Page:History of Whittington and his cat (3).pdf/13

13 certain he was awake. "Ah!" cried he, "is it I—the forlorn, the outcast Whittington, that shall be Lord Mayor?” Then shall I see those I love best once again!" Still the bells continued their song, "It is enough," said Whittington; "what would not any one endure to arrive at such greatness and such honour! I will therefore go back, and patiently sustain all I must suffer, only to gain myself a chance for such glory and such happiness;" and thus making hope his walking-stick, hohe [sic] returned back, exercising it against despairing thoughts: and all this was unobserved by any one.

Whilst Whittington was bowing his neck to the yoke of an usurped tyranny, Puss and her fellow voyagers made way, proceeding with all sail for the East; but navigation was then a



niconice [sic] and difficult art; for the compass, that now tells us how to steer, was then wholly unknown. Whence the winds and the waves sported with ships, and often tossed them out of their latitude; as was the case with thothe [sic] "Unicorn," to the delay and alarm of all on board.

Puss, during her passage, however, presented the captain with a young family of kittens; who grew up as sportive as their mother, and thereby diverted the sailors many a tedious hour. Hopeless, however, at length, of regaining their lost track, and terrified by the view of their reduced provisions, (for, at sea, the remedy for such an evil is dreadful but to think of,) they were reduced to the horrible extremity of casting lots who should die, when they were relieved in the moment of their deepest despair, by seeing land; and this land, when they reached it, proved to be a kingdom on the African coast, abounding with mines of wealth.

The arrival of a ship on this coast was so pleasurable, because