and hastened to get in the studding-sails, in anticipation of the
coming squall. In a few minutes we had lost our fair breeze and
brilliant sunshine, all our sails were taken flat aback, and we found
ourselves enveloped in a dense fog, which made it impossible for us to
see the length of the vessel. It was an extraordinary phenomenon.
Captain Lecky, who, in the course of his many voyages, has passed
within a few miles of this exact spot more than a hundred and fifty
times, had never seen anything in the least like it. As night came on
the fog increased, and the boats were prepared ready for lowering. Two
men went to the wheel, and two to the bows to look out, while an
officer was stationed on the bridge with steam-whistle and bell ready
for an emergency; so that, in case we ran into anything, or anything
ran into us, we should at least have the satisfaction of knowing that,
so far as we were concerned, it had all been done strictly according
to Act of Parliament.

_Saturday, July 15th_.--Between midnight and 4 a.m. the fog
disappeared, as suddenly as it had come on. We must have passed
through a wide belt of it. At 5.30 a.m., when Tom called me to see a
steamer go by, it was quite clear. The vessel was the 'Roman,' and she
passed so close to us that we made our number, and exchanged
salutations with the officers on the bridge.

Towards the afternoon a nice breeze sprang up, and we were able to
bank fires and sail.




CHAPTER II.