THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 245 



sight ; her graceful movements, as she bovmds over 

 the waves, the white foam rolling up under her bows, 

 her taper masts and spars, the elegant curves which 

 the breeze gives to her running rigging, the white, 

 plump sails, bellying from the wind, are all beautiful ; 

 if she is to windward, her clean white decks are 

 visible as she lies over, the crew collected in the 

 waist or about the bows, the ofdcers and passengers 

 assembled on the quarter-deck, gazing with equal 

 curiosity to our own, upon our appearance ; the 

 captain standing with his speaking-trumpet in his 

 hand ready to seize the moment of nearest approach. 

 He raises his trumpet to his mouth — " Ship ahoy ! " 

 "Hilloa!" "What ship is that, pray? Where are 

 you from? Where are you bound? How long are 

 you out? What's your longitude?" These and 

 similar questions are mutually asked and answered, 

 each reply being acknowledged by a slight motion of 

 the trumpet in the air. If there be opportunity, the 

 prevailing character of the winds with each, the 

 prospects of the voyage, the state of the respective 

 crews, and other nautical subjects, are interchanged ; 

 but usually the time afforded for speaking by the 

 vessels remaining within hail, is very brief, and they 

 again diverge, and soon are lost to each other below 

 the horizon. Very often, from the sighing of the 

 wind among tlie cordage, the working of the ship, 

 the ripple and splash at her side, as well as from 

 distance, while the questions from being so much in 

 course are perfectly intelligible, the answers are 

 almost inaudible, and can sometimes only be guessed 

 at, the consonants being entirely lost, and the vowel- 



