262 THE OCEAN. 



homeward passage of the John Bull transport, from 

 Rio Janeiro. 



One fine starlight evening, about half-past eight 

 o'clock, the officer on deck came into the cabin, and 

 announced that a ship was hailing. All hands im- 

 mediately came on deck, and the captain asked the 

 position of the stranger. At that moment, " Ship 

 ahoy!" was heard, the voice apparently being to 

 windward. A lantern was put over the gangway, 

 the mainsail was hauled up, and the mainyard 

 backed, to stop the vessel's way. No ship was to be 

 seen. " Silence, fore and aft !" ordered the captain, 

 for the decks were now crowded, soldiers, sailors, 

 women, children, all were up. " Ship ahoy !" again 

 came over the waves, and " Hilloa !" answers the 

 captain at the top of his voice. Every one now 

 listened with breathless attention for the next ques- 

 tion, expecting the name of the ship would be de- 

 manded, as usual : " Ship ahoy !" again resounded, 

 and several together answered " Hilloa!" louder than 

 before : but no notice was taken of the reply, and 

 no sail was in sight. " It is very strange !" ex- 

 claimed the captain; "where can she be?" One 

 thought she might have passed them ; others sug- 

 gested that it might be a pirate-boat about to board. 

 The captain took the hint, put the troops under arms, 

 cleared away the guns ready for action, and double- 

 shotted them. Silence being again obtained, "Ship 

 ahoy !" was heard again, and the voice still seemed to 

 come from the windward. The chief mate then sug- 

 gested the possibility of some person being on a raft, 



