a fair wind for Monte Video, only 120 miles distant, and they therefore determined to run for that port, and do their best to save the ship, and possibly some of the cargo.  In the course of the night, however, a terrible gale sprang up, the same, no doubt, as the one of which we had felt the effects on first leaving the River Plate.  They were driven hither and thither, the sea constantly breaking over them and sweeping the decks, though fortunately without washing any of them overboard.  After forty-eight hours of this rough usage the men were all exhausted, while the fire was gradually increasing in strength beneath their feet, and they knew not at what moment it might burst through the decks and envelope the whole ship in flames.  They were beginning to abandon all hope of a rescue, when a sail was suddenly discovered; and as soon as the necessary flags could be found, the same signal which attracted us was displayed.  The vessel, now quite close to them, proved to be a large American steamer, but she merely hoisted her own ensign and code-pennant, and then coolly steamed away to the southward.  ’I think that captain deserved tarring and feathering, anyway,’ one of the men said to me.  Another observed, ’I wonder what will become of that man; for we had put all our lives in his hand by signalling as we did; and every seaman knows that right well.’  Another said, ’When we saw that ship go away, we all gave in and lay down in despair to die.  But our captain, who is very good to his crew, and a religious man too, said, “There is One above who looks after us all.”  That was true enough, for, about ten minutes afterwards, as I was talking to the cook, and telling him it was all over with us, I saw a sail to leeward, and informed the captain.  We bore down a little, but did not like to go out of our course too much, fearing you might be a “Portuguese,” and play us the same trick as the American.’ (They could not understand our white ensign; for, our funnel being stowed, we looked like a sailing vessel, while all gunboats of our size are steamers.) ’When we saw it was an English vessel, and that you answered our signals and sent a boat off, we were indeed thankful; though that was nothing to what we feel now at once more having a really dry ship under our feet.  Not that we have really suffered anything very terrible, for we had a bit of shelter, and plenty to eat, and the worst part was seeing our things washed overboard, and thinking perhaps we might go next.  We have not had a dry deck since we left Swansea, and the pumps have been kept going most of the time.  Why, with this sea, ma’am, our decks would be under water.’ (This surprised me; as, though low in the water, the ‘Monkshaven’ did not appear to be overladen, and the Plimsoll mark was plainly visible.) ’Our boats were all ready for launching, but we had no sails, and only one rudder for the three; so we should have had hard work to fetch anywhere if we had taken to them.  We lashed the two boys—­apprentices, fourteen and