tinted sky. I got up frequently to see the sun rise, but in the tropics it is not nearly so fine at its rising as at its setting.

A ship was announced as being in sight, with a signal flying to speak with us. We were sailing along under a favorable breeze, but our captain put the ship about and waited for the stranger. It proved to be a Yankee whaler. When the captain came on board, he said "he guessed he only wanted newspapers." Our skipper was in a "roaring wax" at being stopped in his course for such a trivial matter, but he said nothing. The whaler had been out four years, and her last port was Honolulu, in the Sandwich Islands. The Yankee captain, among other things, wanted to know if Grant was President, and if the "Alabama" Question was settled; he was interested in the latter question, as the "Alabama" had burnt one of his ships. He did not seem very comfortable while on board, and when he had got his papers he took his leave. I could not help admiring the whaleboat in which he was rowed back to his own vessel. It was a beautiful little thing, though dirty; but it had doubtless seen much service. It was exquisitely modeled, and the two seamen in the little craft handled it to perfection. How they contrived to stand up in it quite steady, while the boat, sometimes apparently half out of the water, kept rising and falling on the long ocean swell, seemed to me little short of marvelous.

CHAPTER IV.

THE BLUE JACKET."

April Fools' Day.—A Ship in Sight.-The "Pyrmont."-The Rescued "Blue Jacket" Passengers.-Story of the burnt Ship.-Suffering of the Lady Passengers in an open Boat.-Their Rescue.-Distressing Scene on board the "Pyrmont."

1st April.-I was roused early this morning by the cry outside of "Get up! get up! There is a ship on fire ahead!" I got up instantly, dressed, and hastened on deck, like many more. But there was no ship on fire; and then we laughed, and remembered that it was AllFools' Day.

In the course of the forenoon we descried a sail, and shortly after we observed that she was bearing down upon us. The cry of "Letters for home!" was raised, and we hastened below to scribble a few last words, close our letters, and bring them up for the letter-bag.

By this time the strange ship had drawn considerably nearer, and we saw that she was a barque, heavily laden. She proved to be the "Pyrmont," a German vessel belonging to Hamburg, but now bound for Yarmouth from Iquique, with a cargo of saltpetre on board. When she came near enough to speak us, our captain asked, "What do you want?" The answer was, "Blue Jacket' burnt at sea; her passengers on board. Here was a sensation! Our April Fools' alarm was true, after all. A vessel had been on fire, and here were

Have you a doctor?"

the poor passengers asking for help. We knew nothing of the "Blue Jacket," but soon we were to know all.

A boat was at once lowered from the davits, and went off with the doctor and the first mate. It was a hazy, sultry, tropical day, with a very slight breeze stirring, and very little sea. Our main yard was backed to prevent our farther progress, and both ships lay-to within a short distance of each other. We watched our boat until we saw the doctor and officer mount the "Pyrmont," and then waited for farther intelligence.

Shortly after we saw our boat leaving the ship's side, and as it approached we observed that it contained some strangers as well as our doctor, who had returned for medicines, lint, and other appliances. When the strangers reached the deck we found that one of them was the first officer of the unfortunate "Blue Jacket," and the other one of the burnt-out passengers. The latter, poor fellow, looked a piteous sight. He had nothing on but a shirt and a pair of trowsers; his hair was matted, his face haggard, his eyes sunken. He was without shoes, and his feet was so sore that he could scarcely walk without support.

And yet it turned out that this poor suffering fellow was one of the best-conditioned of those who had been saved from the burnt ship. He told us how that the whole of the fellow-passengers whom he had just left on board the "Pyrmont" wanted clothes, shirts, and shoes, and were in a wretched state, having been tossed about at sea in an open boat for about nine days, during which they had suffered the extremities of cold, thirst, and hunger.

We were horrified by the appearance, and still more

by the recital, of the poor fellow. Every moment he astonished us by new details of horror. But it was of no use listening to more. We felt we must do something. All the passengers at once bestirred themselves, and went into their cabins to seek out any clothing they could spare for the relief of the sufferers. I found I could give trowsers, shirts, a pair of drawers, a blanket, and several pocket-handkerchiefs; and as the other passengers did likewise, a very fair bundle was soon made up and sent on board the "Pyrmont."

Of course, we were all eager to know something of the details of the calamity which had befallen the "Blue Jacket." It was some time before we learned them all; but as two of the passengers-who had been gold-diggers in New Zealand-were so good as to write out a statement for the doctor, the original of which now lies before me, I will endeavor, in as few words as I can, to give you some idea of the burning of the ship and the horrible sufferings of the passengers.

The "Blue Jacket" sailed from Port Lyttleton, New Zealand, for London on the 13th of February, 1869, laden with wool, cotton, flax, and 15,000 ounces of gold. There were seven first-cabin passengers and seventeen second-cabin. The ship had a fine run to Cape Horn and past the Falkland Islands. All went well until the 9th of March, when, in latitude 50° 26' south, one of the seamen, about midday, observed smoke issuing from the fore-hatch-house. The cargo was on fire! All haste was made to extinguish it. The fire-engines were set to work, passengers as well as crew working with a will, and at one time it seemed as if the fire would be got under. The hatch was opened, and the second mate at

tempted to go down, with the object of getting up and throwing overboard the burning bales, but he was drawn back insensible. The hatch was again closed, and holes were cut in the deck to pass the water down; but the seat of the fire could not be reached. The cutter was lowered, together with the two life-boats, for use in case of need. About 7 30 P.M. the fire burst through the decks, and in about half an hour the whole forecastle was enveloped in flames, which ran up the rigging, licking up the foresail and fore-top. The mainmast being of iron, the flames rushed through the tube as through a chimney, until it became of a white heat. The lady passengers in the after part of the ship must have been kept in a state of total ignorance of the ship's danger, otherwise it is impossible to account for their having to rush on board the boats at the last moment with only the dresses they wore. Only a few minutes before they left the ship, one of the ladies was playing the "Guards' Waltz" on the cabin piano!

There was no hope of safety but in the boats, which were hurriedly got into. On deck, every thing was in a state of confusion. Most of the passengers got into the cutter, but without a seaman to take charge of it. When the water-cask was lowered, it was sent bung downward, and nearly half the water was lost. By this time the burning ship was a grand but fearful sight, and the roar of the flames was frightful to hear. At length the cutter and the two life-boats got away, and as they floated astern the people in them saw the masts disappear one by one, and the hull of the ship a roaring mass of fire.

In the early gray of the morning the three boats mustered, and two of the passengers, who were on one of the