Wit and humor > Storys of the bewitched fiddler

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on the brink of eternity—in thankfulness
and in prayer.
The number of persons in the two boats
was forty-eight; and all, with the excep¬
tion of the two ladies, who, I must observe,
bore these awful circumstances with extra¬
ordinary fortitude, took it in turns to work
at the oars and paddles. After some time,
to our great relief, the rain ceased; the
lalwiur of bailing water from the boats was
considerably diminished; we hailed each
other frequently, during the night, and the
honest tars, true ‘hearts of oak,’occasionally
gave a simultaneous ‘ hurra.’ to cheer each
other, and to keep up our spirits.
dlie Tanjore must have risen in the
water, as it gradually consumed; we saw
it burning the whole night, and at day¬
break could distinguish a column of smoke
arising from it, which, however, soon
ceased, and we saw and heard no more of
our favourite ship. When the sun rose, we
could clearly discern land a-head; the sight
of it filled us with grateful joy and nerved
us with fresh vigour.