home-sick lingerers are happy.  It never occurs to any of these passengers to glance forward and see whether a streak of green fire seems to strike out from the starboard—­the right-hand side of the vessel—­or whether a shaft of red shoots from the other side.  As a matter of fact, the vessel is going on like a dark cloud over the flying furrows of the sea; but there is very little of the cloud about her great hull, for she would knock a house down if she hit it when travelling at her present rate.  The captain is a thrifty man, and the owners are thrifty persons; they consider the cost of oil; and thus, as it is a nice clear night, the side-lights are not lit, and the judgment of the tramping look-out man on the forecastle-head is trusted.  Parenthetically I may say that, without being in any way disposed to harbour exaggerated sentiment, I feel almost inclined to advocate death for any sailor who runs in mid-ocean without carrying his proper lights out.  I once saw a big iron barque go grinding right from the bulge of the bow to the stern of an ocean steamer—­and that wretched barque had no lights.  Half a yard’s difference, and both vessels would have sunk.  Three hundred and fifty people were sleeping peacefully on board the steamer, and the majority of them must have gone down, while those who were saved would have had a hard time in the boats.  Strange to say, that very same steamer was crossed by another vessel which carried no lights:  but this time the result was bad, for the steamer went clean through the other ship and sank her instantly.

To return to the emigrant vessel.  The officer continues his tramp like one of the caged animals of a menagerie; the spare man of the watch leans against the rail and hums—­

     We’ll go no more by the light of the moon;
     The song is done, and we’ve lost the tune,
     So I’ll go no more a-roving with you, fair maid—­
               A-roving, A-roving, &c.

—­the pipes glow in the clear air, and the flying water bubbles and moans.  Oh, yes, all is well—­beautifully well—­and we need no lights whatever!  Then the look-out man whistles “Hist!”—­which is quite an unusual mode of signalling; the officer ceases his monotonous tramp and runs forward.  “Luff a little!” “He’s still bearing up.  Why doesn’t he keep away?” “Luff a little more!  Stand by your lee-braces.  Oh, he’ll go clear!” So the low clear talk goes, till at last with a savage yell of rage a voice comes from the other vessel—­“Where you coming to?” “Hard down with it!” “He’s into us!” “Clear away your boats!” Then there is a sound like “smack.”  Then comes a long scraunch, and a thunderous rattle of blocks; a sail goes with a report like a gun; the vessels bump a few times, and then one draws away, leaving the other with bows staved in.  A wild clamour surges up from below, but there is no time to heed that; the men toil like Titans, and the hideous music of prayers and curses disturbs the night.