286 ANECDOTE OF A 



and that he might not, before many days were 

 over, die of hunger. 



In this miserable state, he was wandering about, 

 not knowing what to do, or, indeed, caring what 

 became of him, when he chanced by accident to 

 hear that a particular vessel, then about to sail, 

 was in want of a pilot, to enter the Danube. 



" That would just do for me," thought G , 



^' if I only knew any thing at all about the mouths 

 of the Danube ; but I know nothing about them, 

 and was never there in my life. What can I 

 possibly do ?" It, however, occurred to him, that 

 if the captain of the vessel could pilot his own 

 ship, he would not require a pilot ; consequently, 

 if G could only muster up sufficient assu- 

 rance, fortune might befriend him ; and even if he 

 did not succeed, he could not be worse off than 

 dying of hunger at Constantinople. 



To offer his services, and to be instantly ac- 

 cepted, was a matter of no great difficulty. Pi- 

 lots must be had ; all other pilots were away, and 

 no inquiries were made into our hero's qualifica- 

 tions for the office he so boldly undertook. 



G went on board, and, to his dismay, he 



found that the captain of the vessel was a Turk, 



