and, as the ship ploughed her onward way, she left a golden thread in her wake. I could scarcely persuade myself, that we were in any danger, or that we were no longer pursuing our voyage in the direction we wished

to go.

The ladies remained below, trembling with fear; for the captain, for the sake of having some one more alarmed than himself, had taken care to tell them, that a whole fleet of pirates were rowing as fast as they could after us. Little Maria Van Deck was the only one who behaved heroically. When I went below, I found her in the cabin, offering up prayers to Him who had power to protect us. I watched her as she knelt, the lights from the cabin-lamp falling on her upturned childish countenance. She was too much absorbed to observe me. At length, she rose from her knees. She smiled when I spoke to her, and thanked her for setting so good an example.

“Oh, I have no fear," she answered; "God is good, and will not allow us to be injured."

Reminded of my duty by the little girl, I also knelt and prayed earnestly for our safety. Returning on deck, I waited till the rising sun should shew us the position of our enemies, or assure us that we were beyond their reach. The first mate went aloft with the glass in his hand directly the first faint streaks of day appeared in the sky, to look out for the prahus the moment the rays of the sun striking on their sails should enable him to see them. The captain meantime paced the deck in a state of no little agitation. We all watched anxiously for the mate's report, as the coming sun gradually lighted up the whole sky with a glow of brightness. Each instant it grew more intense, till all near objects could be

clearly distinguished, but still the mate gave no announcement from his lofty perch. Had not the matter been too serious for laughter, I could have laughed heartily at the poor master's ludicrous expression of countenance, so full was it of fear, doubt, and anxiety, as he turned up his eyes to the mast-head, to watch for any signal which might relieve his mind. The mate kept his glass sweeping round the southern horizon, till at last he seemed satisfied.

"Nothing in sight in any quarter," he shouted from

aloft.

What, are you sure, nothing?" exclaimed the master, scarcely believing his senses. "Then we shall not this time have to dig yams for the blackamoors." And he gave a grunt of satisfaction, so loud that I thought he had exploded, while he sunk down on a gun, overcome by his feelings. He now became much braver than he had been all the night, and talked boldly of how we would have treated the pirates if they had dared to attack us. We, however, still continued standing to the northward. At last Fairburn, to whom he had been addressing himself, lost patience.

Well, sir," he exclaimed, "if we keep away, and make all sail after them, there is little doubt we shall fall in with them before long."

This silenced the captain for the time; but he again broke out when he found himself in the cabin with the ladies, till he made them believe that he was a very brave man, except his wife, who knew him too well to be so deceived. All day we continued standing away from where the captain thought the pirates might be, and it was not till night that he was persuaded again to stand on his proper course.

I did not repine at the increased length of the voyage as much as might be expected; for my time was busily employed in studying the geography of the Archipelago, the productions of the islands, the habits and manners of the people, and more particularly the Malay language, which I knew, in order to obtain my object, it would be important for me to speak well. With so powerful a stimulus, aided by a Malay seaman on board, I acquired a fair knowledge of it with great rapidity. I also studied Dutch, which I knew I should also find useful.

CHAPTER XI.

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Captain Van Deck is out of his Reckoning.—The Cowlitz among Coral Reefs.-An Exemplification of the Proverb, " Out of the Fryingpan into the Fire."-The Brig strikes, and we soon discover that we must abandon all Hopes of saving her.-Some of the Crew attempt to get intoxicated.-We take to the Boats. -I embark in the Skiff with Fairburn.-We nearly forget Ungka. We bid farewell to the Brig, and consult whither we shall shape our Course.-We visit an Island to recruit.-We repair the Boats, and continue our Voyage.

THE Cowlitz was once more on her course, with the wind nearly right aft. I guessed, however, from the observations I saw the captain attempting to take, and his more frequent attention to the chart, that he was somewhat out of his reckoning. That part of the China seas is tolerably free from shoals and reefs; but still there are some about midway between Cochin China and the islands of Luzon, Palawan, and Borneo, in the neighbourhood of which, after our flight from the pirates, we must clearly have been.

The navigation among coral reefs is very dangerous; because, as they rise like mountains of various heights from the depths of the ocean, and frequently do not appear above the surface, a ship may be among them, and having passed over some, may too late discover her danger, without the power of extricating herself. In fine weather, with a clear sky, they may, from the different

colour of the water over them, be perceived at a distance, but at night, or with thick weather, their neighbourhood is only known by the noise of the sea dashing over them, or by the white crests of the breakers rising either ahead, or on either beam of the ship.

We continued running on all that night, without taking more than the usual precaution of keeping a look-out ahead. Towards the end of the morning watch, I came on deck to enjoy the freshness of the air, when, as I was looking over the side, I observed that the water, broad on the starboard bow, was of an unusually dark colour. I watched it attentively, when, turning round, and looking over the larboard quarter, I there perceived a similar appearance. I felt certain that it could arise but from one cause-either a sandbank or a coral reef, for there was not a cloud in the sky to cast a shadow on the water. I called the attention of Fairburn to it, as he fortunately just then came on deck to relieve the first mate. He instantly sprang aloft, and, after taking a hurried glance all around, he ordered the cabin-boy to call the captain, directing two men to station themselves at each fore-yard-arm. The captain's face exhibited no little consternation when he saw the position in which we were placed; but we could now do nothing except stand on, and keep our eyes about us.

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This is the consequence of not keeping a careful reckoning," said Fairburn, as I stood beside him. “The poor master, afraid of a fancied danger, has managed to run us into a real one; however, if the weather holds good, I think we may yet do well."

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I trust so,” I said. I should think there can be little danger while we can see the reef as clearly as we now do."