin- 
 gleton accompanied them on board, taking his 
 last farewell of the blooming Norah, with a 
 degree of calmness, and self-possession, that he 
 would have deemed impossible before the 
 earthquake. 
 
 It is always desirable that ladj passengers, 
 especially when without husbands or fathers, 
 should embark with a certain degree of eclat. 
 Major Singleton and Captain O'Gorman, the 
 Flag-Lieutenant, and his official boats, gave 
 evidence of the importance of our fair friends ; 
 and Mrs. Darcie, mild, quiet, and unpretend- 
 ing, was extremely pleasing, and prepossessing. 
 She knew and took her proper place, at all 
 times, with an instinctive tact, and well- 
 bred ease, which whilst it put others on an 
 easy and respectful footing, foiled without 
 effort all rude familiarity, secure as it were in 
 a native atmosphere of dignified propriety.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 193 
 
 Norah adored her mother, and was prompt to 
 forestall her every wish with affectionate zeal. 
 Emma, as the youngest, was perhaps a little 
 spoiled by all the rest of the family, which had 
 made her rather too ready to express her opi- 
 nion of what she heard or saw, and as her 
 perceptive powers were singularly acute, this 
 was occasionally ill-timed, and inconvenient; 
 but a word, or a look from mamma, stoppeJ 
 her instantly. 
 
 There was nothing so painful to Mrs. Dar-- 
 cie's children, as the thought of having offended 
 or displeased her; and as they grew up, this 
 feeling, though somewhat modified in its form 
 and effects, was a living principle, actuating 
 more or less every important act of their lives. 
 How inestimable is such a mother, and how 
 guilty as well as foolish is the woman, who 
 wantonly forfeits the affectionate respect of 
 her children. 
 
 Andrews, a faithful and attached old ser- 
 vant, and Mrs. Darcie's maid, Susan, were the 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 194 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 only servants, with them ; for as they were to 
 remain with the Yaughans, till thej could pro- 
 ceed to India, they would not encumber their 
 friends' house with unnecessary attendants ; bufe 
 Andrews and Susan were intelligent and de« 
 TOted domestics. A change of servants was a 
 very rare thing in that family. The Darcies 
 felt that there were reciprocal duties between 
 masters and servants, and they were always 
 well and affectionately served. 
 
 Fatigued in body and mind by the strangely 
 exciting events of the day, looking forward 
 with painful anxiety to the dangers and dis- 
 comforts of a long sea-voyage with so precious 
 a charge, and that, too, for the first time, with- 
 out her husband, Mrs. Darcie was in low 
 spirits. Her separation from her dearest 
 friend, whose society she had so thoroughly 
 enjoyed, and whom she had left in delicate 
 health, and deep, though suppressed, affliction, 
 altogether weighed heavily upon her mind, 
 and she retired very early to rest, if rest it
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 195 
 
 could be called, for the agitation of her spirits 
 had kept her many hours awake, and she had 
 scarcely at length obtained the blessing of 
 sleep, when the yarious discordant noises 
 which announce preparations for starting at 
 daybreak, eflfectually roused her to a painful 
 recollection of her situation. 
 
 The young people of course slept soundly, 
 and if they did regret the friends and scenes 
 they had quitted, the novelty of all around 
 them interested and amused them. 
 
 Mrs. Darcie never permitted anything short 
 of real illness to keep her from the breakfast 
 table. The morning was fine, the noise and 
 bustle of getting under weigh and making sail 
 had ceased, and when they went upon deck for 
 a few minutes before breakfast, they found 
 themselves abreast of the little desolate spot 
 at the entrance of Table Bay, called Robin 
 Island. The Liffey was also in company, and 
 both were interesting objects to Norah and 
 her sister. There was the well-known Table 
 
 £2
 
 196 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 Mountain too, wliich occupies so large a por- 
 tion of the Cape Town horizon; the Sugar 
 Loaf, and other familiar objects still promi- 
 nently in sight, and they were almost con- 
 sidered as old friends now. 
 
 The party at breakfast consisted of Captain 
 Timmins, whose attention to his passengers 
 was unceasing, but never intrusiye or ill- 
 judged, flowing evidently from a kindly dis- 
 position. His chief mate, Mr. Turnbull, a 
 plain, honest, well-behaved sailor ; the Sur- 
 geon, Mr. Waters, and two gentlemen who had 
 been residing at the Cape for the benefit of 
 their health. Of these last, Mr. Rushton was 
 a sort of ci-devant jeune homme ; and like 
 most Anglo-Indians, an ardent admirer of 
 extreme youth. Mr. Ohartres, his companion, 
 was many years younger, though still of mature 
 age ; but though, like his friend, of gentle- 
 manly manners, and scrupulously courteous 
 and jespectful to the ladies, a long course of 
 ill-health and the solitude of an up-country
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAK 197 
 
 station in India had combined to fix all his 
 serious thoughts upon himself and his ail- 
 ments. The Darcies had seen little of them 
 at the Cape, though thej had occasionally 
 met them in society; for during the early 
 part of the stay of these invalids at the 
 Cape they had been too unwell to go much 
 out, and latterly they had been living at 
 Stellenbosch. 
 
 The first day of a long voyage gives full 
 occupation to passengers, and if fine, every, 
 hour of it is valuable, as preparations must be 
 made, especially off the Cape, for rude and 
 boisterous weather. 
 
 The second night justified all their precau- 
 tionary measures; a north-west gale suddenly 
 sprang up, not fortunately of the most violent 
 kind, but the sea ran high. The Thames, 
 though a stout vessel of six hundred tons, was 
 old, and laboured much. The creaking of bulk- 
 heads, the groaning of beams and timbers, the 
 inexplicable noises over head upon deck, the
 
 198 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 roaring of the gale, and the rushing of the water 
 when she shipped a sea, invading the cabins, 
 formed altogether a diabolical concert rather 
 alarming to the uninitiated. 
 
 Captain Timmins had the consideration to 
 send cheering messages to Mrs. Darcie during 
 the night ; but for fortj-eight hours she and 
 her family were close prisoners. On the third- 
 morning the gale broke ; and they were fortu- 
 nate in this, for off the Cape heavy gales are 
 often followed by a dead calm. The high 
 breaking sea caused by a strong current. 
 Tunning in opposition to the previous gale, 
 then frequently becomes dangerous, as without 
 a breeze there is no possibility of steadying the 
 ship, or of keeping her in an advantageous 
 position with reference to the seas. Thus 
 the seaman's art becomes vain, and ships 
 are frequently dismasted, sometimes lost, by 
 the sudden change from a heavy gale to a 
 dead calm. 
 • But the wind, in this instance, abated gra-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 199 
 
 dually, and was soon succeeded bj a fresh 
 south wind. The water became comparatively 
 smooth; the effects of the gale were soon reme- 
 died ; they had a fair wind ; and our friends 
 emerged from, their close and tedious prison, 
 dehghted to see the sun once more, and to 
 enjoy the cool refreshing breeze. But the 
 Liffey had parted company during the gale, 
 which was a subject of general regret, as a 
 consort in such voyages is a source of continual 
 interest and amusement, breaking the dull mo; 
 notony of a boundless horizon. Even Emma 
 could find no better diversion than watching 
 the varied movements of the birds, which at 
 certain seasons are found in prodigious num- 
 bers in those seas, — from the Mother Gary's 
 chicken, careering under the counter or quarter 
 of the ship, almost within reach during the 
 gale, to the gannet soaring in the air, and 
 dropping upon its prey with a suddenness and 
 a plomb almost startling; whilst gulls of various 
 species watch the wake of the ship, clamouring
 
 200 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 and contending with each other for every frag- 
 ment that floated from her; the sea-swallow, in 
 rapid sweep, crossing her path in all directions; 
 and occasionally a dull heavy albatross, sailing 
 swiftly on without apparent effort, supported 
 by enormous wings frequently twelve or four- 
 teen feet in extent ; sometimes gliding close 
 above your head, wholly unconscious of danger; 
 at others, seated on the water, in a state of 
 perfect repose, which marks the ocean as its 
 home. 
 
 Norah watched the various movements of 
 these wild rangers of the sea with great inte- 
 rest, pointing out to little Emma the striking 
 variety of size, form, and movement of their 
 winged attendants. 
 
 " May I offer you. Miss Darcie, a large and 
 valuable History of Birds ; the plates are 
 coloured from nature, and would please your 
 sister. The habits and character of the birds 
 you are now admiring are very interesting, and 
 would beguile a weary hour. It is always well
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 201 
 
 to study tlie history of an animal whilst the 
 original is under your eyes, in the full exer-* 
 cise of its natural habits." 
 
 Emma, looking up rather saucily at Mr, 
 Rushton, who had made this obliging offer 
 of his books, and with whom she had 
 established a very friendly intercourse, 
 whispered something to her sister, who 
 checked and reproved her ; though it was 
 evident she had some difficulty in preserving 
 her gravity. ^ 
 
 Norah having graciously accepted the offer 
 of the book, Mr. Rushton begged hard to 
 know what might have been the purport of 
 a whisper, in which he was clearly concerned, 
 and which had proved so amusing. 
 
 "Really,'' replied Norah, "it was only a 
 little piece of impertinence. Emma excels in 
 such things in a small way ; but, as I would 
 not give importance to a trifle by making a 
 mystery of it, she asked very significantly if 
 birds were animals ; but I perceive that you 
 
 K 3
 
 202 THE PETKEL, OR, 
 
 encourage her to prattle, and now you see the 
 consequence." 
 
 "A strange sail a-head!" was announced 
 from aloft. 
 
 "It must be the LiiFej," observed Mr. 
 Ohartres, languidly ; "I am glad of it — I 
 don't like being alone !" 
 
 The chief mate, who had gone aloft with 
 his glass, for it was of course doubtful whether 
 she would prove friend or foe, now reported 
 sl ship of war, standing towards them under a 
 press of sail. This was rather alarming ; as 
 the Thames possessed no power of resistance 
 against a vessel of the kind, and was, 
 indeed, very weakly manned ; and certainly 
 no flier. 
 
 " There can be little doubt," said the 
 Captain to his passengers, ''soothingly, " that 
 she will prove a friend. Enemies' ships are 
 rare hereabout, whilst our own cruizers are 
 frequently returning from the Isle of France 
 squadron to the Cape."
 
 LOVE 01^ THE OCEAN". 203 
 
 She was now distinctly seen from the 
 deck, and her sails were declared to be 
 English ; but as her hull rose rapidly into 
 Tiew, the chief mate pronounced her to be 
 Prench built, a very large corvette. Consi- 
 derable uneasiness prevailed, which her 
 hoisting Enghsh colours soon after did not 
 much allay ; as French ships frequently 
 approached strangers under English colours. 
 Mrs. Darcie retired with her children to await 
 the event, in great alarm. , 
 
 At length the strange vessel was within hail: 
 it was Her Majesty's ship La Bonne Citoyenne. 
 This was indeed a rehef. 
 
 The usual questions having been asked and 
 replied to, Norah asked the Captain to inquire 
 about the Petrel, as La Bonne Citoyenne had 
 belonged to the same squadron. 
 
 "The Petrel," replied the Captain of the 
 corvette, " has been sent by the Commodore 
 to the Mozambique." 
 
 "Oh, mamma, we may see Darby yet/'
 
 20-1 THE PETEEL, OE, 
 
 whispered the delighted girl to Mrs. Darcie, 
 and little Emma rubbed her hands together 
 and skipped for joj. 
 
 " She was sent," resumed the officer hailing, 
 " in search of pirates, as reports had reached 
 the Commodore that piracies had been com- 
 mitted in the Mozambique Channel. He had 
 no confidence in the information, but thought 
 it right to send a ship, as such things haye 
 sometimes occurred there. I should not think 
 there was much danger, but you must be upoH 
 jour guard." 
 
 The Bonne Citojenne passed on. Mr^. 
 Darcie was terribly alarmed, and all looked 
 yery graye at such an unexpected warning. 
 From that moment nothing was thought of or 
 talked of but pirates, and all sorts of horrid 
 tales were raked up, as if eyery one was 
 intent upon keeping the alarm at feyer- 
 height. 
 
 Captain Timmins was cordially assisted by 
 our Anglo-Indians, as well as by his own
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 205 
 
 officers, in preparing such means of defence as 
 he possessed, but thej were woefully slender, 
 and did not tend to diminish the general 
 panic.
 
 206 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Light and variable winds kept the Thames 
 from making much progress, but the weather 
 was beautiful ; and the gentlemen, after having 
 considered and debated upon the information 
 received from La Bonne Citojenne, morning, 
 noon, and night, for forty-eight hours, took 
 heart. 
 
 It was decided that the presence of pirates 
 in the Mozambique Channel was a mere 
 rumour, not credited even bj the officer who 
 had so prudently acted upon it; whilst, that 
 the Petrel had been sent there for the protec-
 
 LOVE o:n- tpie oceait. 207 
 
 tion of our trade was a certain fact. This 
 conclusion was so plausible that most of them 
 dismissed their apprehensions altogether, 
 though nothing was neglected that could con- 
 tribute to their safety, and a vigilant look-out 
 was kept day and night. 
 
 " What do you think of this pirate story V 
 said Mr. Chartres to his friend Rushton, as 
 they were sitting together on the poop, in their 
 light cotton dresses and huge straw hats. 
 
 "I don't think about it at all, having heard 
 similar stories a hundred times before," replied 
 his friend ; " but they have always turned out 
 to be unfounded. I wish Mrs. Darcie thought 
 as little about it as I do." 
 
 " One can scarcely wonder," said Chartres, 
 " that she should be nervous on such a subject; 
 but the report has certainly deprived us of her 
 company almost entirely." 
 
 " I suppose you, who are a professed ladies' 
 man, are regretting the seclusion of the fair 
 Norah," observed Rushton, rather sarcastically,
 
 208 THE PETREL, OK, 
 
 *' as jou seemed very attentive to lier. She is 
 certainly very pretty; and I really tliink, if 
 she had been a little younger, I could have 
 admired her myself; but I am certain she is 
 more than eighteen, and I can't stand that. I 
 would do anything to serve them, and will 
 make their voyage as agreeable as I can to 
 them ; but she's too old for my taste." 
 
 Thus spoke a sensible man, who Avas cer- 
 tainly nearer thrice than twice Norah Darcie's 
 age ; older, indeed, than her father, to a friend 
 of his own caste, many years younger than 
 himself; and neither of them perceived any- 
 thing unreasonable, still less absurd, in it. So 
 much do opinions depend upon example and 
 circumstances. 
 
 Yet Ohartres did really admire Norah, much 
 more than he was then aware of He was a 
 little shocked to hear Rushton's damaging 
 assertion, that she was more than eighteen; 
 and as he had a high opinion of his friend's 
 taste and delicacy in such matters, he felt
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 20,^ 
 
 rather ashamed that she reallj should appear 
 to him both joung and lovelj. 
 
 Mrs. Darcie shuddered at the recollection of 
 the pirate stories; and although she came to 
 the table as usual, and took her regular walk 
 on deck morning and evening, she was anxious 
 and imeasj, and could with difficulty be in- 
 duced to join in conversation, to wliich she had 
 till then contributed so much spirit, informa- 
 tion, and delicacy. Our two Indians strove in 
 vain to amuse her, and even Norah, whosa 
 joyous disposition had so cheered the monotony 
 of their imprisonment, though she was far 
 from sharing in her mother's apprehensions, 
 and was much more disposed to hope for a 
 meeting with the Petrel than to fear an attack 
 from pirates, was yet so much devoted to her 
 mother that her spirits flagged, as she 
 looked upon that thoughtful anxious face, and 
 saw tear^ struggling to escape from eyes so 
 fondly fixed upon herself. So even Norah 
 soon seemed to have lost her own natural
 
 210 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 character, and to have become almost as grave, 
 as silent, and as pensive as Mrs. Darcie. She 
 scarcely ever left her mother's side; and, in- 
 deed, the anxious parent could hardly bear to 
 have her out of her sight. 
 
 " Confound that corvette,^^ said Ohartres to 
 to his friend, with a degree of pettish anima- 
 tion, strangely at variance with his usual lan- 
 guid manner of speaking. " We have been 
 awfully dull, since they told us that foolish 
 cock-and-bull story about the pirates. Come 
 here, Emma," he added to the child, who 
 was amusing herself with watching the tricks 
 and grimaces of a small green Brazil mon- 
 key; " come here, Emma : are your mamma 
 and your sister coming out to walk this 
 evening V 
 
 "I don't know, but I think not," replied 
 Emma, carelessly, thinking much more of the 
 monkey than of any of the party. 
 
 " Go and tell mamma, dear, that the evening 
 is very fine. There is a light cool breeze.
 
 LOVE ON THE 0CEAI7. 211 
 
 which is very refreshing. It will do her good 
 to take awalk/^ 
 
 Emma did not half like having her sport 
 interrupted ; but she was good tempered, and 
 rather looked up to Ohartres, who like most 
 valetudinarians had a private store of bon- 
 bons, under some ridiculously learned name, 
 which, however, in no degree impaired their 
 flavour, as Emma well knew ; and of these, 
 amongst many other acts of kindness, he was 
 very liberal to her. ^ 
 
 The embassy was successful. The beauty 
 of the evening, the refreshing breeze, the evi- 
 dent gratification of the gentlemen at having 
 tempted them forth, with their quiet well-bred 
 unobtrusive attentions, and above all their 
 scrupulous care to avoid all allusion to the un- 
 happy cause of Mrs. Darcie's terrors, had their 
 effect. They spoke of their friends at the 
 Cape ; they enlarged upon the pleasures of 
 Indian society ; the place at which Mrs. Darcie 
 was likely to be established, and the chief
 
 212 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 members of tlie community in which she 
 would find herself, were familiarly known to 
 them. Gradually she became interested in the 
 conyersation ; her countenance brightened up, 
 and Norah, delighted to see her mother cheerful 
 and animated, was herself again ; or rather 
 guch a return of her natural spirits took place, 
 that she was very soon playing with the 
 monkey quite as joyously as Emma herself. 
 
 " Well," said Chartres to himself, " if she is 
 more than eighteen, she is remarkably young 
 of her age." 
 
 And Rushton having become quite eloquent 
 in describing to Mrs. Darcie the emoluments 
 and advantages of the command of a brigade, 
 which, as an old Colonel, her husband would 
 certainly obtain, Chartres, who had found 
 himself eclipsed in that quarter, or perhaps 
 had been drawn by an irresistible attraction 
 in a different direction^ was absolutely seen by 
 his astonished friend, laughing at, and com- 
 menting upon, Jacko's freaks, in total forget-
 
 LOVE ON" THE OCEAK. 213 
 
 fulness of liis lialf-real, lialf-imaginarj ail- 
 ments, and to all appearance greatly preferring 
 the too mature charms of the elder sister, who 
 had been accused by her friend, more Indiano, 
 of being more than eighteen, to the interesting 
 naivete of the younger, who, in the opposite 
 extreme, fell at least ten years short of that 
 age. 
 
 This re-establishment of social intercourse, 
 and the temporary abeyance of Mrs. Darcie^s 
 overwhelming anxieties, had been a consider-^ 
 able relief to all parties. Mr. Ohartres began 
 to entertain very serious doubts whether it was 
 really a mortal sin, for a lady to have counted 
 eighteen summers, whilst Mr. Rushton, whose 
 opinion upon that subject nothing could shake, 
 began to doubt the possibility of Norah's being 
 in that unfortunate predicament. 
 
 Both gentlemen retired to rest thinking 
 much more of the young lady than she did of 
 them, though no confidential conversation upon 
 the subject took place between them; and
 
 214 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 had some fairy betrayed to her, the secret 
 thoughts of our two Anglo-Indian friends, she 
 would have laughed by the hour. It was quite 
 as well that Mrs. Darcie got one good night's 
 rest, the first she had enjoyed, since they had 
 spoken La Oitoyenne. 
 
 The following morning they were abreast of 
 the Bazaruto Islands, when standing off-shore, 
 in a direct line for the Thames, was seen a 
 rakish-looking brigantine, tant-rigged, eyidently 
 a foreign vessel. 
 
 "I don't like the look of her, Turnbull,'' 
 said Captain Timmins, after a long and 
 anxious examination of the stranger through 
 his telescope. " Her sails are very white and 
 well set, but the vessel herself with a tier of 
 guns, looks dirty and disorderly .'' 
 
 " She's neither merchantman, nor man-of- 
 war," replied the chief-mate. " Her sails are 
 as you say beautifully set ; she's a clipper of 
 some sort. I don't like her looks neither : I 
 can't say I do."
 
 LOVE ON" THE OCEAN". 215 
 
 By this time the alarming intelligence that 
 a yerj suspicious-looking stranger was closing 
 fast with them, had reached every part of the 
 Thames with considerable embellishment. 
 Those who had laughed to scorn the pirate 
 story began to alter their note. 
 
 " What do you make of her, Captain T 
 asked Mr. Rushton, somewhat anxiously. 
 
 The Captain assured his passenger that he 
 saw nothing in her appearance to alarm him 
 much ; that her laying a course which would, 
 soon bring her close to them was a matter of 
 accident. She had been upon a wind when 
 they first got sight of her, and be what she 
 might, it merely proved that she was bound to 
 the southward, and was beating out of the 
 channel. 
 
 " We will prepare for defence,'' he added, 
 " and stand on, as she would sail two feet to our 
 one," he muttered, " and by hauling from her 
 we might encourage an attack. No, we'll 
 stand on," he repeated.
 
 216 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 Everybody was now on deck. The slender 
 means of defence they possessed were prepared. 
 Our two Anglo-Indians, thoroughly aroused, 
 threw oflP all appearance of languor, and 
 assured Mrs. Darcie that they would devote 
 themselves, under any circumstances, to the 
 protection of her and her children. The 
 calm, manly tone in which this was said, se- 
 cured her entire confidence in them, and some- 
 what reassured her. They mustered, gentle 
 and simple, twenty Europeans and six natives. 
 The former were mostly supplied with fire- 
 arms. A six-pounder on the forecastle and 
 two eigh teen-pounder carronades on the quar- 
 ter-deck, which constituted the ship's arma- 
 ment, were loaded with grape-shot, under Mr. 
 Turnbull's directions, and thus prepared, they 
 awaited in anxious silence the approach of the 
 stranger. 
 
 " She is a heavily-armed vessel,^' said Turn- 
 bull, " and I think I can make out men of 
 colour upon her decks.''
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 217 
 
 This was soon after confirmed, with the 
 addition that she was full of men. 
 
 The gentlemen now proposed that the ladies 
 should go down below. 
 
 " Oh !" said the agonized mother, " that we 
 could but see the Petrel ! God help us !'' 
 
 The Second Mate went to the mast-head, 
 but reported that there was no other vessel in 
 sight. The brigantine was now getting very 
 near to them, and keeping away a little to pass 
 close under the stern of the Thames, but she. 
 showed no colours, though the Thames had 
 long since hoisted her English ensign. 
 
 As the stranger passed under their stern, 
 within pistol-shot, the men were ordered to lie 
 flat down to escape the murderous effect of a 
 raking broadside, but to be ready to spring up 
 to repulse boarders. Some minutes of painful 
 suspense followed as the stranger gradually 
 drew into and then crossed . the wake of the 
 Thames; not a word was spoken in either 
 vessel, and it is more than probable that the 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 218 THE PETKEL, OE, 
 
 crew of tlie brigantine were quite as mucli 
 alarmed as our friends. 
 
 Mr. TurnbuU watched eyerj movement on 
 board the stranger ; he had shifted his place 
 from port to port, as the relative positions of 
 the ships had changed, and stretched along the 
 deck, resting his telescope upon the corner of 
 the port ledge, reported that the brigantine's 
 guns were loose, and apparently the men at 
 quarters. Her decks, too, which had appeared 
 at a distance to be densely crowded with men, 
 were certainly not so now, though they were 
 still more filled with them than any merchant- 
 ship could require. The distance between 
 the vessels soon increased rapidly. Mr. Char- 
 tres flew down below to inform the ladies that 
 there was no longer anything to be appre- 
 hended, and that the general opinion was that 
 the stranger was a Portuguese slave -vessel. 
 
 The excitement arising from the prospect of 
 danger, or some other cause, had produced 
 more effect upon the valetudinarian Ohartres,
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAK 219 
 
 than his year's residence at the Cape. Not 
 so with Mrs. Darcie. This last alarm, and 
 the fact that thej had now entered the Mozam- 
 bique Channel, terrified her. At the approach 
 of night she trembled lest under cover of the 
 darkness these lawless ruffians might suddenly 
 overwhelm them in resistless numbers ; nor 
 did the approach of daylight bring consola- 
 tion ; as she feared lest the sudden extension 
 of the horizon should betray them to a distant 
 enemy. • 
 
 Their progress was slow, and to run the 
 gauntlet thus for many hundred miles, in the 
 continued apprehension of horrors to which 
 she dared not, even in her own imagination, 
 give any definite shape or form, was too much 
 for one so delicate and sensitive. Hour after 
 hour she lay, holding a hand of each of her 
 frightened children, who trembled, not at the 
 dangers of their situation, for little had been 
 said to them about it, but to see their 
 excellent mother so ill and so wretched. At 
 
 l2
 
 220 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 times she would sit up and look upon the 
 bright and blooming countenance of Norah, 
 so inexpressibly dear to her ; then, sinking 
 back from exhaustion, and closing her eyes, 
 as if she feared to look longer, she would lie 
 pale and shivering, whilst her lips moved in 
 mental prayer. 
 
 Mr. Waters, the Surgeon, was a man of 
 sense and experience. His attention was 
 unremitting, but as the root of the evil lay 
 beyond his reach, so, of course, did the 
 remedy. All he could do was to soothe and 
 mitigate her sufferings. He conveyed to her 
 the only comfort within his power to offer, 
 by assuring the anxious mother that, although 
 their numbers were small, and their armament 
 incomplete, there was but one feeling amongst 
 them ; and that so large a proportion of their 
 little force consisted not only of men devoted 
 to her protection, but from education and 
 experience well able to turn their means of 
 defence to the best possible purpose.
 
 LOVE ON" THE OCEAN. 221 
 
 There was some comfort in this, and Mrs. 
 Darcie was grateful for it. She felt confident 
 that so far as they could they would protect 
 her children, even with their lives ; and again 
 she poured forth her soul in prayer. Norah 
 watched over her whilst she slept for some 
 hours. 
 
 It was a blessed change, and the loving 
 girl offered up a silent thanksgiving, as she 
 knelt in tears at the couch side. 
 
 In the meantime the danger of their situa- 
 tion was brought more vividly home to the 
 other passengers and to the crew, by the 
 presence of women and children. Their 
 armament was carefully inspected ; all means 
 of defence effectively set forth; the quarter 
 and stern boats fitted for immediate use, 
 water being poured in to staunch them ; for 
 when long exposed in hot climates, boats 
 become dangerously leaky, though covered. 
 Fresh water and provisions were kept at 
 hand, in small casks, ready to put into the
 
 222 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 boats. In suggesting and carrying out these 
 and other preparations against the worst, 
 Mr. Chartres, having, under inspiration of 
 some sort, cast off his lethargic habits, had 
 come forth all at once as a most active, 
 zealous, and energetic leader. 
 
 " Surelj, Captain Timmins," he said, when 
 after one of their frequent consultations, both 
 had walked the deck some time in silence ; 
 '" surelj, it would be wise to keep the African 
 shore close on board. It is not usual to do 
 so, I know. The mid-channel is the usual 
 course ; and for that reason the pirates, if 
 pirates there be, will cruize chiefly in the 
 mid-channel/^ 
 
 The two mates were called to council 
 upon this suggestion ; the charts were spread 
 out : there were reefs and dangers in that 
 route which induced the Captain and his 
 officers to hesitate ; for, by striving to avoid 
 a danger which might not really exist, they 
 might fall into the certain danger of being
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 223 
 
 wrecked upon a barbarous coast, so little 
 known to them. 
 
 " Still/' resumed Mr. Cliartres, " coral reefs 
 scarcely appear to be more numerous in shore 
 than elsewhere. We know that the Por- 
 tuguese have several small trading stations 
 on the mainland, and that an active coasting 
 trade is kept up along shore. We shall have 
 opportunities of picking up information; and 
 might, in case of immediate danger, find 
 protection under some Portuguese fort." 
 
 " None of their stations could afford us pro- 
 tection," replied the Captain. " It is doubtful 
 whether Mozambique itself could do that; and 
 we are now to the north of that settlement. 
 Information we might get; but that without 
 protection would be of little use. We should 
 certainly prolong our voyage, as weU as en- 
 danger the ship ; and the monsoon is approach- 
 ing." 
 
 " I doubt, sir," said the chief mate, "whether 
 we should lengthen our voyage ; for we should
 
 224 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 get a land-wind at night, which does not 
 reach us here/' 
 
 Mr. Chartres having thus fairly brought the 
 subject under consideration, and having in- 
 duced the seamen of the council to consider 
 the nautical advantages and disadvantages of 
 his proposal, unmasked his principal battery ; 
 for by this time all those whose position on 
 board entitled them to express an opinion 
 upon the subject, so vital to them all, had 
 gradually joined them ; and he well knew that 
 he should find a large majority ready to 
 adopt his view of setting at nought all con- 
 siderations of danger to the ship and to 
 themselves, and to consider how they might 
 best work to secure the safety of Mrs. Barcie 
 and her daughters, as well as the other fe- 
 males; to protect whom they were bound to 
 sacrifice every personal consideration. He 
 had already secured the ardent co-operation 
 of Rushton and the Surgeon, who having 
 now joined them, Chartres thus addressed the
 
 LOYB ON" THE OCEAIT. 225 
 
 partj, feeling confident that the Captain would 
 be with him : 
 
 " I have heard with much pleasure, Captain 
 Timmins, that you and Mr. Turnbull are satis- 
 fied that by pursuing our course as close as 
 possible to the African shore, we shall neither 
 materially increase the risk of shipwreck, nor 
 lengthen our passage through this dangerous 
 channel. These are points upon which, as 
 a landsman and a passenger, I could not pre- 
 sume to give an opinion. But as you do me, 
 the favour to ask me to state my views, I 
 think it must be obvious to every one that if 
 the usual course for merchant-ships through 
 this long strait lies in the mid-channel, it is 
 there that pirates looking out for them will 
 certainly cruize. By passing close along shore 
 we shall have a much better chance of escaping; 
 whilst, in case of being attacked, we may hope 
 to find protection in some Portuguese settle- 
 ment, of which there are said to be several on 
 this coast. And as there is known to be a 
 
 L 3
 
 226 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 Coasting trade kept up, both between these 
 stations and with Mozambique, we may pick 
 up intelligence, or probably find a Portuguese 
 ship of war, sent for the protection of the 
 trade. Whilst as we know that the pirates, if 
 there are any, must draw all their supplies 
 from Madagascar, on the other side of the 
 strait, we shall on that account also be less 
 likely to fall in with them/' 
 
 The Captain and chief mate readily con- 
 curred in all this, and Mr. Rushton made the 
 following proposal : — 
 
 " As Captain Timmins takes the same view 
 of this subject as we do, I hope he will at once 
 haul the ship in for the coast, and keep as 
 near to it as he can with safety. "We are much 
 obliged by this opportunity, so kindly afforded 
 us, of stating our opinions ; and he may rely 
 upon it that he will find us all determined to 
 defend the ship, and, above all, to protect the 
 precious charge committed to us from falling 
 into the hands of merciless ruffians. Let us
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 227 
 
 enroll ourselves in one compact body, and drill 
 to the use of arms ; for we are more likely to 
 be deficient in discipline than in courage." 
 
 Eyerything was speedily put upon the best 
 footing for defence ; and Mrs. Darcie, informed 
 of all that had passed^ determined to exert 
 herself to second the generous efforts making 
 for her protection. The danger and the 
 remedy had now assumed a definite form ; and 
 she thanked God for this ray of hope, cast off 
 h^r terrors, and came forth to thank and to 
 animate her brave defenders.
 
 228 THE PETEEL, OK, 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 No vessels could be seen from the Petrel's 
 mast-head when the sun rose. Captain Daun- 
 ton and Herbert had once more weighed most 
 scrupulously every circumstance that could 
 claim to influence their movements, but it was 
 still extremely doubtful whether the Thames 
 and her consort might be more or less ad- 
 vanced on the course for Joanna than was the 
 Petrel, though the latter was by far the most 
 probable. 
 
 " I think, sir," said Herbert, " that from 
 ManoeFs statement, it is almost certain that
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 229 
 
 the pirates' rendezvous lies in the mid-channel, 
 between Bembatooka, on the Madagascar side, 
 and Querimba on the African shore ; and that 
 jour plan of ranging under a press of sail, 
 during the daj, from one shore to the other, 
 and Ijing-to at night in the mid- channel, 
 whilst it gives us the best chance of getting 
 sight of the pirates, will also render it almost 
 impossible that the Thames and Liffej, who 
 will of course be carrying all sail, should pass 
 unobserved during the night ; and if thej 
 should be, as we have so much reason to 
 believe, still to the southward, thej must be 
 hourly closing up with us, whilst the pirates 
 must certainly be to the northward. This 
 then is clearly our best plan for the next 
 twenty-four hours. It is to be hoped that 
 something may turn up during that period to 
 relieve us from this dreadful uncertainty." 
 
 " I am glad you agree so entirely with me 
 in this matter, Herbert, for any decision under 
 such circumstances carries with it a painful
 
 230 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 responsibility. Send for Manoel : we must 
 question liim further about the smaller pirate. 
 I incline to hope that she would hardly venture 
 to attack the two English ships together, in 
 the absence of her comrade. They both carry 
 guns.^' 
 
 " I hope not, sir," said Herbert, hesitatingly, 
 though it was clear that he put little con- 
 fidence in the suggestion. "But here is the 
 man." 
 
 "Well, Manoel," said the Captain, "what 
 size was the schooner that captured your brig? 
 how was she manned and armed V 
 
 " More as hundred tons, Signor Oapitan ; 
 hab one long, hebby gun, middy-ship, Signor 
 Oapitan, dat go so," and he swivelled himself 
 round upon his heel, very significantly. " She 
 had small gun to de one end, and de toder, 
 Oapitan ; for man, much more as hundred, 
 all big strong man, wid long knife. I not know 
 how many man." 
 
 " What were the officers 1"
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAIT. 231 
 
 " I tink all black man — one, two, I not sure 
 - — all dirty like. Very many say him officer. 
 I hear speak all tongue most. One big fellow 
 make all 'fraid ; I tink him not black man. 
 All dress same, all same dirty. Dat big man 
 day call Oacafogo ; he carry pistol. Him point 
 pistol to me, him laugh horrid ; I not like dat 
 laugh. Him laugh when dey cut Portuguese 
 man's head off; terrible laugh dat. Signer 
 Capitan." 
 
 " Had all the crew fire-arms'?" 
 
 " Some hab gun, some hab pistol, some not 
 hab; all long knife hab, Signer Oapitan." 
 
 " How long were you prisoner with these 
 peopled" 
 
 " Tree very long day. Signer. Dey kill half 
 Portuguese man, first day ; dey say because 
 we fire gun at dem. Dey chop him head off 
 on the gunnell; Oacafogo he stand by; he 
 laugh, dey all laugh ! Den next day not do 
 noting — next day most man drunk from plun- 
 der brig; dey swear, make row, bery drunkee.
 
 232 THE PETP.EL, 01:, 
 
 One black man lie stab Portuguese man ; ocler 
 Portuguese man catch knife, stab him deadf- 
 all mans take knife, ebery body kill toder man. 
 Den Oacafogo he come; he shoot two Portu- 
 guese man — knock me dead, mid but end — when 
 I live again, all Portuguese dead; all ober- 
 board; dej go kill me — Oacafogo swear no, 
 he send me to Gobernor for cruzado, dollar; 
 else he plunder Mozambique when Oommodore 
 cum." 
 
 " How many of the pirates were killed in 
 this fraj r 
 
 " Seberal ; how many, not know^ — nobody 
 care — dey all throw to shark; shark follow 
 dat schooner close!" 
 
 " A yery pretty set of rascals; but if you 
 were taken by them to the southward of Mo^ 
 zambique, why do you believe that the pirates 
 will cruize to the north of if?" asked the 
 Oaptain. 
 
 " Much dem mans talk Portuguese. I hear 
 him say, Oommodore he go to Bembatooka.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 233 
 
 Dej find him between Querimba and Mada- 
 gascar, Cacafogo say dat many times. I see 
 SecalaTa man board dere too." 
 
 " How do you know they were Secalavas ?" 
 
 " Dem men put me on shore in de boat on 
 de coast ; dey Secalavas ; I see him fore. I 
 to Madagascar very many time." 
 
 " This statement of ManoeFs, sir," said 
 Herbert, " would lead us to conclude that the 
 rendezvous of the pirates must be more than 
 fifty miles north of our present position, and, 
 as far as it goes, tends to confirm us in your 
 plan of proceeding. But, alas ! the more 
 closely we examine the data upon which we 
 are compelled to decide, the more painfully 
 obvious it is that all rests upon mere con- 
 jecture." 
 
 It was, indeed, a most cruel position, for it 
 was impossible to arrive at any satisfactory 
 conclusion as to the real position of the objects 
 of their anxiety with reference to the horrid 
 crew so terribly pictured by Manoel, or her
 
 234 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 still more dangerous comrade, and jet that 
 was the point upon which all depended, and 
 on which to err might be fatal. Herbert was 
 almost distracted. He could take neither 
 food nor rest, and if when worn out with 
 fatigue and anxiety, he did unwillingly close 
 his weary eyes, the image of Norah and her 
 mother, surrounded by demons and calling 
 upon him for protection, whilst some incom- 
 prehensible spell withheld him, came so dis- 
 tinctly before him that he started up in a 
 paroxysm of despair. 
 
 Poor Darby, pale and woe-begone, spoke 
 not a word. Nothing could rouse him ; that 
 joyous spirit was crushed. All that terrible 
 day he sat in the top-gallant cross-trees, 
 vainly sweeping the horizon with his tele- 
 scope, in mute hopelessness. In vain did 
 Tandy strive to alleviate his grief by sharing 
 it. He was constantly seated by him in the 
 cross-trees when off duty. No one had the 
 heart to exact duty from poor Darby ; every-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 235 
 
 body loved him, everybody felt for him ; for 
 tlie rough seaman is capable of feeling deeply 
 for those who are uniformly kind to him. 
 Chouchow, rough, wild, and eccentric, watched 
 over Darby in his hour of affliction, with the 
 tenderest care. Indeed he never quitted 
 him, and none of his many neglected masters 
 complained of his desertion. 
 
 The Petrel, stretching across from shore to 
 shore under a press of canvas, beat the wide 
 channel for her prey, as a pointer beats a ^ 
 stubble field ; but night returned once more, 
 and all was still uncertainty. His zealous 
 friends at length prevailed upon Darby to 
 quit his elevated station. He knew that it 
 was useless to remain there after dark ; his 
 generous heart felt all their kindness^ but speak 
 he could not. 
 
 " Master, turn in now,'' whispered Ohou, 
 resuming his allegiance to Darby, "else mas- 
 ter not able to board the pirates." 
 
 This was the true chord to harp upon, and
 
 236 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 well did that strange lad know the way to 
 Darby's heart. Danvers attended the afflicted 
 boy with equal skill and kindness, and with 
 Chouchow's assistance, administered a powerful 
 opiate, without the knowledge of his patient. 
 
 Herbert and Darcie had not met. Both 
 seemed to avoid it. Neither of them spoke of 
 or even inquired for the other, but there can be 
 no doubt that they fully appreciated each 
 other's feelings, and that the deepest sympathy 
 existed between them. 
 
 Daylight came at last. No guns had been 
 heard, no lights had been seen, nor did the 
 immense extent of horizon they now com- 
 manded show a sail of any kind. 
 
 They stood over to the Madagascar shore, 
 with a strong breeze, till they were off the 
 Table Cape, which marks the approach to 
 Bembatooka : still nothing was to be seen. It 
 was dreadful! 
 
 " We must get a good sight of the Afi-ican 
 shore before dark, Herbert/' said the Captain.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 237 
 
 Herbert obeyed mechanicallj, and thej were 
 soon steering for Qiierimba with a ten-knot 
 breeze. 
 
 It so happened that whilst on the previous 
 evening the Petrel had been Ijing-to, in the 
 mid-channel, in a well grounded hope that the 
 Thames and LifFej might close with her during 
 the night ; on the supposition that they were 
 still to the southward of her, and would steer 
 for Joanna in the mid-channel, that unfor- 
 tunate Thames which had really been in the 
 very position they had assigned to her, had in 
 compliance with the unanimous opinion of her 
 sensible and judicious officers, and passengers, 
 in council assembled, sought for safety by 
 leaving the mid-channel, and standing in for 
 the African shore, at the very time when by 
 Standing on in her direct course, she would 
 have been close up with the Petrel in a few 
 Lours — certainly in sight of her at daylight. 
 This therefore was a resolution much to be 
 deplored, though the wisdom, and propriety
 
 238 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 of it, as far as appearances went, were un- 
 questionable. " Man proposes, but God dis- 
 poses/' 
 
 On board the Thames, their three guns were 
 now carefully examined, tackles, breechings, 
 and all their gear overhauled : additional wads 
 made, and the deck so cleared, that they could 
 readily transport the guns from one side of the 
 ship to the other. The second mate, an ac- 
 tive intelligent young seaman, commenced 
 training one part of the crew to the guns, 
 "Whilst the chief mate exercised the rest at 
 loading and firing small arms, and repelling 
 boarders, assisted by Andrews, Mrs. Darcie's 
 confidential servant, a gallant old soldier ; 
 whilst our Anglo-Indians and the Doctor, with 
 their servants, all well armed, devoted them- 
 selves to the special care, and protection of the 
 ladies, under the direction of Chartres. 
 
 The stern and quarter' boats with water, 
 provisions, and ammunition in each, were pre- 
 pared, that if they should be surprised in the
 
 LOVE OF THE OCEAN. 239 
 
 night, by pirates, they might attempt to carry 
 off the ladies, in the dark, and endeavour to 
 get out of sight before daybreak. 
 
 "It is but a slender chance, Captain Tim- 
 mins, I am aware,'' said Ohartres, who had 
 suggested this, " but we must not throw away 
 a shadow of a hope, where the safety of our 
 precious charge is at stake." 
 
 Mrs. Darcie with her habitual good sense, 
 drew some consolation from the spirit with 
 which she saw her gallant defenders organizing 
 their means of defence. She knew the value 
 of order and discipline, and began to feel 
 some confidence in their zealous preparations 
 for the worst. She herself had not been idle, 
 and presented the Doctor with a supply of lint 
 and bandages. 
 
 "I am a soldier's wife, Mr. Waters," she 
 said, " and would fain be of some use." 
 
 Their plans and preparations having been 
 explained to her — which included a secure 
 retreat below, for her and her children, in
 
 240 THE PETREL, OP, 
 
 case of being fired upon, she was deeply 
 affected. 
 
 " Many tlianks, heartfelt thanks,^' she said, 
 " for all jour generous attention to the safety 
 of our helpless little party. May I be per- 
 mitted to ask as an especial favour, *that 
 having done what man can do,' to evade or to 
 contend with the dangers which unfortunately 
 threaten us, we may all join in public prayer, 
 and with one voice commit ourselves to the 
 care of a merciful God." 
 
 There was that in the tone and manner of this 
 proposal, which powerfully moved every heart ; 
 and Divine Service nowhere excites more deep 
 and reverential attention than on shipboard. 
 The awful calamity which hung suspended 
 over the heads of those who now so fervently 
 joined in our beautiful Liturgy, on board the 
 unfortunate Thames ; the thrilling anxiety with 
 which they had for some time past watched 
 for the sight of a strange sail by day, or lis- 
 tened to the slightest unwonted sound by
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 241 
 
 night, were higlily favourable to religious fer- 
 vour ; whilst the pallid countenance of the 
 mother, whose soft sweet voice yet lingered in 
 their ears ; the exquisite beauty of the weeping 
 Norah, and the terrified look of the interestinir 
 child beside her, formed a group which roused 
 the generous feelings of all. And of the gal- 
 lant little band, now kneeling around them, to 
 implore the protection of Heaven, whilst awed 
 and elevated by a scene so full of interest, and 
 excitement, that we dare not attempt to de- 
 scribe it, each man silently vowed to save 
 them, come what might, or to perish in the 
 attempt, catching the noble impulse from Ohar- 
 tres, no longer the cold and indolent valetu- 
 dinarian, but one endowed suddenly with great 
 energies both of body and of mind, united 
 with a chivalrous devotion, which surprised 
 even himself. He was now the leading spirit, 
 to whom a devoted band of brave and hardy 
 seamen looked up for example, and all sense 
 of self had vanished. He lived but to sup- 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 242 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 port, encourage, and protect the friends who 
 had become so dear to him; and though no 
 longer young, his devotion to the fair Norah 
 was strongly tinged with romance. Whilst 
 reading the sublime service of our Church, in a 
 deep mellow voice, tears streamed down his 
 cheeks, and never were prayers more impres- 
 sively uttered, or more fervently responded to, 
 by a Christian congregation. They arose from 
 the performance of this sacred duty, with 
 resignation and composure ; for a hope of 
 Heavenly protection had greatly increased 
 their confidence in each other. The tone of 
 their conversation was grave, perhaps sad ; but 
 it was far from displaying hopeless despon- 
 dency. 
 
 The Thames was still approaching the 
 African shore, with a light breeze, when about 
 three in the afternoon a strange sail in the 
 offing was announced. 
 
 "God grant it may be the Petrel," said 
 Norah, clasping her hands, and looking up 
 hopefully.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 243^^ 
 
 This was a petition in wliich Mrs. Darcie, 
 heartily joined ; but, alas ! this chimerical hope 
 soon vanished. Both the mates had ascended 
 to the mast-head with telescopes. 
 
 " She is a low rakish-looking schooner, sir," 
 reported Mr. Turnbull, "and is steering di- 
 rectly for US." 
 
 " Look carefully seaward, Turnbull," said 
 the Captain. Then, after a short interval, 
 he resumed, "Is there nothing else in 
 sights" ^ 
 
 A moment of painful interest followed. ■ 
 "Nothing, sir, nothing," replied both the 
 officers. 
 
 The Thames was now edged away more, ta 
 get as close as possible to the land, in hope 
 that some Portuguese settlement, of which 
 they had heard there were two or three on 
 that part of the coast, might afford them pro- 
 tection from the dangerous-looking craft so 
 fast approaching them. 
 
 " She is small," reported Turnbull, who had 
 
 M 2
 
 244 TNE PETREL, Oil, 
 
 returned to the deck, " but I don't like the 
 look of her." 
 
 The appearance and the proceedings of the 
 stranger soon became seriously alarming. The 
 Captain and officers again held a consultation, 
 in the presence of Ohartres and Rushton. 
 
 *^ I have no doubt," said Captain Timmins, 
 " that the stranger is preparing to attack us ; 
 but she looks small, and can hardly carry an 
 overwhelming number of men. She has pro- 
 bably no heavy guns, and, by God's blessing, 
 we "may beat her off; or help may come. We 
 must go to quarters. And you, gentlemen, 
 will have the goodness to persuade the ladies 
 to retire." 
 
 Chartres and Rushton announced this ar- 
 rangement to Mrs, Darcie ; and as they con- 
 ducted her and her family across the deck, to 
 the ladder which led below, the whole crew 
 stood with their heads uncovered, gazing with 
 respectful interest upon the melancholy proces- 
 sion.
 
 LOVE 0]^" THE OCEAX. 245 
 
 Mrs. Darcie offered her hand to Captain 
 Timmins, and bowing gracefully to his men, 
 "May God's blessing rest upon jon" she faintly 
 said, " for your generous protection of me and 
 my children/'' 
 
 So complete was the silence, that, faint and 
 tremulous as was her voice, every syllable was 
 distinctly heard, and deeply felt. 
 
 " The schooner has fired a gun, and hoisted 
 a red flag," said Turnbull — The shot passed 
 close over the ship. • 
 
 " Hoist our colours,'' said the Captain. 
 
 Our gallant Anglo-Indians conducted their 
 trembling charge to an open space in the centre 
 of the after-hold, where a platform had been 
 laid, and a small area spread over with canvas, 
 prepared with as much attention to conveni- 
 ence as was possible under the circumstances. 
 Its sides were barricadoed with spare beds, 
 bales of cloth, and everything best calculated 
 to resist shot; though it was scarcely possible 
 a shot should reach the place.
 
 246 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 " Your own servants, mj dear madam," 
 said Ohartres, "will be in attendance upon 
 you. I will inform you from time to time 
 liow things are going with us by the Doctor, 
 who will be in constant communication with 
 you, and will convey your wishes to us. I 
 need not tell you, Mrs. Darcie, that our exam- 
 ple on deck will be even more important than 
 our personal services." Not daring to trust 
 his faltering voice one word farther, much less 
 to take a formal leave, he rushed upon deck, 
 just as a second shot from the pirate passed 
 through the Thames main-topsail. A third 
 soon after cut away two of the main shrouds. 
 
 Again they held a council. 
 
 *' That is a very heavy gun of the pirates,^' 
 said the Captain. "To attempt to return 
 their fire would be useless folly. We must 
 reserve all our means of defence for a close 
 contest. The wind is now very light, and 
 should it fall calm, as it almost certainly will 
 do, they may conclude that we have no guns.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN". 247 
 
 and may attempt to take us with their boats, 
 which must be small, for she cannot carry large 
 boats. In that case we should have a chance 
 of destroying their boats and boarding-party, 
 after which they, perhaps, would scarcely ven- 
 ture to repeat the attack.'^ 
 
 "I quite agree with you, sir," said Turn- 
 bull, " but we have scarcely an hour of day- 
 light left. We are very close to the land, 
 with a coral reef under our lee. The ship is 
 still under command, but one unlucky shot 
 may cripple her. I would propose laying the 
 ship broadside on upon the reef. The water 
 is smooth, and we should gain two great 
 advantages from it ; the first, that these heavy 
 shot, any one of which striking the old ship 
 below the water-line must certainly sink her, 
 and leave us all at their mercy should we 
 remain afloat, whether we anchor or no, though 
 the same shot would, when the ship is fairly 
 aground, do us no material injury. The 
 second is, that then we could be attacked
 
 248 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 only on the off side, on which we could place 
 all our guns and collect all our force, and 
 might fairly hope to beat them off/' 
 
 A shot which just then brought down the 
 foretopmast, came powerfully in support of 
 the chief mate's suggestion ; and they had 
 scarcely succeeded in laying the Thames broad- 
 side on, upon the reef, when it fell calm, and 
 the next shot struck the ship below the water- 
 line. In fact, had they not been very prompt 
 in carrying out his proposal, they would have 
 been lost, without the power of resistance, for 
 they must have sunk in deep water. 
 
 The next shot brought down the main top- 
 mast and all its gear, with a terrible crash, 
 but this was now of no importance. 
 
 Chartres sprang down, for he felt how much 
 that fearful crash must have alarmed the 
 tremblers below. "Fear nothing,'' he said, 
 " all goes well. We have so placed the ship 
 that whatever noise these shot may make, they 
 can do us little real harm, and cannot in the
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAIT. 249 
 
 slightest degree weaken our means of repelling 
 the enemy, who do not seem to be in a hurrj to 
 close with us. We are well prepared for them/' 
 
 Earnestly did they pray for their brave 
 and considerate friends, whose whole thoughts 
 seemed devoted to them. 
 
 The three guns were now ready on the 
 starboard gangway, the only assailable point. 
 It had become dark ; every obstacle to 
 boarders that could be devised had been 
 accumulated on their only exposed side, and. 
 as the enemy could no longer discern their 
 movements, all the small spars were launched 
 overboard, and formed into a loose, unstable, 
 treacherous raft, abreast of the starboard 
 gangway, so constructed as to prevent the 
 assailants' boats from absolutely reaching the 
 ship's side; whilst this intervening obstacle 
 itself afforded no safe footing, but whoever 
 should rashly trust himself upon it, would 
 inevitably fall between the loose, slippery, and 
 rolling spars. 
 
 M 3
 
 250 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 '' There/' said TurnbuU, looking "witli some 
 pride upon this ingenious and skilfully con- 
 structed trap, "if that doesn't bother the 
 infernal niggers, I'm no sailor. Besides, sir," 
 he added, " we have only to level our guns 
 for the edge of the raft, and sheet the rascals 
 home, with grape and langridge, in the con- 
 fusion sure to be created by this unexpected 
 obstacle, which, in the dark, it will take them 
 some time to understand ; and my life for 
 it, but we'll give the villains a dose that will 
 stagger them." 
 
 " I give you great credit," said the Captain, 
 " and it removes a doubt I had as to the 
 effect of our fire, which had cost me some 
 uneasiness, for we could not depress our guns 
 "sufficiently to fire into their boats when once 
 they were absolutely alongside the ship ; and 
 it would have been almost impossible to secure 
 the right moment for firing, as the boats were 
 moving in the dark, and end on, too. Now, the 
 noise and confusion amongst the niggers, when
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAK. 251 
 
 they strike the raft instead of the ship, will mark 
 the precise time for firing, whilst the raft will 
 keep them exactly at the right range." 
 
 Captain Timmins was so elated with the 
 advantage this secured, that he wrung Ohartres' 
 liand vehemently. 
 
 " You are a brave fellow, Mr. Ohartres," 
 lie said, " and we'll beat these rascally blood- 
 suckers to their hearts' content" 
 
 Another shot struck the hull of the ship. 
 
 "I think," said Ohartres, "the ladies are 
 pretty safe from shot ; but would not a 
 lantern or two put in the bow port, draw the 
 enemy's fire in that direction, which would 
 be an additional safeguard to them." 
 
 '' Right, sir, right !" said the Oaptain, " and 
 to us also. They'll think we're repairing 
 damages forward, and all men Hke to have 
 .a mark they can see clearly, when they point 
 ^ gun in the dark." 
 
 It was done, and the next shot struck her 
 on the bow.
 
 252 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 "Hurrali!" said Cliartres, "run down. 
 Doctor, and tell the ladies we have brought 
 the enemy's fire upon the other end of the 
 ship, away from them/' 
 
 But the firing now ceased. It was perfectly 
 calm : all felt that the hour of trial was at 
 hand ; and if they felt apprehension of the 
 result, it was not on their own account. 
 
 "Every man to his station," said the 
 Captain. 
 
 Turnbull took charge of one gun, Mr. 
 Yarker of another, the third was entrusted 
 to Andrews, Mrs. Darcie's servant. Chartres 
 and Rushton led the small-arm men. 
 
 After some minutes of breathless silence, 
 practised eyes, dark though it was, could 
 discern two boats approaching, but their 
 silence and the steady uniformity of their 
 advance, bespoke more of discipline than had 
 been expected from pirates. When about 
 two cables' length from the ship, the assailants 
 put forth all their strength, whilst a horrid
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 253 
 
 mixture of shrieks, yells, and savage war- 
 whoops broke forth from them. 
 
 What the feelings of Mrs. Darcie and her 
 daughters were, when first they heard these 
 horrid sounds, evidently near and in rapid 
 advance, it is impossible even to imagine. 
 But Chartres, ever alive to the protracted 
 sufferings of his cherished charge, spoke once 
 more : — 
 
 " Let us give the villains one British cheer. 
 Captain Timmins,'^ he said, " and then every 
 man to his work in silence. The British cheer 
 is seldom heard with indifference : the bravest 
 enemy will feel its influence, much more these 
 wretches." 
 
 Every voice told in that one hearty cheer, 
 and the assailants did feel it. They felt that 
 those who had so long and so calmly borne 
 a fire they could not return, were now im- 
 patiently biding their time, burning to meet 
 them hand to hand in deadly conflict. But 
 as they were not fired upon in their advance
 
 254 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 thej became confirmed in their belief that the 
 ship had no guns. 
 
 There was no pause in their advance, no 
 check to its rapidity ; the impulse had been 
 given, and as a body they rushed on to the 
 attack. But there were amongst that horrid 
 collection of the scum of so many races, many 
 to whom the sight of the British flag had been 
 familiar, the British cheer not altogether un- 
 known, and by whom those accustomed to fight 
 tinder that flag, and to send forth that cheer, 
 were pretty well appreciated. Many of these 
 quailed before it, and felt strange misgivings. 
 
 Ohartres, when he proposed the cheer, had 
 a secondary object in view, if it was not in- 
 deed its principal one. He could not reflect 
 without shuddering upon the painful efi*ect 
 which must have been produced upon the 
 minds of those precious ones, always present 
 to his thoughts, when they had first heard 
 those frightful savage yells, from a near and 
 xapidly approaching enemy. He knew that
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 255 
 
 the British liurrah, so boldly hurled in defiance 
 of the ruifian gang, would tell those dear 
 tremblers how sternly, how hopefully their 
 devoted defenders awaited the approach of the 
 miscreant gang. Well did he judge; and 
 earnestly, devoutly did they pray for their 
 bold and generous protectors. 
 
 All was again quiet for one moment on 
 board the beleaguered Thames ; but the horrid 
 shrieks and yells of the savage enemy drew 
 nearer. ^ 
 
 When their overloaded boats struck the 
 raft, and the assailants became aware that 
 some unaccountable obstruction intervened 
 between them and their hoped-for prey, they 
 could not at first comprehend what the 
 obstacle might be. Some few leaped upon 
 (the unstable raft, and instantly fell between 
 the loose spars into the sea. A scene of inde- 
 scribable confusion ensued. This was the mo- 
 ment so coolly and anxiously awaited by 
 Turnbull. He gave the signal, and three
 
 256 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 heavy charges of grape and langridge phmged 
 ^ith due effect into the midst of the confused 
 and crowded mass of the assailants, who were 
 screaming and wrangling within twenty feet of 
 the muzzles of the guns. The small-arm men 
 then sprang up, and poured in a deadly fire, 
 which completed the defeat and dismay of the 
 enemy. One only of the pirates reached the 
 deck of the Thames, and he was cut down by 
 our gallant Captain. 
 
 The boats being small, and deeply laden, 
 were so low in the water that it had been im- 
 possible to depress the guns sufficiently to sink 
 them, or all within them must have perished ; 
 but as they pushed off, and retreated without 
 a moment's delay, it was too dark to inflict 
 much further injury upon them, though a gall- 
 ing fire of musketry was kept up as long as 
 they were visible. 
 
 The shattered remains of the defeated 
 pirates made the best of their way back to the 
 schooner, too happy that darkness should have
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 257 
 
 secured tlieir escape. Thej fled cursing and 
 blaming each other in frantic rage, amidst the 
 cheers of the gallant victors, who had not lost 
 a man. But even these triumphant cheers 
 were severe trials to the terrified women, whose 
 fate so obviously hung upon the issue of the 
 fierce and bloody conflict; and bitter tears 
 were mingled with fervent prayers in their 
 dark and comfortless recess, as they thought of 
 dear friends so fearfully exposed for their pro- 
 tection. ^ 
 
 Once more they heard the cheering voice of 
 Chartres with trembling but joyful attention. 
 He, at least, was safe. 
 
 "Our brave fellows," he began, "have re- 
 pulsed the pirates with severe loss. It is to 
 be hoped they will not dare to board again. 
 Their shot, should they resume thqir fire, can 
 lead to no serious results; and here you are 
 quite safe from them.'' 
 
 " God be praised, my generous friend," re- 
 plied Mrs. Darcie. "Take half as much
 
 258 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 thought for yourself as you do for us, I beseech 
 you. I tremble to ask,^^ she resumed, "but 
 who have we lost in this gallant fight, Mr. 
 Chartres?'' 
 
 "No one as yet, my dear madam, thank 
 God," he replied. 
 
 "Oh, my dear mother," whispered Norah, 
 "Oh that dear Darby and the Petrel were 
 here 1" 
 
 And again they prostrated themselves at the 
 throne of grace, and prayed, in momentary 
 dread of those same appalling shrieks and yells 
 at which they had so lately shuddered, and 
 which still seemed to haunt them. 
 
 Mrs. Darcie could not conceal from herself 
 that the decisive battle had yet to be fought, 
 and that the pirates, furious from their recent 
 defeat, would immediately return to the attack 
 with greatly-increased numbers and aggravated 
 ferocity.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN-. 259 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Whilst the little Petrel was standing in 
 from the African shore, with a ten-knot breeze, 
 without seeing a sail of anj sort, Herbert's 
 thoughts were dwelling with unremitted 
 anxiety upon the dangers to which the object 
 of his dearest affections was so cruellj exposed, 
 and every passing hour aggravated his misery. 
 ManoeFs simple description of the pirate crew 
 of the Fra Diavolo, with the brutal ferocity of 
 their habits, gave an appalling reality to his 
 worst apprehensions. 
 
 "Doctor,'' said Captain Daunton fretfully,
 
 260 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 " can jou not do something for Mr. Herbert 1 
 Twenty-four hours more of this work, poor 
 fellow, will madden or kill him. He has but 
 one idea left. He obeys my orders, indeed, 
 but it is mechanically. I cannot get a rational 
 answer from him, except it is upon this dread- 
 ful subject. His whole mind is absorbed in it, 
 and he looks as pale and haggard as if he had 
 just gone through a long death-struggle with 
 the yellow fever." 
 
 "I haye done all I can for our poor 
 friend, sir," replied Dan vers, in a tone of 
 deep feeling; "but such is the excited state 
 of his mind, that no medical treatment can 
 avail him. That which ought to compose 
 and soothe his painfully agitated state, seems 
 only to aggravate the fever that consumes 
 him." 
 
 " All this is very shocking, Danvers," said 
 the Captain. " I am neither a young man nor 
 a lover, but this painful uncertainty about the 
 Darcies fevers even me."
 
 LOVE ON" THE OCEAK. 261 
 
 "The feeling is universal througlioiit the 
 ship, sir. Young Darcie is in a dreadful state. 
 Everybody feels for him ; even that rough, 
 queer Chouchow, \Yho was supposed to care for 
 nothing. He watches over and tends the 
 poor boy, more like a nurse than the rude 
 thing he is. Tandy too is quite subdued, and 
 devotes his whole time to his poor friend when 
 off duty. No mischievous pranks or practical 
 jokes now ; you would not know Tandy. 
 They got Darcie down from the mast-head 
 after dark with great difficulty, and Chouchow, 
 who receives instructions from me, only suc- 
 ceeded in persuading him at last to take nou- 
 rishment, by telling him that he would not else 
 have strength to fight the pirates. I availed 
 myself of this to throw him into a deep sleep, 
 which still continues, and will do so I hope for 
 some hours yet." 
 
 This colloquy was abruptly disturbed by a 
 cry from the mast-head. It was Herbert's 
 voice.
 
 262 THE PETEEL, OE, 
 
 *' A strange sail under the land/' 
 
 This welcome cry was uttered in a voice 
 quivering with excitement, and every ear 
 drank it in greedily. 
 
 There remained now barely an hour of 
 daylight, and the Captain had already sug- 
 gested to the Master that in another half hour 
 it would be time to go on the other tack, to 
 take their station for the night in the mid- 
 channel. 
 
 " What do you make of her, Herbert T said 
 Daunton. 
 
 " She is a large ship, close under the land, 
 sir, but still standing in," was the reply. "She 
 has not much wind." 
 
 " Do you see but one % She ought to have 
 a consort if she is what we seek." 
 
 " I see but one, but she is a large ship, and 
 must be the Thames, — I am certain of it ! 
 Stop ! — stop !" he shouted frantically, " I see 
 another now ! — a small vessel. She's stand- 
 ing towards the ship. By Heaven, 'tis a
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAK. 263 
 
 schooner ! — a long, low, rascallj-looking craft 
 as ever man set eyes on." 
 
 This last was spoken to himself, or perhaps 
 even unconsciously ; but that low deep voice 
 •was audible to the anxious listeners below, who 
 lost not a word of it. 
 
 " Send Manoel here," he shouted, in a wild 
 abrupt tone, indicating his agitation. 
 
 Manoel was soon beside him. He, too, 
 looked at the strangers for one instant with 
 Herbert's telescope. 
 
 " Dat vas Fra Diavolo himself," exclaimed 
 Manoel with horror, as if the sight of her 
 was appalling to him : and well it might be, 
 after all he had seen and suffered whilst on 
 board of her. 
 
 *•' Herbert," said the Captain, " come down. 
 We have important arrangements to make. 
 I trust that rascally Fra Diavolo is now at 
 length within our reach. I want Manoel 
 down to pilot us in. We have not much 
 daylight left. I see them both from the deck.
 
 264 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 too, now, and this breeze will soon carry us 
 up to them." 
 
 " Keep Herbert as much as possible 
 occupied with bis preparations for attacking 
 the pirate, sir," said Danyers. 
 
 But the Herbert who now sprang from the 
 PetreFs main-rigging into the quarter-deck at 
 a bound, bore little resemblance to tbe 
 Herbert who, but one short Lour since, had 
 dragged his weary limbs up that same rigging 
 wdth painful exertion, when his feeble step 
 and haggard looks had been so strongly 
 commented upon by Daunton to the Doctor. 
 Herbert was now relieved from the intolerable 
 anguish of maddening uncertainty, for he had 
 satisfied himself that the ship was the 
 Thames ; and the danger to which his beloved 
 Norah, and those dear ones with her, were 
 still exposed, had become defined and tangible. 
 Above all, the vile miscreants who had dared 
 so deeply to offend and alai'm them, and by 
 whom they were still threatened, were at
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAK. 265 
 
 length yisible. He clenched his hands, and 
 his heart throbbed violently at this cheering 
 conviction. To shake off every trace of his 
 late intense sufferings had scarcely required 
 an effort ; his manly frame and vigorous 
 mind resumed their wonted energies, as by 
 enchantment. Once more he was all life, 
 spirit, and animation ; though still, as 
 Daunton had before observed, his whole mind 
 was absorbed in one idea. 
 
 "I am certain, sir,'' he said, "that this, 
 ship is one of the two Indiamen (he spoke as 
 if casting off the last lingering unwelcome 
 doubt) ; " her size alone would mark her for 
 the Thames. Brine described the Liffey as 
 a much smaller ship, so much so indeed, that 
 the Thames had been preferred for our 
 friends, though the Liffey was a newer and a 
 faster vessel." 
 
 " A shot from the schooner ;" was reported 
 from aloft. 
 
 The report of the gun was soon heard. 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 266 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 ■ " That's a heayj gun, sir," said Herbert, 
 with some uneasiness ; " and jet 'tis well she 
 should fire,'' he resumed thoughtfully. " Yes,"" 
 he repeated, " 'tis well that she should fire^ 
 instead of laying her at once on board ;" for 
 every possible consequence of eyery single 
 move in this desperate game, where his whole 
 heart and soul were at stake, was scanned 
 and analysed, in his clear and comprehensive^ 
 mind, with instinctive rapidity. 
 
 " Time is everything now," he resumed. 
 " Those we care for most will certainly have 
 been placed in security beyond the reach of 
 shot ; and the pirate is so intent upon his 
 prey, that he does not see us, which he might 
 do now." 
 
 " The schooner has but little wind, sir,"" 
 observed Mr. Marliner, " she is rounding to. 
 Ay ! I thought so ; there goes another shot." 
 
 " Yes," said Herbert, " she can only carry 
 such a heavy gun as that amidships, and must 
 round to, to fire it. God be praised, she is
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEA^-. 267 
 
 wasting precious time ; and we are closing 
 fast with them. I think, sir/' he added, 
 " she'll bear the royals now. The wind gets 
 lighter as we near the shore. Those vessels 
 are almost becalmed/' 
 
 The royals were set, and the flying jib. 
 
 " We shall lose the breeze fast now, sir," 
 said the restless impatient Herbert. " We 
 will be ready to start with the boats, if you 
 please, as soon as they can out-row the 
 ship." ^ 
 
 " Be ready," said the Captain, " but haye 
 patience till the right moment. A long 
 row is but a poor preparation for a severe 
 contest." 
 
 The schooner continued to fire at intervals 
 of some minutes upon the ship, which did not 
 return the fire, though she was sufi'ering severely 
 aloft from it. The hull of the Thames was 
 now wholly visible. 
 
 "I am certain," said Herbert, for at least 
 the third time, and after looking earnestly at 
 
 N 2
 
 268 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 the ship, " I'll swear it is the Thames ! Brine 
 said she had a bright yellow side with ports, 
 and that the Liffej was painted black with a 
 white ribbon. Don't jou remember, Marliner, 
 his saying so l" 
 
 " Certainly," replied the Master, "I do ; 
 there's no mistake about that. I am satisfied 
 now that it is the Thames, though I had my 
 doubts when you first said so." 
 
 " She answers Mr. Brine's description of the 
 Thames," said the Captain, "whateyer may 
 have become of her consort ; and as we know 
 she has guns, I give them great credit for not 
 returning the pirate's fire. It is a great proof 
 of coolness and judgment hardly to have been 
 expected. Nothing encourages an enemy 
 more than a weak inefi'ectual fire. Our friends 
 are evidently husbanding their means of de- 
 fence, and preparing to resist boarders. 'Tis 
 well and bravely done. They are both of 
 them too much occupied now to see us, and 
 it darkens fast. The schooner is becalmed
 
 LOVE OIT THE OCEAN". 269 
 
 too, SO she cannot run her alongside, if she 
 would. We still keep the breeze, and are 
 closing rapidly with them. It will soon be 
 dark ; the villains cannot escape us now, 
 Herbert. Manoel, I must trust to your 
 pilotage .'' 
 
 " Where there's water for that ship, Ma- 
 noeV observed Herbert, "there must be 
 water enough for us.'' 
 
 " Dat is true, signer, but I think me," re- 
 plied Manoel, "dat ship is on de reef fast \ 
 but I take you bery close, signer.^' 
 
 The movements of the ship and schooner 
 were now no longer to be distinctly seen, but 
 though the wind was fast dying away, the 
 Petrel was still going faster than armed boats 
 could row. Herbert watched anxiously the 
 passing foam, as this objection to his starting 
 became every minute less and less obvious. 
 
 " The schooner has not fired for some time,'' 
 observed Herbert fretfully. " She can't have 
 got alongside the Thames herself, for want of
 
 270 THE PETEEL, OE, 
 
 "wind, but I suspect her boats will attempt 
 it/^ 
 
 " It is possible," said the Captain, " that a 
 shot from us might deter the pirates from 
 boarding; but on the other hand thej might 
 suppose it to be their own comrade, for English 
 men-of-war rarely come here. If so, it would 
 encourage them, and there would be also great 
 danger of alarming those brave fellows in the 
 Thames. It might paralyze their defence ; 
 and if they can only hold out for a very short 
 time, we shall effectually crush their villanous 
 assailants." 
 
 " We are closing fast, sir," said Herbert ; 
 '" she is evidently well commanded. I was 
 fearful that those heavy shot might sink her, 
 but I have no doubt Manoel is right. They 
 have seen that danger, and, like noble fellows 
 as they are, they have laid her on the reef, or 
 our poor dear sufferers below must have been 
 driven from their place of security, and ren- 
 dered helpless in a sinking ship. Really the
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAIT. 271 
 
 firmness and courage of these good fellows is 
 admirable." 
 
 The schooner was still visible, becalmed, 
 about half a mile from the ship, but wholly 
 intent upon their prej, thej dreamed not that 
 the avenger was so near. Neither did those 
 ^ho trembled and prayed in the dark recesses 
 of the shattered beleaguered Thames. 
 
 As the pirate had not recommenced his 
 fire, the inference that his boats were attacking 
 the ship was obvious, and the suspense awful. . 
 
 " We can pass the Petrel now with the 
 boats, sir," said the impatient Herbert. 
 
 T]ie Captain assented, and in an instant 
 the boats were manned, for all had long been 
 expecting it. The gallant Petrels saw that 
 the right moment was at hand, and they had 
 awaited the order impatiently. 
 
 Herbert took one rapid glance at his boats, 
 and the brave fellows who were so evidently 
 panting for the moment of action. 
 
 " Be careful, my lads," he said aloud, " that
 
 272 THE PETKEL, OR, 
 
 not a word is spoken in the boats, or the 
 slightest noise made, lest we should alarm the 
 enemy. Not a shot must be fired without 
 express orders from me. Anstej, regulate 
 jour movements bj mine. I will lead jou 
 alongside the pirate. Out the villains down, 
 and spare not! Pike, and bayonets, and cut- 
 lass, never miss fire, lads.'' 
 
 He pressed the Captain's offered hand, and 
 sprang into the boat. At this moment young 
 Darcie rushed upon deck, urged by a sort of 
 instinctive perception of what was going on ; 
 perhaps roused purposely by Chouchow, for he 
 was still scarcely awake. He heard the orders 
 given by Herbert, and was instantaneously by 
 his side, in the boat, followed by the faithful 
 Chouchow, who never left him now. Herbert 
 pressed the gallant boy's hand affectionately, 
 but no word was interchanged. It was not 
 needed. Their congenial spirits were in full 
 communion. 
 
 " A broadside from the sliip," said Herbert
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 273 
 
 almost convulsively; for he felt that the at- 
 tempt to board her from the pirates' boats 
 must at that very moment be taking place, 
 and he was yet far off from the scene of 
 action. " Musketry, too I" he muttered, and 
 he appeared to draw some consolation from 
 that. 
 
 Young Darcie's hopes and fears alternated 
 as he perceived the varying emotions of the 
 generous friend beside him, upon whom he so 
 implicitly relied. ^ 
 
 "Hark!" whispered Herbert. "Surely I 
 heard a cheer. Was it not so?" 
 
 Darby and others were certain they had 
 heard it too. 
 
 " They have beaten the villains off. Darby," 
 whispered Herbert to him whose feelings were 
 so completely in unison with his own. These 
 were the first words that had passed between 
 them since the fatal news had reached them at 
 Mozambique. Darby's spirits rose. 
 
 Again all remained quiet for a considerable 
 
 n3
 
 274 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 time, during which the boats had advanced 
 tapidlj towards the scene of action. 
 
 " Another shot!" muttered Herbert. "God 
 be praised there is a breeze now ; and jet thej 
 hesitate to lay their craft alongside. Little 
 do the villains dream how precious each 
 minute now is!" 
 
 Again the firing had ceased, and for some 
 minutes the suspense was agonising. The 
 breeze had freshened, and thej lost sight of the 
 schooner. The uncertainty arising from the 
 darkness was a painful aggravation of their 
 anxiety at this most important crisis. 
 
 " She must have run the Thames on board," 
 he muttered. " God help them ! Oh, give us 
 but ten minutes now, and all will be well." 
 
 Again the ship fired her broadside, and the 
 flash showed the schooner to be alongside of 
 her ; but no musketry followed — no cheer was 
 heard. 
 
 " 'Tis strange," muttered Herbert, shudder- 
 ing. " Give way, lads ; all depends upon the
 
 LOVE ON" THE OCEAN". 275 
 
 next few minutes." The brave fellows bent to 
 their oars, which the spare hands double- 
 banked ; and even Herbert felt that his boat 
 vras rushing through the water with an arrow^s 
 speed. 
 
 He leaped sword in hand upon the pirate's 
 deck. It was encumbered with the dying 
 and the dead ; but there was no one to resist 
 him. 
 
 The last broadside from the Thames had 
 told fearfully; but all those who had survived* 
 it had boarded their hapless victim. Gratings 
 and loose sails had been thrown upon the raft 
 by tlie pirates, and the passage to the ship 
 had been made both safe and easy. Their 
 former miscarriage had taught them this. 
 
 The shouting, hallooing, and screaming of 
 that vile medley of lawless and undisciplined 
 ruffians, whose trade was rapine and murder, 
 most of whom were more or less intoxicated, 
 whilst all were anticipating rich plunder in 
 the dearly-bought prize, would have drowned
 
 276 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 ten times the noise made bj tlie brave and 
 well-trained band, who were advancing so 
 rapidly npon them. Herbert saw with delight 
 that the surprise would be complete ; but he 
 had too dear an interest at stake to act pre- 
 cipitately, or to leave anything to chance. 
 He was well aware that the pirates were 
 desperate men, goaded by their former defeat, 
 and still more so by their last loss. He knew 
 that in the approaching contest no quarter 
 would be given or accepted by the blood- 
 thirsty savages before him. The struggle was 
 for life or for death. He had every reason to 
 believe that he would be greatly outnumbered ; 
 and he felt that the fate of those dearer to him 
 than life was now at stake. His whole soul 
 "was concentrated on one point, and he had 
 become cautious as well as desperate, assured 
 that he could wield the energies of his united 
 little band as a man wields his sword in his 
 own right hand, — but he must also command 
 himself.
 
 LOVE ON" THE OCEAN-. 2/7 
 
 His whole party were fairly on the 
 quarter-deck before their presence was sus- 
 pected by its drunken, noisy, and disorderly 
 occupants. They calmly and patiently 
 awaited his orders, in silence and in dark- 
 ness. 
 
 A single glance gave him an accurate view 
 of the state of things. The great cabin was 
 lighted up, and sounds of drunken revelry 
 issued from it. 
 
 " Anstey," he whispered, " throw your 
 whole party between the cabin and the 
 wretches so thickly and carelessly scattered 
 here, howling and drinking. Bar strictly all 
 access to the cabin, lest those noisy revellers 
 within it should take alarm. All depends 
 upon that. We will cut these ruffians in 
 pieces ; do you kill every man who shall 
 attempt to enter or to leave the cabin, but 
 no firing ; pike and bayonet and cutlass 
 only." 
 
 The order was given and obeyed before the
 
 278 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 screaming and disorderly barbarians on deck 
 ■were fully aware of their danger; but they 
 now took alarm, and were fast collecting for 
 mischief, short as the interval had been, and 
 dark as was the night. 
 
 Herbert turned to his brave followers 
 coolly. 
 
 " On them, my lads,^' he said, " strike 
 home, and spare not ;" and he led the furious 
 onset. 
 
 The startled and bewildered savages fought 
 desperately, but without order, and with 
 inferior weapons; they were the rabble of 
 the pirate crew, and without leaders. Their 
 officers and leading men were carousing in 
 the cabin, so artfully prepared for them by 
 the brave captain of the Thames, with temp- 
 tations irresistible. Amidst such a scene of 
 riotous uproar a thunder-storm might have 
 passed unheeded. Pike, cutlass, and bayonet 
 did their fell work unsparingly. The contest 
 was severe, the resistance ferocious ; but pikes
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 279 
 
 and bajonets kept tlieir long knives at baj, 
 and one-half of them being slain in a few 
 minutes, the remnant fled forward bj both 
 gangways, left open for the purpose, by the 
 same masterly calculation which had cut them 
 off from their riotous leaders in the cabin ; 
 for Herbert was as firmly bent upon sparing 
 his own men as upon crushing his opponents ; 
 and to break them up into separate groups, 
 unable to support each other, was to secure 
 both these important objects. The quarter-' 
 deck was now wholly in his possession. 
 
 " Tandy," said Herbert, " charge up the lar- 
 board gangway with your pikemen. Sergeant 
 Mills sweep with fixed bayonets the starboard 
 gangway ; both parties will meet on the fore- 
 castle. There the fugitives will be assembled, 
 give them not a moment's respite. Spare 
 not a villain of them, but, again I say, no 
 firing. Steel must do the work. That com- 
 pleted, return to the quarter-deck, and put 
 yourselves under Mr. Anstey's orders."
 
 280 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 Both parties rushed forward along the 
 gangways at the word, carrying all before 
 them. 
 
 " Anstey/' resumed Herbert, " your im- 
 portant duty has been well performed. Our 
 complete success depended upon your literal 
 execution of my plans. Hard it may seem 
 to witness such a fray without mingling in it ; 
 but it constitutes under such circumstances 
 the perfection of disciplined valour : I can 
 afford now to take things coolly. These 
 noisy revellers are celebrating their victory. 
 It is necessary to make root and branch work 
 with the miscreants, so noisy in their carouse 
 there. My only difficulty is to keep myself 
 cool and my head clear, under the perilous 
 excitement which, even now, almost masters 
 me ; but after such intense misery as I 
 have endured, and with all that makes life 
 valuable at stake, it is not easy to be reason- 
 able." 
 
 He now divided his own immediate com-
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN". 281 
 
 mand into two parties, one was placed at each 
 door of the cabin. 
 
 "Anstej/' he said, " m j plan is to force 
 mj way aft, on both sides of the cabin, 
 through this drunken crowd, as suddenly and 
 with as little alarm as possible. The villains 
 will then be enclosed between jou and me. 
 My united parties will assault them from 
 abaft before they can have recovered from 
 their surprise ; those who escape us will fly 
 through those doors, purposely left open, and, 
 you will dispose of them." 
 
 Minute instructions had been given. Every 
 man knew his share of the work. Herbert 
 undertook to assail one side of the cabin him- 
 self, entrusting the other to young Darcie, who 
 had fought manfully by his side throughout 
 the late fray. 
 
 *•' Remember Darcie, we must force our way 
 aft, and once united there, we will face round, 
 form across the cabin, and charge home upon 
 them.''
 
 282 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 The doors were quietly opened, displaying 
 a Pandemonium of which Satan himself might 
 have gloried to have been the monarch. 
 About thirty hideous -looking wretches, — 
 Negro, Malay, Secalava, the scum of twenty 
 races, — half naked, foul, and mostly drunk, 
 were celebrating their recent victory in riotous 
 excess ; some lolling in chairs or on sofas, 
 some seated on the table, others at it, laugh- 
 ing, singing, swearing, wrangling. Herbert 
 stood aghast for one moment. The thought 
 of Norah at the mercy of such wretches almost 
 overturned his reason ; the painful efforts with 
 which he had hitherto restrained his rage, to 
 make his victory complete, were scarcely equal 
 to this trial. 
 
 He continued, however, to pass on quietly, 
 whilst few of the pirates had as yet observed 
 his entrance, for they could not possibly sus- 
 pect the presence of a powerful enemy. Nor, 
 indeed, did they readily credit the evidence of 
 their disordered senses, when they saw it, for
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAIs^. 283 
 
 there had been no alarm, — ^not a shot had 
 been fired ; and had they not left their whole 
 crew guarding their cabin doors? But Herbert 
 was suddenly arrested by seeing a brutal-look- 
 ing savage, with his huge and bloody hand 
 inserted in a [beautiful work-box, and rudely 
 dragging forth its contents. It was his own 
 last gift to Norah ! A red hot furnace would 
 have been a safer resting-place for the vile 
 band of the doomed wretch who thus profaned 
 that gift. The frantic lover gnashed his teeth, 
 for rage, and cleft the bare-necked monster to 
 the chine. All his prudence, all his stern re- 
 solves, had been lost in a fierce and injudicious 
 rush upon the enemy, but fortunately Darby's 
 voice aroused him. 
 
 " The viDain,'' he 'shouted, " has murdered 
 my mother !'' 
 
 Herbert's eyes followed the sound. At the 
 head of the table sat a gigantic black, with a 
 lady's bonnet on his head, to the great amuse- 
 ment of himself and all around him.
 
 284 THE PETKEL, OR, 
 
 Darbj, regardless of his life, was rushing 
 upon this huge athletic monster, who, asto- 
 nished but not dismayed, calmly placed a 
 pistol at the breast of the brave boy, and but 
 that it missed fire. Darby had been lost ; but 
 he, in the wild tumult of his feelings, heeded 
 not, noticed not the act, but buried his dagger 
 in the heart's blood of Cacafogo, the pirate 
 chief. 
 
 Thus recalled to reason, Herbert without 
 losing another moment, collected his whole 
 party as preconcerted, formed them across the 
 after end of the cabin, and charged the enemy 
 with great vigour, sword in hand. 
 
 Now thoroughly aroused to a sense of their 
 danger, and sobered by it, though wondering 
 whence it could so suddenly have arisen, each 
 man sprang to his weapon. Powerful and 
 desperate men, inured to blood and danger, 
 they made a fearful resistance. 
 
 Herbert and some others were wounded, 
 but measures so judiciously preconcerted and
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAlSr. 285 
 
 carried out with sucli precision, in so holj a 
 cause, could not but prevail ; and soon a 
 hopeless remnant, flying for life, rushed out at 
 the cabin doors, left freely open to them bj 
 Herbert. But in place of meeting the com- 
 rades they had left on the quarter-deck, they 
 encountered Anstey's pikes and bayonets, and 
 fell to a man. 
 
 The shrieks and yells and dying groans 
 uttered by the discomfited pirates, during this 
 severe struggle had now ceased. All was 
 silent. The Thames and the Fra Diavolo 
 remained in the hands of the victors. 
 
 Nothing had yet been seen or heard of 
 the crew or passengers of the Thames. The 
 cool gallantry with which they had so long 
 and so effectually defended their ship against 
 so superior a force, and the trap so skilfully 
 laid for their assailants in leaving the cabin 
 lamps lighted and intoxicating liquors distri- 
 buted in every direction, proved such depth of 
 design and firmness of execution, that Herbert
 
 286 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 concluded they were concealed, and barri- 
 cadoed below, to protect tlieir passengers to 
 the last, with perhaps a hope that the pirates 
 "would so far intoxicate them selves that thej 
 might sallj forth in the night and retake the 
 ship. 
 
 " Anstej," said Herbert, " make the signal 
 that we are in possession of both vessels." 
 
 " Ohouchow and I haye searched the ship 
 below, Mr. Herbert," said young Darcie. 
 " There is not a living creature there ; but in 
 the after-hold is a barricadoed platform. This 
 shawl and these gloves we found there ; but 
 nothing else. Where can they be'?" 
 
 " The stem and quarter boats are gone, and 
 the tackles are hanging overboard, sir," said 
 Tandy. 
 
 "Ha, ha!" exclaimed Herbert, "they ar& 
 safe, they are safe! Darby," he repeated exult- 
 ingly, as he snatched the gloves playfully from 
 his young friend, and thrust them into his 
 bosom. " They are safe, Darby, and not far
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAK 287 
 
 off. Those who defended them so long, and 
 took all their measures so admirably, will 
 guard and protect them still. And now their 
 ferocious enemies are crushed '' 
 
 " But hold," he resumed, after a moment's 
 reflection, " did I not hear that some of these 
 yillains had escaped to the shore 1 Tandy, 
 how many of the pirates do you consider to 
 have jumped overboard and escaped? A 
 dozen, do you think, Tandy'?'' 
 
 " Tis difficult to count niggers in the dark, 
 in the midst of a scuffle, too," said Tandy 
 thoughtfully, " but perhaps two dozen." 
 
 " How many did you kill on the fore- 
 castle 1" 
 
 '' More than twenty, sir." 
 
 The Sergeant drew up in front of his com- 
 manding officer, and with his military salute, 
 " Twenty-three, sir," he said. " I told them 
 off, and there they still lie on the forecastle." 
 
 " How many do you consider to have 
 escaped, Sergeant?"
 
 288 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 " AVhy, sir, as Mr. Tandy says, 'tis difficult 
 to count niggers in the dark, when all are on 
 the move; but I should say about the, same 
 number. Perhaps five-and-twenty. They 
 went splash, splash, overboard very fast. We 
 could have shot them down easy, but our 
 orders were not to fire ; but twenty-five cannot 
 be much short of the mark, sir." 
 
 " Five-and-twenty of these ruffians escaped 
 to the shore in one body,'' said Herbert. 
 " This must be looked to."
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 289 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 But we must return to our interesting suf- 
 ferers, whom we have been compelled to leave 
 too long in such extremity of danger. 
 
 " There is a breeze springing up, Mr. 
 Chartres/^ said the Captain of the Thames, 
 " which will enable the pirate to lay his 
 schooner alongside of us at his pleasure. This 
 change is to the last degree unfortunate. The 
 old ship is hard and fast upon the reef, bilged, 
 and with several shot-holes below the water- 
 line. I trust that I have done mj duty by 
 her. I loved the old craft I have so long com- 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 290 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 manded; and little did I think to have left 
 her bones here. But call jour friend. We 
 must consult, and act too. Our beating the 
 villains off has happily given us this last chance 
 for saving our passengers ; and we must make 
 the most of it. I see lights fljing about on 
 board the pirate. Thej are up to something. 
 Lower down the boats," he added. 
 
 The officers and passengers were soon as- 
 sembled. 
 
 " The enemy," began the Captain, " will 
 soon be alongside of us with his whole force. 
 We cannot hope to beat him off again; and, 
 indeed, have little reason to sacrifice our lives 
 in defence of a wreck, which neither we nor 
 they can ever get afloat. All our efforts must 
 now be directed to the safety of our lady pas- 
 sengers; which, as it is dark, we may hope to 
 accomplish, for the pirates will not see our 
 movements." 
 
 A shot, which passed through the ship, and 
 killed one of the men, interrupted the Captain.
 
 LOVE ON THE ocea:n-. 291 
 
 " I will bring up the ladies at once," said 
 Chartres. " Oome, Doctor, Susan and Andrews 
 are gone down to prepare Mrs. Darcie for this." 
 
 He sprang down the hatchway, and soon 
 returned to the deck with his trembling charge. 
 To see them safely into the boat, and clear of 
 the ship, was for the moment the chief object 
 with every one. 
 
 *' I am assured, Captain Timmins," said Mrs*. 
 Darcie, with all the firmness she could assume, 
 " that you and all our gallant friends will 
 soon follow us." She gave her hand to the 
 brave and intelligent old seaman, as she passed 
 on ; and Norah followed her mother's ex- 
 ample. 
 
 " Fear nothing, my dear young lady," said 
 Captain Timmins, deeply moved. " We will, 
 by God's blessing, protect you." 
 
 " I will fear nothing," said the weeping girl, 
 " whilst we have such brave friends around us. 
 These tears do not spring from fears for 
 myself. Captain Timmins." 
 
 2
 
 292 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 " Tears,'* replied the Captain, " do not al- 
 ways spring from fear. There is nob a dry 
 eje amongst our whole crew at seeing jou 
 leave us thus, and thej know little about fear. 
 We will soon surround you again. Our re- 
 maining here for a short time will make your 
 safety more secure. *' 
 
 This little colloquy had passed whilst Char- 
 tres had been conducting Mrs. Darcie and 
 Emma into the boat, which, under existing 
 circumstances, was an affair of some difficulty, 
 and he now returned for Norah. 
 
 Just as she was seated, and they were 
 thrusting the boat clear of the ship, a shot 
 struck her mainmast; and covered the boat 
 with splinters. 
 
 The Captain looked over the ship's side, and 
 said, 
 
 " These shot, my dear ladies, insure your 
 safety, for they tell us that the pirates are as 
 yet unable, or afraid, to lay the old ship on- 
 board. We will soon be with you."
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAF. 293 
 
 The whole crew, having been collected, were 
 formed into divisions for the different boats, 
 each party taking a proportion of ammunition, 
 provisions, bedding, spare sails, and every- 
 thing that could be useful. All was cheerful 
 activity, for the men felt confidence in their 
 leaders, and in each other ; they had been 
 tried. 
 
 " I should like, sir,^' said Turnbull, '' to have 
 one more shot at the villains, for love of the 
 old ship ; and I think, sir, if you will leave , 
 Yarker and me, with the jolly boat, there's 
 Tom Daly and Sam Banghem, messmates of 
 poor Dick, that was killed ; they want to stay 
 with us. Tom is a capital shot ; he'd fire the 
 six-pounders, and Sam would hold on the 
 jolly-boat ready for us to jump into." 
 
 ." I think, sir,'' added Yarker, modestly, " we 
 might sweep her decks to some purpose, and 
 if we should have to fight them on shore to - 
 morrow, 'twill be just as well to thin their 
 ranks a little more to-night."
 
 294 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 " Well, well/' replied the Captain, " so let 
 it be. But where's the Steward. Here, Saun- 
 ders, muster all jour people, — all the cuddj 
 servants ; fill the dinner-table with bottles of 
 wine, and spirits ; place large bowls fall of 
 punch, with as little water as maj-be, — ale, 
 porter, liqueurs, everything that can make a 
 man drunk ; and lots of tumblers. Then light 
 up the cabin lamps ; be quick, as we've no 
 time to lose. What do jou think of that, 
 TurnbuU? If they all get drunk, they can't 
 trouble us to-night. I think that tops your 
 raft." 
 
 " Right, sir ; and let us leave liquor about 
 the ship in all directions." 
 
 '' The boats are ready, sir," said Yarker. 
 
 And Captain Timmins proceeded with his 
 people, and as much as they could carry of all 
 that could contribute to defence or subsistence, 
 to the cove, which was the general rendezvous, 
 leaving only the jolly boats with the four 
 volunteers ; and fain would the gallant old
 
 LOVE OK THE OCEAN. 295 
 
 Captain have made one of that party, but his 
 presence was indispensable at head-quarters. 
 
 "Fear nothing, mj dear Madam," said 
 Ohartres, encouragingly, as the boat with the 
 ladies rowed along shore, towards a cove, 
 about a quarter of a mile to the southward 
 of the ship, which they had remarked, as they 
 passed it slowly on the preceding day, with 
 some thought of trying to get the ship into it. 
 " Fear nothing ; so long as the enemy shall 
 continue to fire, there is no immediate danger. 
 Hark! another gun; our friends will have 
 ample time to make good their retreat. It was 
 necessary for your safety to avoid all appear- 
 ance of an intention to retire to the shore, 
 until darkness should conceal our movements 
 from the enemy ; and they have now given us 
 so much time to carry out our plans that 
 our means of defence and subsistence will be 
 ample." 
 
 " But if they are so powerful as to be able 
 to drive so brave a crew from the ship, Mr.
 
 296 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 Chartres, will thej not pursue us and attack 
 us on shore?" 
 
 "It will be easy," he replied, " in such a 
 country as this is, to find a position in which 
 we could defend ourselves against thrice their 
 numbers ; but thej have already suffered 
 severely, and they will not now be allowed 
 to board the old ship with impunity. 
 Measures have been taken which will cost 
 them many lives ; and after having had their 
 ranks twice thinned, they certainly will not 
 venture to attack us on shore to-night : and, 
 as you will assuredly be in safety for the 
 night, I hope and entreat that you will avail 
 yourselves of it, to prepare, by rest and 
 refreshment, for the fatigues of to-morrow. 
 I fear we have much toil and inconvenience 
 to look forward to ; but I trust your dangers 
 are at an end. I have never concealed the 
 truth from ypu, even when it has been most 
 painful to communicate it." 
 
 " I thank God, Mr. Ohartres, our confidence
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAI^. 297 
 
 in jou is perfect. We feel all our obligations 
 to JOU, and will be as little troublesome as 
 possible." 
 
 Norah had listened to this conversation 
 attentively, with one of Mrs. Darcie's hands 
 locked in both her own, and Emma's head 
 nestling in her lap. 
 
 " The poor child,'' she said, " is quite worn 
 out, but w^e are grateful, Mr. Chartres, for 
 present safety. I did not know how tired 
 I was till you assured us we were safe for the 
 night. May Heaven reward you for all you 
 have done for us I" 
 
 They landed upon a rough rocky strand, 
 amidst dark gloomy precipices ; but safety was 
 there ! and whilst their hearts glowed with gra- 
 titude for their wonderful deliverance from such 
 fearful enemies, after so many hours of intense 
 and almost hopeless misery, that rude and 
 rugged shore seemed an earthly paradise. 
 
 They had still heard the pirate's heavy 
 gun from time to time, but it had now no 
 
 o3 
 
 ■"^^
 
 298 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 terrors for] them, as Chartres assured them 
 it was a pledge that the friends thej liad 
 left behind would have ample time to carry 
 out all their plans in safety, and that the 
 whole party would soon rejoin them. 
 
 Truthfulness is valuable beyond all price. 
 Chartres had never disguised the truth from 
 them, however alarming it might have been, 
 and thus his present assurances had power to 
 calm and soothe the weary sufferers. They 
 felt that they were really safe, for Chartres 
 never sullied his honour by fencing with 
 truth ; and no crime, however atrocious, 
 makes such wide wild havoc with human 
 happiness as falsehood, which sheds its vile 
 insidious venom through all the thousand 
 ramifications of social hopes and fears, joys 
 and sorrows, aggravating every evil, blighting 
 every blessing. 
 
 A rude couch was soon formed with sails, 
 under the cover of a huge over-hanging rock, 
 which formed part of the little promontory,
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 299 
 
 on the north side of the cove, protecting it 
 from being exposed to those on board the 
 Thames. But men had been sent to seek a 
 more sheltered retreat. 
 
 Mrs. Darcie looked with delight upon her 
 children, harassed, fatigued, but, by the mercy 
 of Heaven, safe ; bruised, but not crushed, 
 by the terrible storm which had so lately 
 raged around them. And with humble con- 
 fidence in the continuance of that divine 
 protection which had hitherto been so gra- 
 ciously vouchsafed, they ventured, with their 
 faithful guards around them, to seek the 
 repose they so much needed. The firing had 
 -ceased, and all was still. 
 
 Chartres and Rushton, seated at a little 
 distance from their charge, watched carefully 
 over them, whilst the seamen unloaded the 
 boat, and searched for water, which was an 
 object of incalculable importance, and indeed 
 of considerable anxiety to them. 
 
 " The villains have now so long ceased to
 
 300 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 fire," observed Chartres, "tliat, with this 
 breeze, they ought to be alongside the ship ; 
 I wish our friends were here. I hope they 
 won^t be rash, and risk too much. The 
 thought of abandoning the ship is so galling 
 even to Timmins, cool and sensible as he is. 
 I could see that, in spite of his better 
 judgment, he was longing, as much as any 
 of the others, to have one fight more with 
 the rascals. But hark ! I hear the boats.'' 
 
 " Ay,'' replied his companion, " here they 
 are at last ; and there's the broadside too, 
 which I hope has killed all the scoundrels. 
 It was high time for our friends to retreat. 
 They have stayed to the last moment." 
 
 " Hear those horrid shrieks and yells," said 
 Chartres. " Our brave fellows have not 
 thrown away their fire. The pirates must 
 have sufifered severely, if we may judge by the 
 bellowing they make. Thank God, our dear 
 friends here are out of danger." 
 
 " Well, gentlemen," said Captain Timmins,
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN^. 301 
 
 who now joined them, " we are all here now 
 but TurnbuU and his little party, and if we 
 may judge by our ears, they have carried out 
 their purpose well. They were the very men 
 to do it. How are the ladies 1 I think after 
 this second dose the pirates will hardly Yen- 
 ture to molest us here. They must have lost 
 a great many men/' 
 
 " All goes well here,'' said Chartres. " We 
 are in a capital position for defence, but I 
 have sent hands out to seek a better-shelterad 
 retreat for our harassed friends, and here they 
 come." 
 
 A cavern had been found at some distance 
 on the edge of a small ravine, which was 
 capable of being made very secure and com- 
 modious, and was not exposed to the sea. 
 
 Chartres with his indefatigable zeal set out 
 at once to examine and prepare the newly- 
 found quarters for the objects of his unceas- 
 ing care. Spare sails and other things suited 
 to the purpose of which the boats had now
 
 302 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 brought a large supply, were carried up and 
 placed at his disposal, and as it was found 
 that there were several of these caverns, he 
 selected the most eligible of them, and began 
 to prepare it at once, whilst their stores and 
 provisions were carried up and secured in the 
 others. 
 
 Mr. TurnbuU and his party arrived soon 
 after in high spirits, for they had completely 
 succeeded in pouring a shower of grape and 
 langridge into the crowded decks of the Fra 
 Diavolo with terrible effect, for as she was 
 much higher out of the water when she took 
 the raft than the boats had been, the depres- 
 sion of the guns had been sufficient to make 
 the whole charge tell upon her. 
 
 Yarker was sent to join the party in search 
 of water, the want of which had already be- 
 come the most pressing evil they had to con- 
 tend with. 
 
 Chartres was soon enabled to announce that 
 a far more sheltered and commodious place of
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 303 
 
 refuge had been prepared, and half an hour 
 afterwards Mrs. Darcie was surprised and 
 deeply grateful to find herself seated with 
 her girls in a state of comfort and security 
 which, contrasted with the horrors of the last 
 few hours, appeared magical. 
 
 A blazing fire in front of the cavern gave a 
 cheerful aspect to the scene, for their present 
 situation w^as fully screened by intervening 
 rocks and trees from the sea, and could not, 
 therefore, betray their position. Ohartres had 
 by great exertion enabled Andrews to present 
 the ladies with bowls of tea, — an unhoped-for 
 luxury ; and although it had been boiled in a 
 common kettle in handsful, and then baled 
 into bowls and tin cans, it was declared to be 
 the most refreshing and delicious beverage 
 they had ever tasted — yet they had been bred 
 in luxury ! 
 
 "We are now once more collected and 
 armed for your protection, ladies," said 
 Chartres. " The only landing-place is difficult
 
 304 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 of access, and proper measures have beeu 
 taken for defending it ; but we do not appre- 
 hend an attack even to-morrow, as the enemy 
 have again suffered severely from a parting 
 broadside. We heard their cries at the cove 
 whilst you slept.'' 
 
 " We will not speak of all your generous 
 care of us, Mr. Ohartres. You know how fully 
 we appreciate it ; but permit me to ask, is 
 there not some danger of an attack from the 
 natives of the coast '? They will have pro- 
 bably been drawn hither by so much firing. 
 You have satisfied me that we can have no- 
 thing to fear from the pirates before to-morrow; 
 but excuse me, my dear sir, I do not feel quite 
 at ease about the natives. May they not be 
 lurking near us, and watching all our move- 
 ments V 
 
 "We have every reason to believe/' replied 
 Ohartres, " that there can be few natives 
 in so barren a district, and they would almost 
 certainly be without fire-arms, and more or
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 305 
 
 less dependent upon the nearest Portuguese 
 settlement, with which we may hope to esta- 
 blish a communication to-morrow; for thej, 
 too, must have heard the guns. Depend upon 
 it, we have more to hope for than to fear from 
 natives, but as far as we can discoyer, there is 
 no access to this spot from the interior but by 
 one small tortuous ravine, or dry watercourse. 
 I shall proceed to examine this in both direc- 
 tions. Rushton will remain with you till I 
 return.'' # 
 
 Chartres rose and quitted the cavern hastily^ 
 as if he had apprehended a remonstrance 
 against his undertaking so laborious a task, 
 after his recent exertions. 
 
 " Your friend, Mr. Rushton, is a wonderful 
 man,'' said the lady. "So considerate for 
 others, so regardless of himself. I never be- 
 held such a triumph of noble generous feelings 
 over bodily infirmity. He really seems to 
 have become incapable of fatigue. Heaven 
 forbid that he should suffer for his goodness to
 
 306 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 US. I would faiu have stopped him now, but 
 he was gone." 
 
 " He is indeed an altered man, madam. I 
 can scarcely credit the evidence of my senses 
 when I see Chartres making such violent and 
 continued exertions, as if it were natural and 
 habitual to him to do so." 
 
 " 'Tis wonderful/' added Norah, " to see him 
 suddenly step forth to take the lead amongst 
 a host of brave and generous men ; not pre- 
 sumptuously, but as if assuming a natural 
 right, which no one disputes, even in matters 
 relative to the ship. In my ignorance, I saw 
 nothing in this noble-minded man but an indo- 
 lent, self-indulgent valetudinarian, though 
 always kind-hearted, and a most perfect gen- 
 tleman ; but I have discovered my mistake." 
 
 " Very happy to find you in such excellent 
 quarters, ladies," said Captain Timmins, enter- 
 ing the cavern. " We should have made a bad 
 hand of it without you and your friend, Mr. 
 Rushton, though our will was good.''
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 307 
 
 ■ The ladies were delighted to see the worthy 
 Captain again; and inquired after the rest of 
 their brave friends. 
 
 " All well/' he replied, " and we have found 
 fresh water, — an object of vital importance to 
 us, about which I had very painful doubts, — - 
 but Yarker is a clever indefatigable fellow. 
 Our means of subsistence are now ample, and 
 we are fully prepared to meet any attack, 
 though I have little apprehension upon that 
 point. You may at least rest in peace and 
 full security for this night, and I anticipate 
 much more from fatigue and discomfort for 
 you to-morrow, than from the pirates, or any 
 effort they can make." 
 
 "I feel perfect confidence for the night," 
 replied Mrs. Darcie. "But do you think it 
 probable that the pirates will attack us to- 
 morrow, after the noble conduct of yourself 
 and your gallant crew to-day 1" 
 
 "It is certainly possible," answered the 
 Captain, "but I think not probable; but in
 
 308 THE PETEEL, OK, 
 
 SO strong a position we should be certain to 
 beat them off, with little risk to ourselves ; as 
 we should fire from behind rocks upon undis- 
 ciplined men, crowded together in small boats. 
 Thej could not long sustain so unequal a con- 
 test, especially after having already lost so 
 many of their men. They will most probably 
 plunder, and perhaps set fire to my dear old 
 ship ; and then return to Madagascar to recruit 
 their numbers." 
 
 " I hope,'' said Norah, " that Darby and the 
 Petrel will meet them. Do you think. Captain 
 Timmins, that if the Petrel should catch them, 
 our friends will learn from them where we 
 arel" 
 
 But before the Captain had answered a 
 question, which had somewhat puzzled him, 
 Chartres returned. 
 
 " We are delighted to see you again," said 
 Mrs. Darcie cordially. " I cannot but fear 
 that you may suffer from such continued exer- 
 tions. We are grateful, most grateful.''
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 309 
 
 Cliartres seemed much moved. " We have 
 ascertained," he said, recovering, '• that the dry 
 watercourse, which forms the only approach to 
 this cavern from the interior, is so rugged and 
 tortuous as to be almost impracticable. It has 
 cost us much labour to examine it, for a short 
 distance, in both directions. Such precautions 
 have been taken, and your security for the 
 present is so perfect, that I submit, my dear 
 madam, to your own excellent judgment the 
 incalculable importance of retiring to reet, 
 with entire confidence in that heavenly protec- 
 tion which has carried us safely through such 
 a day as the last. T shall have the honour to 
 be your guard for the first part of the night. 
 Armed sentinels will be placed on both sides 
 of the entrance of the cavern, and a chain of 
 sentinels will preserve our communications 
 with our main force at the cove, who guard 
 the beach and the boats. The slightest alarm 
 would bring them here in a few minutes." 
 
 The gentlemen left the cavern. The en-
 
 310 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 trance to it was closed by a canVas screen; 
 and after a short conversation respecting the 
 dreadful events of the day, contrasted with the 
 peaceful prospects of the night, during which 
 Norah still harped upon Darbj and the Petrel, 
 she joined her mother in a short but fervent 
 prayer, and was soon after asleep, — as little 
 Emma, exhausted by fatigue, had long been. 
 
 Mrs. Darcie looked fondly upon the precious 
 objects of her anxiety, revolving in her mind, 
 with pious gratitude, the various circumstances 
 of their recent dangers and escapes, with all 
 their horrors. 
 
 How entirely do the good and evil around 
 US, like the material objects which we look 
 upon, owe the form and colour which they 
 assume in our eyes, to the light in which they 
 may chance to be viewed. But this is a 
 subject far too deep and too important to be 
 treated of incidentally. 
 
 The calm unrepining submission with which 
 the pure and lofty spirit, whose firmness is
 
 LOVE ON THE 0CEA:N'. 311 
 
 based upon the Rock of Faith, can bow to 
 God's will under great and severe trials; 
 •whilst it lends comfort and consolation un- 
 speakable to the sufferer, presents an example 
 and a lesson to the wicked. 
 
 Here was a mother, highly gifted and 
 accomplished, accustomed to all the blessings 
 and enjoyments so freely lavished upon one 
 who was the grace and ornament of a polished 
 circle, and who was accustomed to behold the 
 daughters she so tenderly loved, objects of 
 respect and admiration to all around her ; 
 all prompt to shield them from the shadow of 
 evil, however slight or transient. 
 
 A few, a very few days had elapsed since 
 all had been thus ; and now those cherished 
 objects of her love were sleeping at her feet, 
 worn out with toil and terror, in a wild 
 cavern, on a barbarous and desolate coast. 
 Their ship was a wreck, in the hands of 
 ruthless pirates, from whose horrid grasp 
 they themselves had with such difficulty
 
 312 THE PETEEL, OR, 
 
 escaped, after having endured very many 
 hours of almost hopeless misery. And now 
 the utmost consolation of the generous and 
 devoted protectors, whom it had pleased God 
 to raise up for them in their hour of danger, 
 had only been able to assure them of safety 
 from violence for the remainder of that night, 
 if, as they trusted, there should be no attack 
 from natives ; when they had the means of 
 sustaining life in this desert for some weeks, 
 but no certain place of refuge. 
 
 The unhappy mother trembled as she 
 looked down upon the objects of her affection, 
 who, with the happy facility of youth and 
 innocence, had sunk for the moment into 
 enviable unconsciousness of past or threaten- 
 ing evils. 
 
 The tears, which now flowed fast, in some 
 degree relieved her. Prayer, fervent earnest 
 prayer, calmed her agitated mind. 
 
 " From dangers far more imminent we have 
 been this day almost miraculously delivered !
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 313 
 
 and shall I not trust, implicitly trust, that 
 same Almighty power ! Ought I not to try 
 to recruit my exhausted strength, during the 
 short interval of peace and safety vouchsafed 
 me, that I may be enabled to support the 
 toils and dangers of to-morrow ! ^^ Again she 
 knelt, "God's will be done," she said, and 
 stretched by the side of her cherished darlings, 
 the blessing of sleep was shared by the anxious 
 mother. 
 
 All was soon still and quiet throughout the 
 little post. On each side of the entrance to 
 the cavern which sheltered and concealed them 
 was an armed sentinel ; Chartres, fatigued 
 beyond his powers of endurance, yet deter- 
 mined to place himself between his valued 
 charge and the possibility of danger, wrapped 
 his grey cloak around him, placed his loaded 
 pistols by his side, and laid himself on the 
 bare ground across the entrance to the cavern, 
 in utter forgetfulness of all his maladies, real 
 or imaginary. 
 
 VOL. I. p
 
 314 THE PETREL, OE, 
 
 Captain Timmins and his officers had esta- 
 blished themselves in the place so lately 
 vacated by the ladies, which overlooked the 
 whole cove and the sea-approach to it. Here 
 they rested and refreshed themselves after 
 their anxious and perilous day's work. 
 
 "What are those black devils about now, 
 on board the old ship V said the Captain, 
 starting from his seat, and listening atten- 
 tively ; " this is no longer the sound of 
 drunken rioters. Hark, TurnbuU! it sounds 
 more to me like a desperate fray, with horrid 
 shrieks and yells." 
 
 " These are death-cries, sir, if ever I heard 
 one. The villains are mad drunk, and cutting 
 each other's rascally throats, to save us the 
 trouble." 
 
 "Who knows. Captain Timmins," added 
 Yarker, for they had become greatly excited 
 by the continued shrieks and cries which had 
 so suddenly arisen on board the Thames, 
 " who knows, sir, but we may retake the ship
 
 LOYE ON THE OCEAN. 315 
 
 from those beggarly niggers to-morrow, after 
 all; and make some of tliem dance upon 
 nothing at the yard-arm of the jolly old ship, 
 wreck as the thieves have made of her. 
 
 " That thought of yours, sir,'' said the Doctor, 
 " of leaving the cabin lighted up, and an abun- 
 dance of wine and spirits placed ready for 
 these wretches, has produced wonders. That 
 they have been fighting furiously amongst 
 themselves there can be no doubt. The shrieks 
 and yells are dying away; and Mr. Yarker's 
 hope of retaking the ship to-morrow, may yet 
 be realized." 
 
 All was once more perfectly still in the 
 wreck. 
 
 *' These rocks," said the Captain, " which 
 secure us from the observation of the pirates, 
 do also unluckily prevent the possibility of our 
 seeing the old ship. Fd give a good deal to 
 know what has been going on there for the last 
 hour; but at any rate, there can now be no 
 fear of their attacking us to-night. So we
 
 316 THK PETREL, OR, 
 
 must have a little talk about to-morrow, and 
 settle our plans." 
 
 " We were lucky," said TurnbuU, " to find 
 such a place as this so close at hand, where 
 the J could not see us. Any considerable dis- 
 tance would have added greatly to the fatigue 
 of our men, and would have risked a separa- 
 tion, which might have been fatal to us all." 
 
 " Can you judge of the efi'ect of the broad- 
 side you fired into the schooner, as she came 
 alongside the raft 1" asked the Captain. 
 
 "Why, they came on," replied the Chief- 
 Mate, "screaming, and chattering like as many 
 baboons. Their deck was covered with the 
 noisy niggers, as thick as bees in a hive; I 
 could see them well. The guns which could 
 not be enough depressed to strike their boats, 
 at the raft, were exactly at the right level for 
 the schooner's deck; and the jabbering villains 
 were not more than two fathoms from the 
 muzzles when we slapped the whole lot of 
 grape, and langridge, right into the thick of 'em.
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 317 
 
 the moment we felt the schooner strike the 
 raft. The sudden change of their senseless 
 chatter, into shrieks and groans, was frightful : 
 you must have heard them here/' 
 
 " Lots of 'em got it," added Yarker, " and 
 the wounded are, as John Chinaman says, 
 ' spoiled' for they have no doctors, and like 
 heathen dogs as they are, no man cares for 
 his messmate. Every body looks to his own 
 wounds as well as he can. We took time to 
 make our aim sure, but we did not stop to ask 
 any questions afterwards. It was high time 
 to be off. They didn't find any difficulty in 
 crossing the raft, for the old ship's deck was 
 beginning to swarm with the thieves, before 
 we could get clear of her ; and we took care 
 to make no noise, though they made noise 
 enough, the villains !" 
 
 "Shocking," said the Doctor, "no one to 
 look to the wounded : that is terrible." 
 
 It was now agreed, that although there 
 could be no attack during the night, they must 
 
 p 2
 
 318 THE PETKEL, OR, 
 
 expect the enemy to make an attempt upon 
 them in the morning when they should have 
 slept off their debauch; but all felt certain 
 that in such an advantageous position, they 
 could repel them with little danger. 
 
 " I have no faith, TurnbuU," said the Cap- 
 tain, after an interval of silence, " in finding 
 Portuguese settlements near us. Yarker or 
 you must start at night-fall to-morrow, in the 
 yawl, for Mozambique. The land-wind will 
 carry you out of sight before daylight, and 
 you may get there in eight-and-forty hours. 
 We shan^t take much harm here, for a few 
 days. The pirates, after plundering the old 
 ship, may possibly burn her, and finding they 
 can make no hand of us, must return to Ma- 
 dagascar to recruit their numbers, for we have 
 thinned them out a little. The Governor of 
 Mozambique will send a Government vessel for 
 us, if there should be no English man-of-war 
 there. We know the Petrel is in these seas ; 
 she may be at Mozambique/'
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAK. 319 
 
 The watches were now set, and all those off 
 duty were soon asleep. And as we scorn to 
 compromise the veracity of our narrative, we 
 are compelled to admit, much as we admire 
 and esteem the whole gallant party, that 
 even those, who with arms in their hands, 
 and unflinching courage in their hearts, had 
 undertaken the important duty of watching 
 for the general safety, after an honest, but 
 vain contest, with the drowsiness engendered 
 by long and severe toil and excitement, gave 
 way, one by one, till they, too, all slept. 
 
 Nothing could have been more judicious 
 than were the arrangements made for the 
 security of their position, and the safety of 
 their interesting passengers ; no men more 
 devoted to the execution of those arrange- 
 ments than the gallant fellows to whom they 
 had been committed. But, alas! to plan is 
 one thing, to execute is another. Human 
 nature, in its best and bravest form, has its 
 weaknesses : thews and sinews, however robust,
 
 320 THE PETREL, OR, 
 
 possess but limited powers of action or of en- 
 durance ; and within one short half hour after 
 the close of Captain Timmins' lately recorded 
 conference with his officers, the fatigue, induced 
 by long and unwonted toil, with the presumed 
 absence of all immediate danger, aided by the 
 soothing influence of a calm, still, soft night, 
 had, as already shown, proved irresistible to 
 all. 
 
 It was not yet midnight, and all both 
 within and without the cavern slept pro- 
 foundly ; and so entirely did silence pervade 
 the whole surrounding scene, that the crack- 
 ling and hissing of the green and gum-bearing 
 branches, which had been largely heaped upon 
 the fire, could have been distinctly heard at a 
 considerable distance, whilst a bright flickering 
 flame glanced upon the broad surface of the 
 canvas-screen which closed the entrance to the 
 cavern, and secured its privacy. 
 
 Suddenly the profound stillness was broken 
 by a scream of savage triumph; a rush of
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 321 
 
 numbers at the frail covering of the cavern's 
 mouth instantaneously followed. The glare of 
 the firelight had rendered it, unfortunately, 
 conspicuous amongst so many dark and gloomy 
 objects. The sentinels, betrayed by the glare, 
 were immediately stabbed, one of them mor- 
 tally ; the other, more fortunate, though se- 
 verely wounded, shot his assailant dead and 
 raised an alarm. 
 
 Ohartres, extended across the entrance to 
 the cave, being wrapped in a dark cloak, had. 
 fortunately escaped observation, and as the 
 assailants rushed pell mell into the cavern the 
 foremost of them fell over him. Thus rudely 
 awakened, with the shouts of his wounded 
 sentinel ringing in his ears, he caught up his 
 pistols and shot two of the invaders who were 
 struggling on the ground, and in the act of 
 rising. He then sprang to his feet with per- 
 fect presence of mind, notwithstanding the 
 suddenness of the desperate conflict in which 
 he found himself so strangely involved.
 
 322 THE PETKEL, OR, 
 
 Resolved to sell his life dearly in defence of 
 his helpless friends, he was not without hope, 
 that single-handed as he was, he might still 
 protect them till assistance should arrive from 
 the cove. This passed through Chartres' 
 mind with the rapidity of lightning, but before 
 he could even draw his cutlass from its sheath, a 
 second rush of invaders overwhelmed him : he 
 was struck apparently lifeless to the ground. 
 
 Mrs. Darcie, and her daughters, awakened 
 by the crash of fire-arms so near to them, and 
 terrified by the wild tumult around, felt that 
 they were lost, and clung to each other in an 
 agony of terror. 
 
 " At least we shall die together, darlings," 
 said the heart-stricken mother. " May God be 
 our helper!" 
 
 Her own terrors were deeply aggravated, 
 by a painful conviction, that the noble, the 
 generous Ohartres had already fallen in their 
 defence. 
 
 The exulting ruffians, who now crowded
 
 LOVE ON THE OCEAN. 323 
 
 the cavern, impeded each other's movements. 
 The J had no settled plan of action, no un- 
 derstanding with each other, no leader ; it 
 was each man for himself alone. Actuated 
 bj hopes of plunder, not knowing whom or 
 what they might find. 
 
 But with the fall of the canvas-screen, a 
 glimmering of fire-light had entered, and soon 
 the J recognized their trembling prey; shouts of 
 terrible delight burst forth. All claimed the 
 prize, knives were drawn, and a fierce conflict 
 ensued between the boldest of the assailants, 
 precious moments were lost — the fight was 
 ended. Impious hands still reeking with the 
 blood of their comrades, were raised to seize 
 their horrified victims. No Chartres had ap- 
 peared ; their last earthly hope had failed, 
 and their only prayer was for instant death. 
 
 END OF VOL I. 
 
 LONDON: FEINTED BY HARBISON AND SON, ST. MARTIN S LANE.
 
 POPULAE NEW NOVELS AND ROMANCES, 
 PUBLISHED BY MR. COLBURN. 
 
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 PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF 
 
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 Written by herself. 3 vols. 
 
 ** The most gratifying work of its class since the great delineator 
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 By the Author of " Whitefriars," "Owen Tudor/' &c. 3 vols. 
 
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 I