THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 247 



suggested the possibility of some person being on a 

 raft, and vohmteered to go in a boat to ascertain. 

 The boat was lowered, and the two mates, with the 

 boat's crew, each armed with sword and pistol, rowed 

 at some distance round the ship. 



On the officers' return, they reported that they 

 could neither hear nor see anything. Silence pre- 

 vailed while they reported this to the captain, every 

 one being desirous to know the issue of the search. 

 Instantly, the same " Ship ahoy !" was heard, though 

 much less audibly, and, apparently, at a greater 

 distance than before. The next moment it was heard 

 much louder and closer. A feeling of intense ex- 

 citement now prevailed in each of the crowd of 

 persons on board the transport. More than an hour 

 had passed since the ship was hove to ; every one 

 had repeatedly heard the stranger's hail, coming 

 through the darkness, but nothing had been seen 

 of him, and no further question or answer could be 

 elicited. The screams of the women and children, 

 and the muttering of the men, showed that super- 

 stitious dread of something supernatural and un- 

 eartlily was creeping over every one. The captain 

 issued orders to shoulder arms and to make ready 

 the guns. 



Just at this crisis, one of the cabin-boys, who had 

 been standing near the mainmast, stepped aft to the 

 chief mate, and said " It's a fowl in the hencoop, 

 sir, that's a-making that 'ere noise." That officer 

 indignantly bestowed on him a sound box on the 

 ear for his information, but immediately recollecting 

 that he wa3 an intelligent lad, accompanied him to 



