"I saw a small space, about five yards by three, right in the centre of the hold. The vessel was not fully laden, and an attempt had evidently been made to utilise the unoccupied space above the cargo, large mats and cloths of brilliant colours having been spread out in order to hide the packages. In the centre of this hastily-improvised and utterly unfurnished cabin, four women lay dozing or asleep, all in different postures. One, lying on her back, with her arms crossed behind her, had made a species of pillow of her hands, which were clasped under the nape of her neck. Another, by way of contrast, was lying at full length, face downwards, on her mat, which served her as a couch. The third, squatting rather than sitting, had placed her elbows on her knees, and had buried her head in her hands. The last, lying at full length, but on her side, slept with her face completely hidden on her bent arm. In these positions the four beings seemed only one and the same woman, whose varied attitudes were reflected in skilfully-disposed mirrors.
"One and all were beautifully-proportioned, and might have served as models for the most celebrated of ancient sculpture. Their long, silky hair, of a deep, rich, black-brown tint, shone, and seemed to grow purple in the golden rays of the setting sun. The velvety texture of their skin is beyond my powers of description, but it recalled to my mind the sheen of those bronzes of which Florence possessed the secret in days gone by, a species of molten metal—brown steel with golden lights in it.
"I could only distinguish the features of one of these women. Her nose was perfectly straight, with strongly defined nostrils; her forehead, rather narrow and receding, was, nevertheless, smooth and without a line on it, the forehead of a girl of fifteen. Sweeping eye-lashes, of the same tint as her hair, veiled her almond-shaped eyes, and between the pouting, carmine lips, I could see her small and pearl-white teeth.
"I have dwelt at some length on this description; but you will scarcely wonder, if you think for a moment of my own position all this time, that the scene is impressed vividly on my recollection. Round one of my arms was wound a rope which my right hand grasped with all its force, with my other hand I laid hold, as best I could, of the ship's side, and my feet were hanging in empty space. My head was stuck in the port-hole, just as in the lunette of a guillotine, and, seen from within, I must have looked as if I had parted with the rest of my body.
"So one of these women evidently thought, the one who was merely dozing, and whose plaintive sighs had attracted my attention and led to my gymnastic exercises. She was the young girl whose face I had been admiring. Her sweeping eye-lashes parted gradually, first I saw a little white, then a little black, and at last the eyes opened, their look hovered round the empty space, and suddenly catching sight of me, shot out a glance like lightning. At the same time, she uttered a cry, and, with a single bound, with a velocity simply marvellous, but fully accounted for later on, she sprang to her feet.
"The cry aroused the other three sleepers. With the same elasticity that their companion had displayed they bounded to their feet, and all four, in a heap, took refuge in the remotest corner of the cabin. Thus huddled together, startled and trembling, they formed one single group.
"Even now, as I write, my imagination recalls the scene and these four beings, but neither in their attitude, nor in their look could I discover a clue to the feelings which agitated them. They did not seem to have any sense of outraged modesty, but merely a species of scare at being thus so unexpectedly taken by surprise, and very natural alarm at the sudden appearance of the head of an apparently decapitated male.
"But T can assure you that none of these reflections passed across my mind at the time. Scarcely had my four unknowns cried out and huddled together, as I have already told you, then I began to think of retreat. It was high time, for my arms and hands were beginning to fail me, and the Red Sea, hankering after an infidel like me, was yawning for its prey.
"However, this was not exactly the moment wherein to give up the ghost. I had a mystery to unravel. What were these women doing on board the ship? Whence came they? I was, I confess, deeply interested, but, nevertheless, as you have perceived, I went on to the poop again to add a few words to my letter, and I did not leave you until night-fall. It is true that only then could I hope to get speech of the Captain, as that individual is all day long in a sort of stupor, caused by heat and tobacco, and possibly a little brandy mixed therewith, and as a rule does not condescend to emerge from his inaction until sunset.
"I joined him on the bridge whence he issues his despotic commands, and said—