8o THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



light surrounded the vessel. I was on deck 

 all night, for instead of being four hours as 

 advertised, the boat was eight hours at sea. 

 After we had been out about four hours the 

 sailors mistook a light on the horizon for 

 Ostend, and steamed towards it. Presently 

 the light rose higher, and proved to be the 

 planet Venus, shining so brilliantly. At this 

 moment an immense bank of fog enveloped us, 

 so thick that one could scarcely see from one 

 end of the ship to the other. The captain had 

 lost his way, and the paddles were stopped. 

 After a short time there was the sound of a 

 cannon booming over the sea. Everyone 

 rushecl on deck, thinking of war and ironclads ; 

 but it was the guns at Ostend, far away, firing 

 to direct ships into port through the fog. It 

 was now found that we had actually got about 

 opposite Antwerp. So the ship was turned, 

 and we slowly crept back, afraid of running on 

 shore. Then, after an hour or two of this, we 

 got into shallow water, and the lead was 

 heaved every minute. The steam-whistle was 

 sounded, and the guns on shore again fired. 

 To our surprise, we had run past Ostend almost 



