262 THE OCEAN. 



homeward passage of the John Bull transport, from 

 Eio 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 I" 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, 



