TO TEE BLUFF, AND HOME. 377 



1 felt more nervous distrust than I bad ever felt before 

 at sea since first I began to experience the many 

 vicissitudes of a sailor's life. 



We had reached the northern verge of the tropics in 

 a very short time, owing to the favourable cant in the 

 usual direction of the north-east trades before noted, 

 and had been met with north-westerly winds and thick, 

 dirty weather, which was somewhat unusual in so low a 

 latitude. Our look-outs redoubled their vigilance, one 

 being posted on each bow always at night, and relieved 

 every hour, as we were so well manned. We were now 

 on the port tack, of course, heading about north-east-by- 

 north, and right in the track of outward-bound vessels 

 from both the United Kingdom and the States. One 

 morning, about three a.m. — that fateful time in the 

 middle watch when more collisions occur than at any 

 other — suddenly out of the darkness a huge ship seemed 

 to leap right at us. She must have come up in a squall, 

 of which there were many about, at the rate of some 

 twelve knots an hour, having a fair wind, and every rag 

 of sail set. Not a gleam of light was visible anywhere 

 on board of her, and, to judge from all appearances, the 

 only man awake on board was the helmsman. 



We, being " on the wind, close-hauled," were bound 

 by the " rule of the road at sea " to keep our course 

 when meeting a ship running free. The penalty for 

 doing anything under such circumstances is a severe 

 one. First of all, you do not know that the other ship's 

 crew are asleep or negligent, even though they carry no 

 lights ; for, by a truly infernal parsimony, many vessels 

 actually do not carry oil enough to keep their lamps 

 burning all the voyage, and must therefore economize in 

 this unspeakably dangerous fashion. And it may be 

 that just as you alter your course, daring no longer to 



