44 ALARM OF A LEAK. 



of face at this row of esculents. Our eyes met, and he 

 asked me, with an expressive voice, " if I liked cabbage- 

 soup ?" I met him more than half-way, and said, " No ; 

 and if you are only a man, we won't have any more." 

 We understood one another immediately, and met on 

 that evening by appointment, when the halter of each 

 vegetable was quickly cut, and they all dropped with a 

 cheerful splash into the sea. Suspicions there might be, 

 and were, respecting the guilty party, but no certainty. 



We were all alarmed one day by the mate reporting 

 that there was a deal of water forward amongst the coals ; 

 so all hands set to work to get the coals out, and then to 

 look for a leak ; which proceeding was not accomplished 

 without considerable risk, as the sea was tremendous, and 

 the little brigantine, being only about 140 tons, made 

 very bad weather of it. Fortunately there was no leak, 

 the water having come from above instead of below, 

 owing to the heavy pitching. 



We envied the fine-looking Indiamen, who frequently 

 rolled past us with their stun'-sails set and every sail 

 drawing, while we were pitching and tossing, and making 

 scarcely any progress. " More wind in your jib," was 

 frequently applied by our sailors to the vessels that met 

 us, and at length was responded to by the south-east gale 

 changing to a north-west, which enabled us eventually 

 to reach the wished-for Bluff of Natal, where we were 

 boarded by the port-boat. With only one bump on 

 the bar, we passed to the smooth water inside, and, sailing 

 along the narrow channel, obtained a sight of the glorious 

 bay of Port Natal. 



