THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. 213 



"To prevent these frightful rencontres, care is 

 always taken to hoist out the boats in good time, 

 if need be, to tow the ships apart, or, what is gene- 

 rally sufficient, to tow the ships' heads in opposite 

 directions. I scarcely know why this should have 

 the effect; but certainly it appears that, be the calm 

 ever so complete, or dead, as the term is, a vessel 

 generally forges ahead, or steals along imperceptibly 

 in the direction she is looking to; possibly from the 

 conformation of the hull."* 



But there are indications of our patience being 

 at length rewarded by a breeze from the eastward; 

 and now it comes, rippling the surface as it ap- 

 proaches, turning that into a deep uniform blue 

 which has so long borne a glassy brightness reflected 

 from the sky. The seamen are joyous and alert, 

 for they know that this is no "cat's-paw," but the 

 "regular trade." Now it strikes the ship; the 

 sails, gracefully swelling, receive 'the unwonted im- 

 pulse; and the lengthened wake, where the water 

 coils and frets in the newly-cut furrow, tells that 

 the vessel makes way once more. The breeze 

 freshens; the little waves become larger, and, arch- 

 ing over each other, break with patches of whiten- 

 ing foam ; every sail is speedily set that will draw ; 

 and we run gaily along towards the west, under an 

 eight- knot breeze. We can scarcely stop to notice 

 the amitv that subsists between the Shark and the 

 Pilot-fish (Nciucrates ductor), a beautiful little crea- 

 ture, about the size of a herring, the back striped 

 transversely with broad alternate bands of brown and 



* Frag. Voy. and Trav. 2nd Series, i. p. 226. 



