I was looking steadfastly at the little vessel as she came rolling down before the wind, keeping my eye on the man that was bending on the ensign haulyards. First of all, he began to hoist away the ensign, until it reached about half-way between the end of the long, drooping, wirelike yard and the deck; he then jerked it upwards and downwards for a minute, as if irresolute whether to run it chokeup, or haul it down again; at length it hung half-mast high, and blew out steadily. My mind suddenly misgave me, and I looked for the pennant; it was also hoisted half-mast--"Alas! alas! poor Donovan," I involuntarily exclaimed--but loud enough to be overheard by the commodore, who stood by--"another victim to this horrid coast." "What is wrong, Mr Brail?" said Sir Oliver. "I fear Mr Donovan is dead, sir. The felucca's ensign and pennant are half-mast, sir." "Bless me, no--surely not!" said the excellent old man;--"hand me the glass.--Too true--too true--where is all this to end?" said he with a sigh. The felucca was now within long pistol-shot of our weather-quarter, standing across our stern, with the purpose of rounding-to under our lee. At this time Sir Oliver was looking out close by the tafferel, with his trumpet in his hand. I was again peering through the glass. "Why, there is the strangest figure come on deck, on board the Midge, that I ever saw--what can it be? Sir Oliver, will you please to look at it?" The commodore took the glass with the greatest good-humour, while he handed me his trumpet,--"Really," said he, "I cannot tell--Mr Sprawl, can you?" Sprawl--honest man--took his spell at the telescope--but _he_ was equally unsuccessful. The figure that was puzzling us was a half-naked man, in his shirt and trowsers, with a large blue shawl bound round his head, who had suddenly jumped on deck, with a hammock thrown over his shoulders as if it had been a dressing gown; the clew hanging half-way down his back, while the upper part of the canvass-shroud was lashed tightly round his neck, but so as to leave his arms and legs free scope; and there he was strutting about with the other clew trailing away astern of him, like the train of a lady's gown, as if he had in fact been arrayed in what was anciently called a curricle-robe. Over this extraordinary array there was slung a formidable Spanish _trabuco_, or blunderbuss, across his body; and one hand, as he walked backwards and forwards on the small confined deck of the felucca, held a large green silk umbrella over his head, although the sail of itself was shade enough at the time; while the other clutched a speaking trumpet.